WWE games and WWE programming are under no obligation to work together, in fact it's almost impossible for them to do so. Wrestlers get injured, wrestlers come back, and the company tries to keep it a secret, but the WWE 2K25 New Wave Pack is hitting at an excellent time.
Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer are the two ladies who will grace this DLC, and it just so happens that they are heavily featured on Monday Night Raw. Giulia and her ally Roxanne Perez have been attacking more established superstars, including Iyo Sky, who was in the middle of an incredible match with Vaquer.
WWE 2K25 allows intergender matches finally, after years of us having to rely on modders for them. While WWE has typically frowned upon them, intergender matches are business as usual in other promotions. Penta even mentioned his Lucha Underground match against Chelsea Green, then known as Reklusa, and said he'd love to run it back.
This will never actually happen in WWE, as Chelsea is now played as more of a comedic heel. But anybody who wants to recreate this dream match in 2K25 will soon be able to, as Penta joins the cast in the July 23 Fearless Pack.
Intergender matches make sense for this series. WWE 2K is a fighting game, and these games have always allowed men and women to mix it up. Even on actual WWE programming, we're seeing women such as Rhea "Mami" Ripley get more physical with the men.
Over on Smackdown, the Motor City Machine Guns have been delivering their typical excellent matches. It was a dream signing for wrestling fans when the Guns finally inked their WWE contracts. Their tilt with the Street Profits and DIY last week earned a coveted "five-star" rating from wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer. That's unheard of for a match occurring on free WWE TV.
I can't remember the last time WWE 2K DLC arrived at such a perfect point in the athlete's careers. All of these superstars are in the middle of huge pushes, and any new fans they have gained will be eager to try them out in the game.
There is one still unnamed "celebrity guest" wrestler. With Travis Scott's recent prominence in WWE storylines (yeah, yeah, I know) wrestling fans are betting it's the platinum-selling rapper. I don't want him in the game any more than most folks, but I'm happy with the selection of actual wrestlers we got here.
The WWE 2K25 New Wave Pack hits May 14.