For a game that typically lives in a world of swords, sorcery, and medieval siege warfare, Empires & Puzzles is veering in a very different direction. The long-running mobile match-3 RPG has launched a crossover event featuring a roster of WWE stars, blending pro wrestling personalities into its fantasy-heavy world. The event introduces several high-profile wrestlers as playable heroes, with themed mechanics and cosmetics woven into the experience.
It’s not the first time real-world figures have popped up in mobile games, but the contrast here — colorful match-3 strategy wrapped around characters like The Undertaker and Becky Lynch — is sharp enough to stand out.
Who’s In the Ring?
The WWE crossover includes six wrestlers: The Undertaker, John Cena, Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Bianca Belair. Each character has been reimagined to fit Empires & Puzzles’ universe, blending familiar wrestling traits with the game’s stylized combat and class system.
Mechanically, these new characters act like standard 5-star heroes, but come with unique skills and visual effects inspired by their real-life. The game’s core loop remains intact — you’re still matching tiles to charge up abilities and launch attacks — but the special moves now draw from WWE flair, adding a layer of novelty for longtime players.
Event Structure and Access
The WWE content is available through a limited-time summon portal, following the usual gacha-style mechanics of Empires & Puzzles. Players looking to unlock the wrestling heroes will need to rely on event-specific tokens or in-game currency. Alongside the summons, there’s a themed quest line and special stages that offer rewards and feature wrestling-themed visual tweaks.
These types of events are standard for Empires & Puzzles, which rotates promotional content to keep player engagement up. What makes this crossover different is the use of real-world branding. Previous events have been more fantasy-adjacent or based on folklore. Dropping in modern, recognizable celebrities is a notable pivot — more aligned with what we’ve seen from games like Fortnite or Brawlhalla.
Cultural Mashup or Brand Stretch?
There’s always some tension when IP crossovers bring real people into fictional universes, especially in settings that aren’t built for it. Empires & Puzzles leans heavily on traditional RPG aesthetics, so seeing John Cena alongside armored knights and fire-breathing mages can feel jarring.
That said, it’s not unprecedented in mobile. Games like Puzzle & Dragons and AFK Arena have pulled similar moves, using celebrity crossovers to generate short-term buzz. Whether this adds meaningful depth to Empires & Puzzles or just serves as a novelty boost depends on how it resonates with the core community.
A Snapshot of Mobile Gaming’s IP Blend
This crossover reflects a broader trend in mobile games: mixing genres and universes to capture wider attention. As user acquisition costs rise, publishers are leaning into recognizable faces and brands to break out of the algorithm-driven churn.
Empires & Puzzles isn’t changing its formula, but it’s clearly experimenting with how far that formula can stretch. By dropping WWE stars into its match-3 RPG structure, it’s testing whether players want a straight fantasy experience — or something a little more chaotic.
Mobile Game Addict & Casual Gaming Critic
She’s played more mobile games than most people have downloaded. TAPTAPTAP is fast, fierce, and funny — reviewing the latest hypercasual hits, idle clickers, and gacha grinds with real talk and zero fluff.
