The process of adding Abyss to WWE 2K25 began roughly a year ago, according to the legendary wrestler. To be clear, this does not mean that development work for Abyss began one year ago, but that it was and always is a long journey to getting wrestlers into a WWE 2K game. That’s doubly so for a TNA legend and not a traditional or current WWE superstar.
Game Rant recently spoke with WWE producer Chris Park (who is Abyss) about joining WWE 2K25 as part of the Dunk and Destruction DLC. He recalled that the initial phone call, which was just about the possibility of it, came last summer. Park has been waiting a year, then, to join a WWE 2K game.
From Phone Call to WWE 2K25 DLC
Game development is never easy, and every single addition can be its own long and arduous journey. It’s uncertain how Abyss’ rights work, given he is highly associated with TNA, but it seems likely that was assuaged by the multi-year WWE and TNA partnership added at the beginning of 2025. Getting his character model in, getting the animations right, getting the moveset right, and ensuring every little detail on Janice was just right is, in and of itself, a journey. But, at the very least, the idea began a year ago.
When asked what it was like to be a former TNA legend and current WWE producer joining a WWE 2K game, Park called it “amazing, almost indescribable. It’s something I never thought would happen.” He also thanked “all the powers that be” at WWE who played some role in getting Abyss into WWE 2K25, specifically naming WWE president Nick Khan, chief content officer Triple H, and executive director of the creative writing team Bruce Pichard.
His addition began with a phone call, passed through numerous hands in the professional wrestling world, arrived at WWE 2K25 developer Virtual Concepts, went through various iterations, and eventually landed in the game as part of the Dunk and Destruction DLC. This WWE 2K25 DLC also adds WWE hall of famer The Great Khali and NBA stars Tyrese Haliburton, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jalen Brunson. Speaking to the phone call that began it all, Park said,
“I got the call one day, I think it was last summer, that there was a possibility of it happening, and I just had to pinch myself. I’m super thrilled about it to this day. I’m not the best gamer in the world, but I’ll learn how to play the Abyss character for sure.”
Because WWE 2K is an annualized franchise, its development windows can be incredibly tight. It’s a little easier to be fast and loose with DLC, but this certainly speaks to the desire from WWE higher-ups and developers at Visual Concepts to get Abyss into the game. According to the legend, they got all the details right, and fans can check that out for themselves in the WWE 2K25 DLC.
WWE 2K25
9/10
- Released
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March 14, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen // Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op