The thunderous roar of the crowd, the blinding flash of pyrotechnics, the bone-jarring impact of a perfectly executed RKO, it’s all here, respectfully recreated and ready to explode in the palm of your hand. WWE 2K25 has finally thrown open the ropes on the Nintendo Switch 2, making its grand entrance. This isn’t just a tentative toe dip back into Nintendo’s waters; it’s a full-blown cannonball, delivering a surprisingly robust and feature-rich wrestling simulation to your portable powerhouse. Yet, like a surprise roll-up pin, one key omission might just catch some players off guard.

Let’s start with the technical prowess, as Visual Concepts and 2K have put in the work. WWE 2K25 on the Switch 2 performs like a true champion. Whether you’re duking it out on your living room’s big screen or crammed onto a bus, the frame rate remains remarkably consistent, keeping the often frenetic action flowing smoothly. This isn’t a jerky, compromised port. It’s a fluid, responsive experience that genuinely surprised me.

Character models are sharp, showcasing the details of your favorite Superstars’ unique gear and expressions, and the arenas are full of energy, perfectly replicating the spectacle of a live WWE event. For anyone who remembers previous wrestling games struggling on Nintendo hardware, this is genuine proof that the Switch 2 can indeed handle the grunt of a modern grappler.

Every major mode you’ve come to expect from the WWE 2K series makes its grand entrance, fully intact. Dive deep into the captivating narrative of “2K Showcase: The Bloodline’s Dynasty,” reliving pivotal moments from one of wrestling’s most dominant factions with archival footage and new commentary. Become a legend in “MyRISE,” an expansive career mode featuring branching storylines that truly let you forge your path, whether male or female.

“MyGM” returns, now with online multiplayer, letting you battle for brand supremacy against friends, drafting rosters and booking shows, and “Universe Mode” gets a significant upgrade, even bringing back those much-loved promos that add personality and depth to your rivalries. The roster is stacked, a dream team of current WWE Superstars, iconic Legends, and Hall of Famers, guaranteeing endless dream matches and fantasy bookings.

Additionally, new match types, such as the brutal Bloodline Rules and the gritty Underground matches, as well as the long-awaited inclusion of intergender wrestling, add exciting new dimensions to the squared circle, shaking up the traditional match formula.

But here’s where the referee might just be counting to three. The glaring omission for the Nintendo Switch 2 version is the curious absence of cross-platform Community Creations with image uploader support. While you can still tinker endlessly with the in-game creation tools, crafting unique move sets, attires, and entrances, the inability to import custom images or tap into the colossal wellspring of user-generated content from PC, PlayStation, and Xbox is a real head scratcher.

For players who live to customize their game with unique wrestlers that don’t exist in the official roster, specific arena logos, or obscure championship belts, this feels like a significant missed opportunity, genuinely limiting the game’s long-term creative spark and replayability.

Despite this noticeable setback, WWE 2K25 on Nintendo Switch 2 stands tall. It successfully brings the full, uncompromising gameplay experience of a top-tier wrestling title to a portable format, letting you unleash havoc wherever and whenever.

The in-ring action feels tight and responsive, with strikes carrying weight and grapples chaining together smoothly. The visual presentation is a testament to the Switch 2’s capabilities, proving it’s far more than just a casual gaming device.

If you can grapple with the lack of expansive Community Creations, and for some, that’s a big “if”, then this is by far the finest portable WWE experience to date and a powerful addition to the Switch 2’s growing library. However, if your enjoyment hinges on endless creative freedom and sharing your wrestling world with others, that missing image uploader might just prove to be a championship-losing blow.

Written by: Bradley Thorsen