As a professional wrestling simulator, the WWE 2K series is already a complete package. It doesn’t just offer a massive roster of wrestlers and arenas, but a long list of match types too. Ladder matches, TLC, backstage brawls — you name it, and it’s there. What more is there to add in a game that already has it all?
WWE 2K25 has a few answers this year, including a new kind of battle: underground matches. During a recent hands-on preview, I gave the option for a spin in a series of hard-hitting matches. While it certainly isn’t a game-changer, it might just be the best new mode for casual players who want to make a complex battle system just a bit easier to pick up and play.
The hook of underground matches is simple: The ring has no ropes. Players battle on a flat canvas that only has its corner turnbuckles in place. A few onlookers stand directly at ringside, though the match still happens in a normal arena full of fans. There are no pinfalls or submissions. Players only win by knockout after taking down their opponent’s health, similar to the way backstage brawls work. It makes WWE 2K feel more like a standard fighting game.
While that’s just a slight rule change, it does create some fun moments that change the flow of battle. Fights feel more physical since they’re more about staying close to my opponent and slugging it out rather than running the ropes are climbing turnbuckles for high-flying spots. In one match, I pitted Ethan Page and The Rock against one another in a hard-hitting — and bloody — slugfest. It’s not quite a UFC fight, but it’s the closest the 2K series has ever come to reaching that tone.
The lack of ropes opens the door for some fun spots. In one match, I controlled Jade Cargill through a Liv Morgan beatdown. The crowning moment of that clash came when I suplexed Liv directly off the apron and onto the crowd, who scattered out of the way. Moments like that make underground matches feel both physical and personal like backstage brawls, but without the cartoon gimmicks.
This feels like the best mode for those who just want to experience WWE 2K in a casual setting. No one has to learn how to execute pinfalls, climb turnbuckles, bounce off ropes, or anything like that. It just requires players to understand how basic attacks and holds work. There’s more nuance to it, but one could focus on three buttons and still hold their own fairly well. It’s the series’ own version of “Final Destination, no items,” the Super Smash Bros. Melee ruleset that the pros swear by.
That’s not a reason to buy WWE 2K25 on its own, but it’s part of a wider suite of updates that feels substantial. There are Bloodline Rules matches, intergender clashes, a new open-world mode, online play in MyGM, and so much more coming in this year’s entry. I imagine that underground matches will become the most substantial part of my multiplayer rotation, though. It’s the ideal way to beat up your buds.
WWE 2K25 launches on March 14 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC if you buy one of its special editions. Those who opt for the standard edition will get access one week later on March 7.