2K Games2K originally made wrestlers of Samoan descent immune to headbutts in WWE 2K25, playing into a longstanding wrestling gag.
As any wrestling fan will tell you; never headbutt a Samoan. In wrestling lore, those from the island, or those wrestlers of Samoan heritage are impervious to being headbutted, and doing so will only irritate them, leading to a dangerous receipt.
This is often followed up by the headbutter staring in disbelief as the Samoan wrestler turns the tables on them, with the commentators addressing it by saying things like “Well, that’s what he gets for headbutting a Somoan.”
Speaking to Fightful, WWE 2K25 developer Bryan Williams, said that he initially wanted to add the rule to the game, but eventually decided against it. He said:
“One of the things that I really wanted to get in that I didn’t, speaking of, Easter egg-type things is, when you headbutt the Samoan, I wanted there to be that reaction where it hurts the attacker versus them.”
“You know what I mean? We weren’t able to get it in, but it’s just one of those cool spots that you would see even Jey did it not that long ago. I forget who tried to headbutt Jey Uso, and he kind of just no sold it.”
2K GamesNever headbutt a Samoan wrestler
Williams didn’t reveal why 2K decided not to add the rule, but it’s likely down to keeping the game balanced and ensuring that no players have an unfair advantage over each other when playing competitively. After all, being immune to headbutts could easily be exploited by savvy players.
Many of WWE’s current superstars are of Samoan descent, with former WWE Champion Roman Reigns leading a stable of his family members known as the Bloodline. However, this faction has descended into civil war since Roman lost his title to the current WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes.
The match Williams was referencing was when Reigns’ cousin, original Bloodline member, and 2025 Royal Ruble winner, Jey Uso, brushed off a headbutt from his opponent, Drew McIntyre. When McIntyre lunged for a headbutt, Jey “no sold” the move, and looked unfazed before launching his counter-attack.
The “you can’t headbutt a Samoan” troupe has been part of wrestling for decades and alludes to the idea that Samoan wrestlers are so tough, that headbutting them is more dangerous to the one doing the headbutt than the one receiving it.
WWE 2K25 will have a new feature known as “The Island”, this is also a reference to Samoa, as well as the many wrestlers who work in the industry who are connected to it, including the Rock.
