As someone who didn’t pay much attention to sports games on Nintendo platforms before 2017, I’ve made it a point to play every single NBA 2K I could, but I was also very excited for WWE 2K18. We all know what a mess that was, but I thought the NBA 2K games were good experiences despite not offering all the current-generation modes. I enjoyed playing them handheld mainly, since I had the PS5 or Xbox Series X versions to play the current version on TV. When NBA 2K and WWE 2K were announced during the Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 broadcast, I wasn’t sure what to think given their respective series’ history on Nintendo Switch.
With WWE 2K25, 2K has delivered an excellent port, all things considered. I’ll go into the differences a bit later in this review, but having played WWE 2K25 quite a bit on Steam Deck and more recently on PS5, I’m impressed with the handheld experience and utilization of Nintendo Switch 2 hardware and software features. It has been interesting seeing how the developer approached bringing over the full WWE 2K25 experience to Nintendo Switch 2 with some expected cutbacks, but also delivering a mode that is missing on last generation consoles and even PC. I won’t go in-depth into every single game mode included in WWE 2K25, but I will cover what I’ve spent the most time with and how this version compares to other platforms.
If you’ve not played a WWE game in many years or even since WWE 2K18 on the original Switch, there’s a lot to love in WWE 2K25, and also a lot to dislike in the game itself. Before that, I need to give you some background on the WWE 2K games in recent years. While the NBA 2K games have been consistently great with core gameplay and visuals, the WWE 2K releases were quite lacking for a few years. WWE 2K20 was clearly the tipping point because it led to 2K skipping a year and delivering WWE 2K22, which was a step in the right direction, but it was clearly a base to build on.
With WWE 2K23, the WWE 2K games reached their true potential in quality and content. In fact, I’d argue that WWE 2K23 overdelivered all things considered, and it led to WWE 2K24 not feeling like a huge jump. I told friends of mine who played a lot of WWE 2K23 to skip WWE 2K24 until it gets discounted. If you were one of the folks who skipped WWE 2K24 or haven’t played one of these games in a while, WWE 2K25 is for you.
WWE 2K25 on Nintendo Switch 2 has all the modes included with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions. This includes the general Play mode, MyRISE, Showcase (story mode), MyFACTION, Universe, MyGM, and The Island. Play mode is where I spent most of my time because I usually get NBA and WWE 2K games to focus on the core after spending some time in the story-adjacent modes. Play is where you have access to the many match types like Royal Rumble, Extreme Rules, Hell in a Cell, TLC (Tabbles, Ladders, and Chairs), the newer Wargames type, and many more. This is where you will see the massive roster WWE 2K25 has to offer, but also where you may end up seeing many superstars greyed out if you bought the standard edition.
Speaking of the editions, WWE 2K25 arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 about four months after it debuted on other platforms. It is available as a Standard Edition, Deadman Edition, and the Bloodline Edition digitally. If you just want the base game and all superstars, I recommend looking into the DLC packs so you don’t end up buying a more expensive edition for content you will not use. I honestly don’t bother much with the MyFACTION and MyGM like modes, so I will not comment on those modes and how the DLC affects them, but I did spend time with the other modes included here.
The Showcase mode and MyRISE are definitely the highlights if you enjoy WWE history and building up your own custom character to experience an original story in the WWE universe. Showcase in particular feels like a big step up over last year’s entry and is great in general with how it puts you in control of key moments in wrestling history.
The Island feels quite a bit lacking. If you played NBA 2K and experienced the City mode there, this feels like a WWE take on that, and while there is potential, it feels a bit empty and sluggish to move around in. It being present in WWE 2K25 is a good sign for the console and how 2K takes it seriously, but I don’t care much for the mode itself.
Speaking of 2K taking the console seriously, I was already impressed with the performance in busier match types with multiple superstars, but I was surprised to see that 2K not only added multiple control options for the Pro Controller, Joy-Con 2, and handheld mode, but you can also play with individual Joy-Con 2 on a single Nintendo Switch 2. This gives you an out-of-the-box tabletop multiplayer experience.
The other feature I want to highlight is GameShare. I was able to invite a friend living in another country to play WWE 2K25 with me on my Switch 2. Obviously, the distance meant quick time events were harder, but if you have someone living near you or can do it locally, GameShare is actually well implemented in WWE 2K25.
I’ve praised a lot in WWE 2K25 so far, but there are also some issues with the Nintendo Switch 2 version and the game itself. The biggest one for the former is custom creations being limited to the Switch 2 pool and not having access to other platforms. This may or may not be a big deal for you, but it is worth noting, just like the fact that there is no cross-play online multiplayer with this version. It is also worth noting that WWE 2K25, in general, is inconsistent when it comes to how the superstars look, with some being accurate through scanning and others not looking as good. This is more of a limitation of the game and not just the Switch 2. The only Switch 2-specific visual issue I noticed on superstars is the hair sometimes having some upscale or rendering issues in some situations.
Beyond that, there are other visual cutbacks on Switch 2 with the game, while looking good on the handheld display, clearly subnative or with upscaling not doing as good a job from a lower resolution. I got used to this quickly, but it is very noticeable moving from WWE 2K25 on PS5 to Switch 2 when playing on a 4K display. There are also cuts in entrances missing reflections, and the crowds generally not being as crisp as on other systems.
The bright side is that the performance holds up, and that’s what matters the most here, given this is the only true portable version with every game mode included. I want to note that there is something happening with the upscaling or capture where the game looks better in motion than it does in some of the screenshots, which make it look like it is lower resolution.
When it comes to load times, WWE 2K25 is no slouch with faster loading than I expected, but not as fast as playing the game on Steam or PS5. I retested this across four different match types for all three versions. Switch 2 was the slowest, but nothing felt like it took too long.
If you already played WWE 2K25, there isn’t much here to warrant a double dip, but if you want a great handheld experience, WWE 2K25 on Nintendo Switch 2 delivers the complete experience with no mode cut and solid performance. I just hope we see next year’s entry include cross-platform online and custom creations. WWE 2K25 is a bright start for sports games on Nintendo Switch 2, and it has me excited to play NBA 2K26 in the coming months.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy provided by 2K
