WWE entering a working relationship with TNA Wrestling can provide some positives for theWWE 2K25video game. The term “forbidden door” was coined by rival promotion AEW for the company’s working relationships with New Japan and other international companies. WWE decided to form working relationships with one of the most noteworthy secondary promotions in the United States to combat that.
TNA has been around for well over two decades now and has employed some of the greatest performers in wrestling history. Despite falling to a secondary status behind WWE and even AEW, TNA still holds name value for fans to follow wrestling in that time frame.WWE 2K25should take advantage of this by including TNA in various contexts.
How TNA’s Working Relationship Can Help WWE 2K25
TNA is already helping WWE’s developmental NXT brand by having talents participate in storylines and make surprise appearances. Joe Hendry and Jordynne Grace have become two of the most popular performers not on WWE’s main rosteror AEW television programs. Both wrestlers got over by appearing in NXT and highlighting things known about their TNA work on a grander scale.
WWE 2K24had the most detailed MyGM modeyet, with users having the option to run the defunct WCW and ECW brands. Vince McMahon purchasing both rival promotions in 2001 on relatively cheap deals still pays off today with the legendary promotions highlighted in the video games. Users can easily replicate WCW or ECW shows with their sets, PPV names, and familiar talent in noteworthy roles.
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TNA doesn’t have the same mass appeal as WCW or even ECW, but there is enough talent to make an impact in the video game franchise. Legends like Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan, or even paying Dixie Carter to be part of the game could create an enticing choice for TNA’s General Manager. Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff being inWWE 2K24makes their presence in MyGM mode for ECWand WCW quite important.
MyGM mode would benefit from being expanded with TNA entering the fray. TNA has no realistic path towards making their own game, so any licensing agreement with WWE would help their business. A large percentage ofWWE 2K’s most active base are die-hard fans who would love to have matches in the old six-sided ring by running their own fantasy TNA shows in MyGM mode.
WWE 2K’s Deep Roster Could Add TNA Versions To Familiar Faces
WWE 2Kgames love to have multiple versions of popular wrestlers to add to the overall depth. Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels, andJohn Cena are just some names to havevarious versions of their characters inWWE 2K24.A popular wrestler having different gears or working for multiple promotions can easily make it worth having other versions of them to select from.
A video game agreement with TNA could add new versions of characters forstars like AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan,and plenty of other relevant names. Styles would be the biggest name since he was considered the face of the TNA brand. The drastically different appearance of Styles in TNA appeals to users who watched his entire career or even those who discovered him later in WWE.
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TNA’s legends to never work for or find major success in WWE would also make sense in a potential working agreement. Bobby Roode, Abyss, Petey Williams, and others have backstage jobs producing for WWE after achieving more success in TNA.Legends like Hulk Hogan,Ric Flair, and Mick Foley having more reasons to be involved in the game’s planning would add more perks to TNA’s inclusion.
The mix of familiar and new names would offer something new to add to theWWE 2Kseries. WCW and ECW still adding variety to the annual video games after going out of business in 2001 should see TNA having at least a fraction of that as a promotion lasting the twenty-three years since then. Too many noteworthy wrestlers worked there to not add some new elements of success toWWE 2K25.
TNA Inclusion Can Help WWE 2K25 Feel Similar To WWE’s TV Product
Triple H taking over the creative of WWEafter replacing Vince McMahon led to many great changes for business. WWE’s product is hotter than it’s been in over twenty years with record-setting attendance and box office results. The company felt stagnant for years, but Triple H’s big, bold changes have resulted in far more love for WWE.
NXT is witnessing a rise in television viewership and general interest in the product going up right before the move to the CW Network later this year. TNA’s working relationship with NXT is a major reason why the product feels like a must-watch television to more fans than in previous months.WWE 2K25must stay ahead of the curvewith storylines like this existing.
Video games have fewer restrictions and offer more creativity for how wrestling fans choose to play the game.WWE 2Kadding as many talents as possible with TNA pasts and debuting new arenas or PPV names creates countless more fantasy booking scenarios. Downloaded packs could be a huge hit by having TNA-related names or TNA-exclusive names as a paid pack outside of the traditional game.
The smaller size of TNA today sees the company more likely to accept any fair deal, especially since more inclusion into the WWE landscape would only help their brand grow momentum.WWE 2Kneeds to stay lockedinto the television product and see why some television ideas become a bigger part of the show. Fans will be the ultimate winners by having more options in next year’s game. TNA must be included inWWE 2K25to fully take advantage of what works for WWE today.
WWE 2K24
WHERE TO PLAY
FORTY YEARS OF WRESTLEMANIAWrestleMania is the biggest event in sports entertainment, where Superstars become WWE Legends. Experience a gripping retelling of WrestleMania’s greatest moments in 2K Showcase of the Immortals, where you’re able to relive a collection of some of the most unforgettable, career-defining matches.AN ICONIC ROSTERWWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars like “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics.NEW MATCH TYPESFrom Guest Referee to Casket, Gauntlet, and Ambulance matches, there are a bevy of new match types to experience in WWE 2K24, including support for multiple Superstars in Backstage Brawl.PROVE YOURSELF IN MyRISEUnleash your raw talent and become the undisputed champ in MyRISE, featuring two thrilling career arcs and original storylines chronicling your ascent to WWE stardom from the men’s and women’s divisions.BUILD YOUR FACTIONAssemble your favorite WWE Superstars and Legends in MyFACTION. Acquire cards, build a dominant faction, compete in online multiplayer and the all-new ranked quickplay. Plus, earn exciting promotional and final rank rewards as you climb the new seasonal leaderboard!
