Best WWE 2K25 Settings for Realistic Gameplay

Let’s make something clear up front: WWE 2K25 isn’t realistic per se. For the most part, it caters to the more arcade-y side of wrestling games, though some sim-like options are available. However, WWE 2K25 give players the option to adjust different sliders to cater their experience to their preferences.

For some, this is an opportunity to create a more realistic presentation in line with what they see on weekly WWE programming. In order to do that, you will need to adjust several different settings within the game itself.

Here are some settings you can use to create the most realistic action in WWE 2K25. All of these settings apply to single-player gameplay.

Gameplay

• Difficulty: Hard
• Weight Detection: Simulation
• Stamina: Normal
• Submission Mini-Game: Rapid
• Pin Mini-Game: Timed
• Pin Mini-Game First Count Lock After Finisher: On
• Trading Blows: On
• Chain Wrestling: On
• Allow Held Input For Mini-Games: On
• Rope Break (Automatic): On
• Auto-Reversal For Ground Attacks: Off
• Entrance Run-In (Play Mode): Player
• Mid Match Run-In (Play Mode): Payback
• Post Match Run-In (Play Mode): Off
• Blood: On
• Subtitles: On
• Tutorial Tips: Off
• Edited/Created Superstars: Allowed
• Allow Instant Recovery: Off
• Allow Possum Attack: On
• Allow Possum Pin: On
• Allow Ring Escape: On

The only settings here that really matter are difficulty, weight detection, and stamina mode. Everything after that can be adjusted to your liking, depending on what kind of experience you want. However, I would recommend turning off Instant Recovery specifically because nothing is more immersion-breaking than having an opposing wrestler go to their feet immediately after being hit with a big move.

I’ve also chosen to keep the first count lock after a finisher on. As someone who believes that moves should matter, there should be no scenario — barring some kind of super special moment — where a wrestler should be kicking out of a finishing move right after a one-count, much less before, no matter where in the match it happens.

I’ve also kept the difficulty on hard because after adjusting the upcoming sliders, the game will already be difficult on its own. Putting the difficulty on legend will just make the CPU overpowered.

Presentation

When it comes to presentation, I keep everything on the default settings. Because, as much as button prompts and things of the like could be considered to be at odds with realistic presentation, we’re still talking about a video game where players (should they be playing these matches manually) will need some sense of direction when facing off against an opponent.

But if you’re looking to retain some of that signature WWE presentation, keeping the camera on standard, not displaying the ref counts, and turning off the camera shakes could be a good solution.

Balancing

• A.I. Standing Strike Reversal Rate: 60/100
• A.I. Standing Grapple Reversal Rate: 60/100
• A.I. Ground Strike Reversal Rate: 60/100
• A.I. Ground Grapple Reversal Rate: 60/100
• A.I. Finisher Reversal Rate: 55/100.
• A.I. Foreign Object Attack Reversal Rate: 30/100
• A.I. Grab Breaker Rate: 40/100
• A.I. Combo Breaker Rate: 20/100
• A.I. Combo Rate: 45/100
• A.I. Submission Rate: 50/100
• A.I. Dive Rate: 50/100
• A.I. Springboard Rate: 50/100
• A.I. Grapple Rate: 70/100
• A.I. Strike Rate: 60/100
• A.I. Limb Targeting Rate: 65/100
• A.I. Running Attack Rate: 45/100
• A.I. Dodge Rate: 35/100
• A.I. Trading Blows Rate: 60/100
• Entrance Run-In: 0/10
• Mid Match Run-In: 0/10
• Post Match Run-In: 0/10
• Referee Down Time: 100/100
• Superstar Down Time: 85/100
• Basic Reversal Windows: 70/100
• Ground Attack Reversal Windows: 70/100
• Signature & Finish Reversal: 60/100
• Weapon Reversal: 70/100
• Stamina Cost: 50/100
• Stamina Recovery Rate: 30/100
• Rollout Frequency: 25/100
• Rollout Duration: 75/100
• Feeding Frequency: 30/100
• Stun Gain: 70/100
• Stun Duration: 70/100
• Vitality Regen Cooldown: 5/100
• Vitality Regen Rate: 5/100
• Post-Kickout Damage Recovery (Player): 50/100
• Post-kickout Damage Recovery (AI): 50/100
• AI Difficulty Damage Scaling: 20/100
• Drag Escape Difficulty: 20/100
• Carry Escape Difficulty: 20/100

OK, now on to the good stuff. Again, I am a fan of slow, methodical wrestling where every move and every gesture is given time to marinate and create a reaction. I’m also a fan of every move having consequences. So these gameplay sliders are all done with that in mind.

If you want to create something more akin to what you see on the indies or alternative promotions such as AEW, then feel free to adjust this. But we’re talking about the WWE product where selling and storytelling take precedence over things such as athleticism or “work rate.” Roman Reigns isn’t working a match at 100 MPH, and neither are veterans such as Randy Orton or CM Punk. And if you want that distinct WWE flavor in your Player vs. CPU matches, or CPU vs. CPU matches, then these settings are the way to go.

If you find anything to be unbalanced, these sliders do leave room for adjustment. Some players have had success with creating realism by cranking these sliders up or bringing them down near zero. So feel free to play around with them until you’re satisfied. From personal experience, these are the settings that work for me.

Mini-Game Settings

• Recent Finisher Influence (Player): 30/100
• Previous Finisher Influence (Player): 30/100
• Previous Finisher Influence 3+ (Player): 30/100
• Recent Signature Influence (Player): 30/100
• Previous Signature Influence (Player): 30/100
• Previous Signature Influence 3+ (Player): 30/100
• Recent Finisher Influence (AI): 50/100
• Previous Finisher Influence (AI): 50/100
• Previous Finisher Influence 3+ (AI): 50/100
• Recent Signature Influence (AI): 50/100
• Previous Signature Influence (AI): 50/100
• Previous Signature Influence 3+ (AI): 50/100

The mini-game settings are all based around the difficulties when it comes to kicking out of pin or breaking out of submissions after eating signature and finishing moves. For this one, I simply adjusted the player settings to make it easier. The reason is that if you’re playing a mode like Universe mode but are resorting to playing matches as opposed to spectating or simulating them, you want control over the booking. Therefore, you should be setting the player sliders to favor yourself.

However, if you want a challenge and are willing to live with the results, whatever they may be, feel free to leave these on their default settings.