Paul Heyman introduces WWE 2K25 Island Mode

WrestleMania “Season” also means that 2K is ramping up for a new edition of its beloved WWE 2K series with the upcoming release of WWE 2K25 on the way this coming March 2025. “The Original Tribal Chief,” Roman Reigns will be the cover star on the Standard Edition cover alongside his “Wiseman,” Paul Heyman. Celebrating the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest Superstars in WWE history, The Undertaker, cuts an imposing profile on the Deadman Edition cover, while The Bloodline Edition cover features members of both Roman Reigns’ and Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline factions, including Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman, Sami Zayn, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa, interwoven into the roots and branches of the iconic Bloodline family tree. The newest installment of the flagship WWE video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts, will be on the PlayStation®5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. 

It is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in the history of WWE in terms of popularity, revenue, and pop culture influence. It seems 2K is ready to match the hype with promises of the biggest roster in WWE Video Game history and an expanded list of new features. As a critic of presentation in sports games the first that became noticeable is the updated venues specifically with RAW moving to Netflix and the logos/presentation reflecting that, Smackdown and NXT’s are also updated. An updated & improved KO system paired with a complete overhaul of the ‘create-a-moveset’ system will bring in some added immersion. Three match types have been added: Underground, Intergender & Bloodline matches are now available and blood will be an option during women’s matches as well. With the inclusion of Intergender matches, something WWE has declined in the past, will give the player a chance to experience things you will never see on WWE TV.  Another new feature is a third-person camera for both in-fight and pre-fight sections.

Yesterday during Playstation’s ‘State of Play’ Paul Heyman introduced the biggest mode coming to the WWE 2K Series: Island Mode. The Island itself had been teased in early trailers with no exact details as fans assumed that this was WWE 2K25's version of NBA 2K's The City. Paul Heyman explained how WWE 2K25's The Island works in the trailer,the Island is an online environment filled with WWE-themed landmarks, game quests, live events, and shops. Themed districts include the likes of Hero HQ, The Arcade of Tomorrow, The Temple of Ancestors, and The Deadlands.Similar to NBA 2K, customization will play a part as brands such as Nike, Jordan, Chalk Line, Puma and others will be available at launch. The reveal also announced that an instance of The Island can accommodate up to 50 players, no word on if cross-play will be on this year but The Island will be exclusive to current-gen only. The Island will give fans freedom to explore, and play matches seamlessly, while also developing a base of sorts, fans will have an eye on how microtransactions will play a part in the mode as well.