In an unexpected twist, WWE 2K25 has substituted its initially announced celebrity guest character in the New Wave Pack DLC with the masked luchador El Grande Americano. This change comes months after the DLC's May release, where developers Visual Concepts had promised to add the mystery celebrity later.

The New Wave Pack serves as the first installment in WWE 2K25's DLC series, featuring rising wrestling stars making their franchise debut, including Motor City Machine Guns' Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, Stephanie Vaquer, and WWE Women's United States Champion Giulia.

Originally, this DLC was meant to follow the pattern of subsequent packs like the Dunk and Destruction Pack (featuring NBA stars) and Fearless Pack (with YouTuber KSI in his iconic Prime bottle costume from WrestleMania 39). However, the celebrity spot remained vacant until now.

As announced on WWE 2K25's official Twitter, players who purchased the New Wave Pack - either standalone or through the Season Pass/special editions - will receive El Grande Americano as a free addition to their roster this September.

Debuting on March 24's Monday Night Raw, El Grande Americano hails from "the Gulf of America" and sports an American flag-themed costume. His wrestling style bears striking resemblance to Chad Gable of American Made, fueling speculation that he might actually be Ludwig Kaiser under the mask - especially since Gable's recent shoulder injury coincided with El Grande's continued appearances.

While this marks El Grande Americano's video game debut, both suspected identities (Gable and Kaiser) have appeared in previous WWE 2K titles. This replacement has divided the fanbase, with some arguing the character could have simply been an alternate costume rather than occupying the coveted celebrity slot.

The identity of the scrapped celebrity remains unconfirmed, though many speculate it might have been Travis Scott due to his involvement in this year's WrestleMania storyline between John Cena and Cody Rhodes. This marks another instance of WWE 2K25 adapting to real-world wrestling developments in its DLC strategy.

As WWE 2K25 continues to expand its roster through DLC, this substitution demonstrates the game's commitment to reflecting current WWE programming while balancing fan expectations for both authentic wrestling content and celebrity crossovers.