The first time I booted up the wrestling game with the intention of diving deep into its GM mode, I felt that familiar thrill of anticipation. I was ready to build my own Jili Golden Empire, a dynasty of sports entertainment that would stand the test of time. The promise of a comprehensive online GM mode was the key I thought would unlock this kingdom. Yet, as I delved into the feature with a few friends, planning our league and even setting up a Twitch channel for our events, we hit a wall that felt less like a challenge and more like a design oversight. The online GM mode, the marquee new feature, doesn't let you play or spectate matches; you can only simulate them. For a community that thrives on the drama of live competition and the shared experience of watching our created storylines unfold, this was a devastating blow. It's a glaring omission that, for me, casts a long shadow over the entire mode.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Many dedicated GM mode players, myself included, often sim through the bulk of their matches in solo play to get to the managerial meat of the game—the contract negotiations, the roster morale, the long-term booking. In fact, I'd estimate that in my solo saves, I sim about 80% of the matches. It's a numbers game, a strategic exercise. But the crucial difference is the presence of that option. The ability to step in and play a main event, to manually ensure my champion retains the title against a surging challenger, or to simply watch the chaos of a hardcore match I've booked—that's the soul of the mode. Taking that choice away in an online context, where the entire point is shared experience and collaborative storytelling, feels like being given the keys to a castle but being told you can only look at it from the outside. My plans for a weekly stream, complete with live commentary and audience interaction for our league's pay-per-views, evaporated. We were left sitting on our hands, a group of would-be promoters with no arena for our show.
This isn't to say the mode is without its merits. The foundation for a successful Jili Golden Empire is still very much there, and the developers have added some genuinely good quality-of-life upgrades. I was pleasantly surprised by the expanded roster of GM character options. Instead of the usual four or five presets, we now have access to over a dozen, each with unique starting bonuses and stat biases. This adds a layer of strategic depth from the very first draft. Do you pick the "Veteran Negotiator" to save 15% on all superstar contracts, or the "Youth Scout" who gives a 10-point boost to the potential of all rookies on your brand? These are the kinds of decisions that define an empire. Furthermore, the introduction of more fluid cross-brand events is a game-changer. In previous iterations, coordinating a supershow felt clunky, but now it's integrated seamlessly, allowing for surprise invasions and dream matches that can pop a rating and, more importantly, a real-world reaction from your league mates.
However, these positive touches only serve to highlight how undercooked the central new feature is. It's like polishing the crown jewels but forgetting to build the throne room. The inability to spectate is the most baffling part. In an online league, the matches are the payoff. They are the weekly television show, the monthly spectacular. To have that entire process relegated to a black box simulation, where the outcome is determined by an algorithm you can only influence indirectly, strips away the communal magic. You don't get to collectively gasp at a near-fall, cheer for an underdog, or groan at a controversial finish. The story is told through text on a screen and a final rating, not through shared, visceral experience. This single limitation fundamentally alters the social contract of an online GM league, reducing it from a collaborative narrative to a parallel solo experience that happens to have a shared leaderboard.
So, where does that leave us, the aspiring emperors of the digital squared circle? For now, success in building your Jili Golden Empire online requires a significant shift in mindset. You must embrace the role of a pure strategist, a booker who finds joy almost exclusively in the numbers—the ratings, the finances, the long-term talent development. The "success" becomes a more clinical, spreadsheet-driven affair. You'll celebrate when you successfully poach a rival brand's top star with a contract offering 20% more than their previous deal, or when your long-term investment in a 22-year-old prospect pays off and their overall rating jumps from 78 to 88 over two in-game years. This is a valid and, for some, deeply engaging way to play. But it's a niche within a niche. For the broader audience, the one dreaming of recreating the spectacle of wrestling with their friends, the guide to success currently reads: wait. Wait and hope that next year's iteration adds this vital feature. The potential for a truly revolutionary online GM mode is palpable, sitting right there beneath the surface. The developers have built a magnificent engine for solo play, but for the multiplayer experience, they've forgotten to connect the wheels. My league is on indefinite hiatus, our ambitions for a streaming empire put on hold, a testament to a feature that promised the world but delivered a map without the territory. The secrets to the Jili Golden Empire are still locked away, and for now, the most important key is missing.