WWE 2K25: Breaking Boundaries with Intergender Matches and an Innovative Open-World Experience

2K has unveiled WWE 2K25, and this year’s edition of the game finally allows you to match male and female wrestlers against one another in intergender bouts – a practice WWE itself rarely permits onscreen – set to launch on March 14.

“WWE or user-created Superstars from both the men’s and women’s divisions can now battle against each other to create endless matchups across all game modes,” explains 2K in a press release. Intergender matches were once a hallmark of WWE video games during wrestling’s more rebellious era, but they have long been absent from the 2K series, which has embraced a more family-friendly approach.

Speculation had long indicated that WWE avoided intergender wrestling for fear it could be interpreted as endorsing violence against women, potentially deterring prospective advertisers. Regardless of the rationale, intergender matchups have become exceedingly rare in WWE – and when they do occur, it often involves one of the most physically dominant women on the roster delivering a lopsided beatdown to one of the least strong men. At least now, we can enjoy some truly equitable wrestling in WWE 2K25.

Another significant addition this year is The Island, “an interactive realm consisting of a series of areas centered around various WWE themes,” where you will seek to challenge Roman Reigns and secure a WWE contract. You might undertake a variety of quests and challenges, as it appears to be the major narrative mode for customized superstars.

It resembles a bit like NBA 2K’s The City, although that open-world mode has sparked controversy among basketball fans. Let’s hope The Island operates a little more effectively in the vibrant context of WWE. Regardless, this mode will likely be exclusive to current-gen consoles – while the game is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, The Island is limited to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Check out our guide to WWE 2K25 Special Editions and pre-order bonuses if you’re deciding which version is appealing to you.

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022 and is currently based in Missouri. He has been covering video games (with occasional forays into anime and professional wrestling) since 2015, initially as a freelancer, and later as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His passion for video games was ignited somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can often find him dividing his leisure between retro gaming, the latest blockbuster action-adventure title, or a lengthy session in American Truck Simulator.