In a Shocking Twist, WWE 2K25 Is Really Good on Switch 2

Wrestling games are my jam; even when they were bad (see: 2015-2022), I was playing those WWE games like a fool. But one year I did skip was 2017's WWE 2K18 because – aside from 2K17 being the peak of that series' mediocrity and 18 looking to continue it – it was the year the Nintendo Switch launched. The game was set to come to the platform a few months after the big boy consoles got it.

Those games are total junk food for me, and having it on a handheld seemed like a perfect fit. And WWE 2K18 on the Switch released to an extremely solid…

…fifth-lowest rated Switch game of all time placement (with a score 1 point less than Balan Wonderworld for any Lex Luddites in the audience). It looked like a PS1 game and ran like a late-gen PS3 game. Plus, it had Seth Rollins on the cover, and that dude sucks!

So in the time since, not only have WWE 2K games actually gotten good from 2K22 onwards, but I've continued chasing the high of a portable entry somewhat. The arrival of Steam Deck let me play the free copy of WWE 2k23 I got with my Humble Monthly that one time, which scratched the itch somewhat. Still, it wasn't the smoothest experience, probably due to my stubbornness to go in and fiddle about with settings more than anything.

Fast-forward to now, and WWE has returned to Nintendo with WWE 2K25 on Switch 2. And shockingly, it's one of the best Switch 2 ports to date? Directly compared to the PS5 version, the graphical downgrade is obvious, sure, but it's pretty striking how little the difference actually is. The models still look as high quality as you'd expect from the series, and the game runs at a pretty solid 60fps. It holds steady even when you have the maximum eight wrestlers on the screen at once, which I was certain would tank the framerate.

Funnily enough, this is the first title from Shiver Entertainment after it was acquired by Nintendo in 2024. But hopefully this isn't just the remnants of a pre-existing deal, and Shiver gets to handle the ports going forward because it's nailed the landing on its first try.

Actually playing on the handheld is nice. I've not really bothered with docked mode (why would I when I have the PS5 edition?), but picking it up to do a couple of shows in Universe or GM mode or play a random match fits almost perfectly as a handheld game. WWE isn't really a game I sit around and play extremely long sessions of after I've blasted through the initial content, but I can see this becoming my ideal way to play.

Of course, it's not without its faults. 2K has opted to exclude the Switch 2 release from cross-platform play and community creations, meaning the selection is a bit bare. Cross-save would have been a godsend for this late release, considering I've already put the effort into MyFaction to unlock the 2010 CM Punk, and can't say I ever want to do that again.

As for the game itself outside the Switch 2 stuff? It's great; it's the best wrestling game since the PS2 era and has the best versions of the Showcase and MyRise modes to date, though it's hindered somewhat by greedy tactics that feel tailored to getting you to buy the virtual currency. This feels worse in The Island mode, which isn't that good anyway, so there's no reason to pay in that. I previously reviewed the game on PS5 for TechRadar, so if you'd like to read my full thoughts on it, you can find them there.