STACK #245 March 2025

GAMING Q&A

visit jbhifi.com.au/stack

and matches, plus our all-new, immersive experience, The Island.

• WWE 2K25 is out Mar 14

Are there any other new features

that you’d like to highlight for us? There are so many! We’ve got our biggest roster ever with over 300 playable Superstars. We’ve got the return of Chain Wrestling, the ability to assign Special Guest Referees to more match types, and new barricade diving! MyGM now offers online multiplayer for up to four players. We’ve also got improvements to MyFACTION, including new node types for Faction Wars, World Tour replacing Proving Grounds, enabling players to travel to different locations in a non-linear approach, and additional match-type support for live events and online matches. There’s an all-new storyline for MyRISE featuring new personality choices that lead to specific storylines, as well as brawl environments, unlockable arenas, characters, useable objects, and more. Multiplayer is huge – what’s new here that we can look forward to? As mentioned, MyGM now offers online multiplayer for up to four players, which should really crank up the competition and replayability for this mode. The Island also offers players the opportunity to encounter and interact with other players, show off their customised MySUPERSTARS, and compete against one another in an entirely new experience. The presentation – the razzle dazzle – is a key factor with WWE. Is there anything new and exciting here? Check out what you can do with the camera! We’re offering a lot of freedom there so players can duplicate broadcast camera angles or a “third person” experience. We think players who create video content with our game are going to love that feature. Also, check out the new LED barricades, which show battle damage when a Superstar is thrown or slammed into them. You have a super-keen online community. Have any fan suggestions made their way into this year’s model? We’re always listening to our community and strive to give them what they want – within reason. For example, fans have requested we remove the Slingshot tech from Showcase, which quickly switched between gameplay and real-life historical footage for cutscenes. So, in WWE 2K25 , we’ve returned to pure gameplay cutscenes.

With Roman Reigns as this year’s main cover star, WWE 2K25 slams down this month, bringing new features galore. Dino Zucconi, the lead Showcase designer at Visual Concepts, fills us in on just some of what to look forward to. Words Amy Flower ACKNHOIWML!EDGE

Can you tell us more about any personal involvement that Roman Reigns had in this year’s game? We really enjoyed the opportunity to work with not only Your Tribal Chief, but also his Wise Man, Paul Heyman! Paul plays a key role in voicing 2K Showcase: The Bloodline’s Dynasty and working with him was an absolute pleasure. We consider him one of the greatest minds in WWE history! Absolutely! Working with Mr. Heyman was such a surreal experience, he was so dialled in to what we were trying to accomplish with Showcase this year and had so many suggestions on how to best present that. He was very excited about the topic and made sure to tell the team how good he thought it was, frequently, which was such a mind-blowing experience. Hearing him specifically commend something I’d written is a moment I’ll never forget. Our Tribal Chief showed why he’s the best in the business, giving us some personal stories for many of the Superstars featured in the Showcase this year. Hearing Roman talk about his family members who were in WWE before them, his reactions to their successes, the pressures of maintaining that level of excellence… He just brings so much to the mode - along with Solo Sikoa, who was also generous with his time, looking to discuss many of the Bloodline Dynasty members that came before him. Their presence elevates the mode so, so much! Do you have any fun Roman/Heyman anecdotes from creating WWE 2K25 ?

Are any other iconic superstar names new to the ring this time out? Yes, we’ve got several new names we’re excited to announce. New additions to the roster include Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, the Wild Samoans, Oba Femi, Ethan Page, Sol Ruca, Kelani Jordan, and Alundra Blayze, as well as the return of Naomi. What would you pinpoint as the most exciting new innovation in WWE 2K25 ? We’re excited about several new features, including Intergender matches, Bloodline Rules matches, Underground matches, updated camera freedom that allows a player to manipulate the camera during entrances

Dino shared this hot tip for newcomers to the game… “Take your time! There’s SO MUCH to experience in this game. Maybe start with the MyRISE, Universe, or Showcase experience to get used to the controls and range of options available to you, then you can move on to competitive modes and make a name for yourself.” Tips from the top!

44 MARCH 2025

jbhifi.com.au