WWE 2K25 Teases Mysterious "The Island" Feature
There's a lot still unknown about WWE 2K25, and topping the list is its new game mode called simply "The Island." In early previews, it's been touted as a competitive mode, in which players will compete with others around the world to impress cover star Roman Reigns and gain a seat at his table. But exactly what The Island is in WWE 2K25 remains unclear. Thankfully, one of its developers recently revealed a major clue as to how The Island works.
In an interview with Screen Rant, longtime WWE 2K creative director Lynell Jinks described The Island as the most challenging - but potentially also the most rewarding - part of developing 2K25. He goes on to call it "a brand-new mode that's going to unlock a new way of storytelling for us, but also, a new way to handle progression for our My Superstars, plus doing that and the rest of the main game. We're juggling a lot of balls right now, and I'm really impressed with what the team is going to do."
WWE 2K25: What The Island Could Be
What Lynell Jinks' Tease Reveals
Jinks is intentionally vague on The Island, making it clear in his interview that the new feature is one thing "we aren't going to talk about today." However, it is possible to deduce a few things from the way he describes it. His explicit mention of storytelling and My Superstar alongside The Island, suggests it may be, in some way, an evolution of previous installments' My Rise. This is effectively WWE 2K's version of what other sports games might call Career Mode: players design custom characters, and take them through a simulated wrestling career from rookie to WWE Champion.
He also goes on to mention that, as part of developing The Island, his team also introduced a third-person camera to WWE 2K25, which was eventually applied to other game modes to great effect. That seems to hint at a more open-world setting for The Island, in which players will be able to explore and interact with its many elements freely.
All that lines up pretty well with a similar feature introduced in a different 2K game: NBA 2K's The City mode. In The City, players explore from a third-person perspective, interacting with NPCs and real player avatars (if not in real-time). They can enter into matches, take on sidequests, join factions, and progress the story. The Island looks to be a variation on the same theme.
What Else Is New In WWE 2K25?
Bloodline Rules, Intergender Matches, & More
The Island isn't the only new feature WWE 2K25 has in store. For one thing, 2K25 will introduce an all-new match type: Bloodline Rules. Based on stipulations introduced by the Bloodline faction, cover stars of the Bloodline Edition of 2K25, each side is allowed up to three run-ins, allowing both parties to call their allies to the ring without the threat of disqualification. Players will have to fill a meter before they can call on one of their run-ins, which means the first to pop one off will be at a major advantage - if only briefly.
WWE 2K25 also allows for intergender matches, the first time the series has done so in over a decade. Intergender matches have always been controversial for real-life wrestling promotions, and fell out of practice in WWE games after Smackdown vs. Raw 2009. Its reintroduction coincides with the ongoing feud between Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio, but allows players to book matches between any two superstars regardless of gender.
In addition, 2K25 features updates to many of the series' staple game modes, including My GM and Universe. The full details of all its changes, though, including The Island, will have to wait until WWE 2K25's March 14 release.
WWE 2K25
OpenCritic Reviews- Released
- March 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Visual Concepts
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Sports
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op
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