The rejuvenated WWE 2K franchise returns once again, with last year’s fan-pleasing revival leading to a new entry full of smaller improvements.
2K has been faced with a difficult problem, having released what many saw as the definitive wrestling game last year, with WWE 2K25.
For this year’s edition of the franchise, the team has focused less on big glitzy headline features and more on adding to what they’d already built, to bring fans even closer to the real-life WWE experience.
In 2025, the developers introduced The Island and MyFaction World Tour, along with gameplay improvements like barricade dives and the return of chain wrestling. This time around, the game still feels fresh, with a new way to start one-on-one matches, ranging from handshakes and posturing to trading blows and charging at your opponent.
The way weapons and dives work has been given a major overhaul too, with ragdoll physics transforming how superstars interact with objects and the environment (including stackable tables), which is something the team are keen to expand on in future iterations.
Other seemingly small changes (barricade combat, the ability to push your opponent to the corner or ropes, and a picture-in-picture view of Royal Rumble entrances) add so much to the action, and the new stamina/reversal system means you need to be more strategic about hitting big moves which could leave you drained and unable to defend yourself.
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The new match types this year have a wider impact too, all offering something exciting for this game and the future of the series.
The I Quit match type feels like a fresh bout rather than a rehash, with a great new timed minigame to try and avoid saying the two words that will cost you the match. It’s also great to see more weapon moves introduced, in the form of steel chair and kendo stick submissions, which can be used in other bouts.
Inferno is another strong addition to the franchise, with great visuals and fun gameplay, as you try to set your opponent on fire, while the ability to leave the ring to get weapons is a great move to make everything that much more brutal.
The ending sequence is great too, with a post-match cut scene showing a superstar being sprayed with a fire extinguisher, which is a smart way to avoid bumping their content rating by showing someone actually on fire.
Although the Dumpster match is essentially a reskinned Casket match, that’s essentially what it is in real life, so 2K has done a fine job of bringing it to life here.
As for Three Stages of Hell, it’s a great addition, although technical limitations mean some sacrifices have had to be made when it comes to blood and weapons carrying over each round in the best-of-three battle.
The new Scrapyard brawl arena is a great way to showcase some of the new physics too, while offering a wild map with plenty of hidden features and interactions to discover.
Before we move onto the wider game and its various modes, we’ve got to praise the way thumbtacks have been introduced, offering different ways for stars to bleed, and the ability to deliver damage on other weapons lying on the ground, which is a welcome change in mechanics.
Everything looks and feels smoother and more seamless than last year’s game, with the team getting rid of invisible walls which stopped wrestlers interacting with certain objects as they get thrown around.
Unfortunately, now it’s time to talk Ringside Pass, 2K’s revamped DLC replacement, which sees the battle pass concept make its way to the world of WWE.
To their credit, they’ve done a lot to try to make this value for money, while there is a free tier to offer players bonus content, even if they don’t want to fork out for the Premium track.
For the latter, which costs £8.99 per season, you’ll get the chance to unlock four superstars (the first season includes AAA stars like Mr Iguana and Psycho Clown) with the first one automatically ready to claim as soon as each season drops, along with special moves, arenas, Create-A-Superstar parts, and in-game currency and bonuses to use in MyFaction and The Island.
There is a valid complaint about paying for content you’ll then have to play or grind to unlock, but you can move through the tiers relatively quickly, and it offers a real incentive to explore the wider game and find the best ways to earn RXP (completing Showcase and MyRise over multi-tier progression, while those modes, MyFaction and The Island offer greater bonuses).
However, it’s been confirmed that, at least for now, RXP you earn after completing all available tiers before the next one comes out won’t be carried over, which is definitely not welcome.
The addition of a paid ‘skip tier’ option (there’re 40 tiers per pass) and the microtransactions involved in MyFaction and The Island will never sit well – but it’s worth noting that there’s no obligation to pay across any area of the game, and unlike other battle pass systems, seasons in the game won’t expire and you can easily swap between the season you’re earning RXP for.
We’ve had no problem moving through the tiers and it hasn’t felt like a chore. Developers have confirmed they’ll be keeping an eye on people’s progression, and they’re open to fine-tuning the requirements to find a balance between challenge and reward, and to reduce grinding.
Card-collecting mode MyFaction gets a boost this year with the fun Quick Swap option making matches more akin to classic fighting games, with the developers noting it was made possible by the way you’d fight Roman Reigns as the final boss in last year’s The Island story.
Speaking of WWE’s answer to The City, that mode is back this year as you continue the story with three factions fighting for control. It’s hard to get an idea for how this will work without a fully populated online userbase pre-launch, but there are some fun locations to explore and another enjoyable story to keep you hooked.
As for more traditional wrestling stories, MyRise is a blast again, with Paul Heyman all over the mode, both creatively behind the scenes and as an on-screen force. This time, you’re a returning superstar coming back to WWE (you get a few options for why you’ve been gone) and immediately get a title match against either Bron Breakker or Jordynne Grace.
After an embarrassing loss, you’re sent back to the bottom, trying to work your way back up, with some great voiceover work, fun storylines, and plenty of ways to earn unlockables – from venues to alternate superstars.
2K has done a great job of turning MyRise into its own living and breathing world, with fictional stars from past games becoming familiar faces that are fun to see each year. The ability to continue playing after the story ends (including being able to win and lose championships) means it doesn’t feel as finite as it did in years past.
Now we come to Showcase, which features cover star CM Punk taking fans through his career, initially playing through past matches before exploring some Fantasy Warfare bouts, as well as a What If? scenario exploring what he might’ve done if he stayed with WWE in 2014.
The pre-match narration is fun, and the matches are great, and having some unlockables like JBL and Eddie Guerrero (who were typically unlocked via the Accelerator or by playing the game in past years) shifted to this mode was a smart way to get around not being able to use classic Punk rivals like Daniel Bryan and Jeff Hardy.
Elsewhere in the game, the Universe sandbox mode introduces the Draft as a good way to keep things fresh, while there are new promos and interactions, plus the ability to watch the show for people who prefer that to playing out the action themselves. MyGM players will also be glad to see an increase in supported match types, new PLEs, and new seasonal challenges.
Like last year, the developers have done a great job of building on the past to make sure WWE 2K26 continues to grow as a great WWE simulation, while making things more accessible and fun for non-fans, and trying to justify the hefty price tag that comes with annual sports titles.
By focusing on gameplay overhauls and improvements over flashy new modes, this feels like a WrestleMania-worthy game in its own right, as 2K move the franchise to current gen-only. It’s not groundbreaking but it is a sold continuation of a series that has now become impressively consistent in both quality and ambition.
WWE 2K26 review summary
In Short: Following up last year’s well-received game is an unenviable task, but WWE 2K26 manages to build on what’s come before with some game-changing mechanics and welcome refinements.
Pros: The gameplay feels much more like the real WWE now and the new matches and improved physics work well. Ringside Pass offers good value and replayability if you’re willing to grind.
Cons: MyFaction’s microtransactions will never sit right and the move to Ringside Pass over traditional DLC will disappoint some fans.
Score: 8/10
Formats: Xbox Series X/S (reviewed), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Price: £69.99
Publisher: 2K
Developer: Visual Concepts
Release Date: 13th March 2026*
Age Rating: 16
*The King of Kings, Attitude Era, and Monday Night Wars editions allow early access from 6th March
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