Summary
Monday, January 6 is going to be a bittersweet day forWWEfans, especially if they are gamers. For decades,WWEhas been the top professional wrestling company in the world. The last few years have seen WWE enter a new era under the TKO banner, with longtime company head Vince McMahon ousted and Triple H leading the charge on the company’s critically-acclaimed creative.
2025 is going to be an absolutely wild year for WWE. FromJohn Cena’s retirementto the massive two-night WrestleMania taking place in Las Vegas to the biggest SummerSlam event ever, there is a lot for WWE fans to look forward to. Gamers, of course, can look forward to the eventual release of theWWE 2K25video game, which, if it follows previously-established patterns, will most likely hit store shelves at some point in March.
Big picture, 2025 should be a huge year for WWE. WWE’s big 2025 plans are kicking off on Monday, January 6 whenWWE Raw makes the industry-shaking move to Netflix. But while January 6 is going to be the start of an exciting year for WWE, it’s also going to be a day of disappointment for fans of the WWE video games.
Bitter: WWE 2K23 Servers Are Shutting Down
Unless plans change at the last minute, as they have before, theWWE 2K23online multiplayer servers are expected to shut downon Monday, January 6. From that point forward, WWE fans will be completely unable to accessWWE 2K23’s online features, which means no more community creations, online fights with friends, or anything else that requires an Internet connection.WWE 2K23servers are being shuttered not even two years after the game’s first release, continuing a troubling trend where 2K hardly supports its WWE video games for very long at all.
Of course,WWE 2K24will remain online and operational afterWWE 2K23’s servers are shut down, andWWE 2K25is right around the corner. Nothing official has been revealed forWWE 2K25just yet, but we know from previous years that the game will likely be revealed some point later this month or around the Royal Rumble in February, so fans should have answers sooner rather than later. Still, cutting off access to so many features before a game is even two years old is incredibly disappointing. It will be a black mark on what will otherwise be anb exciting day for the WWE brand.
WWE 2K23
WHERE TO PLAY
Expanded features, gorgeous graphics, and the ultimate WWE experience. Hit the ring with a deep roster of WWE Superstars and Legends including Roman Reigns, “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and more!2K SHOWCASE: INTERACTIVE SPORTS DOCUMENTARY: Play through the key moments and toughest opponents of John Cena’s storied 20-year WWE career. And in a franchise-first, take on the role of each marquee opponent - some of WWE’s greatest of all time - as you aim to take down Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect.IT’S WARGAMES: The fan-favorite action-packed WarGames makes its debut in WWE 2K23 and delivers heart-pounding 3v3 and 4v4 multiplayer mayhem inside two side-by-side rings, surrounded by a double-steel cage!YOUR SHOW, YOUR CHOICESWith MyGM: take the reins of a weekly show and compete against rival general managers for brand supremacy. Now featuring more GMs to choose from, additional show options, multiple seasons, expanded match cards, and more match types for up to 4 players.YOU HOLD ALL THE CARDS: Collect and upgrade cards of WWE Superstars and Legends to build the ultimate faction and compete for global dominance in MyFACTION, now featuring online multiplayer!DEFINE YOUR FUTURE IN MyRISE: Walk through the curtains for your WWE debut and shape your career as a WWE Superstar with the decisions you make along the way through distinct storylines - The Lock and The Legacy.THE UNIVERSE IS ALL YOURS: WWE Universe Mode is the ultimate sandbox that puts you in charge of WWE, from Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and more!
Sweet: WWE Raw is Making Its Netflix Debut
WWE video gamers may be sad that theWWE 2K23servers are shutting down, but they at least have the first-ever Raw on Netflix to look forward to. WWE Raw’s Netflix debut is shaping up to be an absolutely massive show, withTriple H and his crewgoing all-out to provide one of the most-stacked cards in the history of the 32-year-old flagship show. Raw will be on Netflix for the next decade, and it will be exciting to see what this new era has in store.
WWE Raw Netflix Match Card
The first Netflix Raw is looking to kick things off with a bang. Four huge matches have been booked for the show, headlined by Roman Reigns meeting Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat. CM Punk is set to face Seth Rollins in an incredibly heated and emotional feud in what could very well be a WrestleMania-caliber match, while Liv Morgan will be defending the Women’s World Championship against Rhea Ripley in the latest chapter of their long-running rivalry. Finally, Drew McIntyre will continue his war againstthe original Bloodlineby facing off against Jey Uso.
Those four matches ensure that Raw’s Netflix debut is going to be a huge show, but there’s even more to look forward to at the event. Big stars like John Cena and Logan Paul have confirmed that they will appear on the first-ever Netflix Raw, while rumor has it that the event may also feature the surprise returns of Becky Lynch andThe Rock. Time will tell what happens on the first-ever Netflix Raw, but WWE fans will just have to tune in on Monday, January 6 at 8/7 central to find out.
The first Netflix Raw will set the tone for the show moving forward, and it will be very interesting to see if this debut episode can ever be topped. Of course, the potential success or failure of WWE’s debut on Netflix hinges on the quality of the stream.Netflix infamously had major problems with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, and so there is some concern that the same issues could rear their ugly head to throw a wrench in WWE’s plans for Raw on January 6.
