WWE 2K26 hands-on preview – what Paul Heyman thinks of the new game

Metro gets to play this year’s WWE 2K26 video game and speak to the developers and wrestlers involved in making it the most realistic yet.

This year’s new WWE game is less than two weeks away from release and fans are in for a treat when it drops. We’ll have a full review nearer the time, but last week we travelled to WWE’s headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut for Creator Fest, 2K’s hands-on event for the new game.

In between interviews with the game’s creative influence Paul Heyman, new commentator Wade Barrett, and cover star CM Punk, we got to grips with how things have changed over the last year and the first thing to make clear is this all feels fresh and much smoother from the get-go.

We used a lot of our time getting to grips with the new gameplay changes and delving into the fresh match types, as the team has brought things even closer to the authentic WWE experience.

Thanks to the franchise moving on from last gen hardware, to focus on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, everything feels that much crisper and more authentic.

The lighting for entrances is bolder, the graphics more lifelike, and the action is on point, with every detail – including the introduction of thumbtacks as a weapon – crisp and on point.

‘I’ve seen the evolution in the game,’ Trish Stratus told us at the event, pointing to graphics, the roster of over 400 superstars, and more. ‘Thumbtacks, you know, tiny thumbtacks – you can see thumbtacks in this game, so that’s really cool!’

From the very beginning, you’re thrown into the action and immersion, with the newly introduced match start-up moments. Instead of the typical posing-in-the-corner cut scenes of the past, now you’re given a wealth of options to start the match, from handshakes or stare=downs to drawing energy from the crowd or charging at your opponent.

You can even jump into the chain wrestling or trading blows minigames, letting you start each match exactly as you want. Once the action gets underway, the benefits of the current gen power, and fresh changes like ragdoll physics, are immediately noticeable.

‘This is probably the smoothest I’ve ever played the game,’ Bayley told us as we caught up in-between matches. ‘I’ve played two matches already, I won one of them, and I felt really good about it. It just gets better and better!’

This year, yo’ve got four new match types to get to grips with – including I Quit, Inferno, Three Stages of Hell, and Dumpster – plus new features like stackable tables, which are a bunch of fun to get into.

The new reversal and stamina system adds another layer of strategy, knowing when you hold back to avoid being caught out, while the physics interactions mean if an object is nearby, you’re never truly safe.

We also want to give a nod to this year’s commentary team, with Michael Cole and Corey Graves joined by Booker T and Wade Barrett for the first time, which makes everything feel much fresher and current in terms of presentation.

‘I think I did a total of 125 hours of voiceover to get my lines down,’ Wade explained. ‘It’s been pretty intense, a lot of work, but a lot of fun. And obviously the reward today, seeing everyone playing and enjoying the game, has been really cool.’

Barrett’s commentary can be heard throughout the game, including Showcase Mode, which has CM Punk at the heart.

We played the first few matches, starting with last year’s main event against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, before moving onto classic bouts against JBL and Rey Mysterio.

The format works with cut scenes kept to in-game graphics rather than the jarring slingshot of the past, and hearing Punk break down his famous feuds and dream matches is a blast.

On the addition of What If? and Fantasy Warfare matches, the World Heavyweight Champion told us: ‘That’s one of the cool things about the video game this year, the big what ifs. ‘You get to have a little fantasy warfare. And I think that’s a lot of fun. It’s, it’s fun gameplay for the fans.’

Also getting a revamp this year is MyRise, and it’s clear from the start that Paul Heyman has his fingerprints all of the mode, both on-screen and creatively on the development side.

For WWE 2K26, you can take control of your own created superstar, given the nickname The Accolade, who is returning to WWE after a long hiatus and finds themselves facing a Heyman-flanked Jordynne Grace or Bron Breakker, depending on their gender.

‘I find all creativity to be creativity,’ Heyman told us, of his involvement in the game mode. ‘It’s hard to judge one against the other.’

He deadpanned: ‘If you are doing a sensational, a spectacular and innovative, a forward thinking, a revolutionary, evolutionary, disruptive job in your creativity, as I always do, then you will be fulfilled and satisfied with your creative outfit, no matter where it is – whether it’s on television or within a video game like WWE 2K26.’

Bold words from the WWE innovator, but this early look at the game suggests he and WWE 2K26 as a whole have taken great strides in trying make this year’s game even better than the last.

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