In 2017, something truly exciting happened when the first-ever WWE-branded WarGames match occurred. The gimmick match had been an NWA and then WCW staple, but even under that branding had fallen apart over time with modified rules that undermined the concept in the 1998 and 2000 editions.
WWE brought fresh talent to the traditional concept and NXT was a gothe formula could grow tiresome with only so many compelling stories to tell within that framework, and fatigue following from too much of the same. the bouts featured some of the best workers in the world, backed by an old-school sensibility to the booking.
The next step in the gimmick’s evolution came in 2022, when WarGames emerged as a new Survivor Series tradition. Indeed, the last three editions of the event each featured two WarGames outings—one featuring women, the other men—and factions like The Bloodline, Judgment Day, and Damage CTRL anchoring the matches—harkened back to yesteryear when The Four Horsemen, The Dangerous Alliance, and finally the New World Order largely defined these bouts.
Along the way, though, traditional elimination tag team matches fell by the wayside for Survivor Series. The early days of the PLE featured nothing but this style of match, and while the focus wavered over time, four-on-four or five-on-five bouts of this style were still at the bedrock of the annual event.
With Survivor Series 2025 around the corner and, at press time, no matches officially announced, all we know is that WWE does plan to have at least one WarGames battle. Could they feature an elimination tag team contest too?
Too Much Of The Same Gimmick Match Has Diminishing Returns
It made sense when WWE transitioned away from Survivor Series cards that were all or even mostly elimination tag team matches. The formula could grow tiresome with only so many compelling stories to tell within that framework and fatigue following from too much of the same.
There’s a case to be made that WWE has been overdoing it on WarGames as well in the modern era. While WWE’s WarGames matches themselves have by and large been excellent, consistently featuring two on the same card each year has invited comparison between the two—not to mention a bit of fatigue—as the second match of the same style inevitably doesn’t feel quite as exciting for the repetition.
Fans Are Nostalgic For Elimination Tag Team Matches
The introduction of WarGames to the WWE landscape but it served the nostalgic tastes of older fans who’d followed the NWA or WCW and introduced a new generation of fans to a genuinely different match type that introduced different creative possibilities. Moreover, adjustments like taking the roof off the cages invited fun high spots that have become fodder for WWE highlight reels.
Still, longtime WWE fans miss their elimination tag team action. Not every match conducted under these rules was a classic—and, indeed, WWE had its share of misses in brand warfare angles that felt forced and booking that got too complicated for its own good. Nonetheless, there are examples like a white-hot blow-off to the Invasion angle in 2001, Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff in 2003 that produced incredible drama, a high-level Raw vs. SmackDown showdown in 2005, or a masterfully constructed Team Cena vs. Team Authority clash in 2014 that set up Sting’s debut.
All of these examples speak to just how good an elimination tag bout can be, especially with the right story and the gimmick not being overexposed.
One Elimination Tag Team Match And One WarGames Gives Fans The Best Of Both Worlds
The answer seems clear. One elimination tag team match. One WarGames. Three or four solid singles or regular tag team bouts to flesh out the Survivor Series card. This structure can allow both team gimmick matches that are now associated with Survivor Series to shine and not suffer from redundancy or comparison.
There is the unavoidable issue that, presumably, with the gimmick matches breaking along gender lines, one division might come across as lesser. To put a finer point on it, if women got the elimination tag team match, some fans might perceive that as a slight compared to men getting WarGames. There’s no perfect answer there, but alternating which gender gets which match for years to come create some equity there, and allows WWE to craft both stories and book talent to best serve each gimmick.
Featuring an elimination tag match alongside WarGames also sets up fun possibilities around the two-ring structure. After all, couldn’t the spectacle of a face in peril having to cross to the rings for the hot tag add to the drama and offer a more realistic scenario for why pins aren’t getting broken up?
Ultimately, a lack of elimination tags in recent years does have the benefit of absence makes fans’ hearts grow fonder. Bringing that gimmick back alongside WarGames can set up a better diversified, more fun card and scratch a nostalgic itch for fans of all kinds, craving both styles of team matches.