The latest iteration of 2K’s WWE franchise is here with WWE 2K26 and with it comes the controversial decision that last-gen consoles have been dropped like a Royal Rumble elimination, but is it a gamble that pays off?

Each year, with any new WWE 2K game, the developers at Visual Concepts often find a way to improve on the last entry. To the extent that I continually think that improving on what is already a fantastic product is practically impossible.

However, taking away any nostalgia that we may feel towards the likes of WWF No Mercy and WWF SmackDown vs Raw, WWE 2K26 is arguably the best pro wrestling game in history, with its new and improved modes, not to mention its launch roster of over 400 playable characters that will only increase over time.

Improving on the Gameplay and Visuals

One of the benefits of ditching the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is that it means that the developers are not held back by creating the game while catering to the last-gen consoles. This means that in terms of visuals, WWE 2K26 looks even better than before. Superstar likenesses are closer to their real-life counterparts, with arguably Naomi, Blake Monroe and CM Punk benefiting most of all.

Not only that, but the animations of the WWE Superstars are a little more accurate. Not only with the incredibly detailed and show-stealing entrances, but also with the way they move about in the ring. From the way that Cody Rhodes might ever-so slightly stomp towards his opponent, the way Rhea Ripley makes everything look so effortless, to the charismatic swag of Carmelo Hayes. Sweat and bruising that gradually build through a match on a body, to the lighting and shadows of the crowd, WWE 2K26 looks stunning in almost every way.

Roman Reigns in WWE 2K26, 2K

While much of the gameplay of WWE 2K26 remains the same, some subtle tweaks contribute towards player immersion. For example, during the entrances, you can perform additional face and heel emotes or trigger some added pyro with a press of the D-Pad. It’s probably something that I won’t use all that much, unless more animations and pyro are added in the next game, that better suit each wrestler, but along with last year's new custom camera options, it’s a new feature that’s there if you want to use it and is something that can be improved.

During Royal Rumble entrances, while the action is taking place in the ring, there will be a picture-in-picture video that shows the new entrant running to the ring. This is a cool concept that probably wasn’t possible on last-gen consoles without severely hindering the framerate. I will say that it looks odd that every wrestler has the same animation (which looks a bit janky at the moment) as they run to the ring, but it’s no doubt something for Visual Concepts to also build upon.

In the ring, not only are the animations improved, but the AI-controlled Superstars can pull off a longer chain of moves, such as John Cena’s “Five Moves of Doom”. In previous games, if you’re lucky, they might pull off one life-like move before a Signature and Finisher. In WWE 2K26, that chain is now more than double, meaning that each Superstar performs more like their real-life counterpart more than ever.

Relive and Rewrite the Past in Showcase

This year's Showcase campaign star is CM Punk (this year's cover star), known to fans as “The Voice of the Voiceless”. This once rebellious pro wrestler may have toned down his antics during his second run in WWE, but he’s no less popular. Thankfully, with his Showcase campaign, if you miss his rebellious good old days, this gives you the chance to relive some of his most memorable moments.

Without giving too much away, CM Punk's campaign provides matches that are play-by-play of its real events; you can rewrite history or take part in dream matches that never came to be. For example, you’ll get to reply to an early defining match in his career, defending the World Heavyweight Championship against JBL at SummerSlam in 2008.

Many thought that in 2011 at WrestleMania 29, CM Punk should have been the one to end The Undertaker’s streak at the Showcase of the Immortals. Well, now you can give him the victory that you feel he earned.

CM Punk and Paul Heyman at WrestleMania 29, 2K

In an epic trailer for the video game WWE ‘13 (which just so happens to be the last time CM Punk was on the cover), CM Punk interacted with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and many felt this was going to set up a match between the two. Sadly, that never happened. Now, that match is possible in this year's Showcase.

The matches in this year's Showcase are fantastic, especially if you’re a CM Punk fan, and of course, there are tons of unlockables such as new playable characters, various iterations of CM Punk, as well as the likes of his wife, AJ and the aforementioned Steve Austin. You’ll also unlock new content towards the Ringside Pass (more on that later).

What’s more, if you don’t want to play all the traditional chapters in the Showcase, you can alternatively run a 20-person Gauntless match, where you’ll face 20 wrestlers in a single run, as you fight to survive all the way to the end. By completing this Gauntlet, you’ll still unlock all the same content from the chapters; you’ll just get there a lot quicker.

Three New Match-Types and Weapons

Three new match-types have been added to WWE 2K26. Namely, the Three Stages of Hell, which is basically a series of three matches of your choosing, which is a best out of three falls. You can pretty much pick any match that you want, whether it's Hell in a Cell, Extreme Rules, Falls Count Anywhere and more. Impressively, during each fall, there’s barely any loading time, which is great to keep the action flowing.

Speaking of Hell in a Cell, it seems that the ringside area inside the cage has been increased slightly, which means that it’s easier to move about on the outside, something that many will surely appreciate.

In the Dumpster Match (not Chelsea Green’s favourite match, by the way), the premise is simple: beat the crap out of your opponent, and when they’ve taken enough damage, you throw them into a large dumpster, which triggers a button-mashing mini-game before claiming victory. It is cool to see the Dumpster Match in this game, but in truth, it’s pretty much the same as a Casket Match, only with a large bin.

Then we have the Inferno Match, the favourite of my three new match-types. The ring apron is engulfed in flames, and the idea is to set your opponent on fire to win. There’s a metre that gradually builds throughout the match, as the two combatants beat the pants out of each other, and when that metre is full, it’s time to let them burn. I’ve had a blast with this match, and I really hope that it’s here to stay in the series.

"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton in an Inferno Match, 2K

As a quick note, the I Quit Match has also returned, a match that was made famous by The Rock and Mankind at the Royal Rumble in 1999 (though the first ever match was in the NWA in 1985). Think of it as a no-disqualification hardcore submission match. It’s fun and brutal, just the way I like it.

In terms of new weapons, there are a lot more to smack over your opponent's head. However, the most notable is, without a doubt, the bag of thumbtacks. You can wallop the bag over your opponent's head or tip them on the floor to bodyslam your opponent onto them. The opponent will react with pain, and the thumbtacks stick in them, which is awesome.

D-Von, Get the Tables!

Using tables as weapons has also been improved, with you now being able to stack two. Setting up a series of two tables piled on top of each other and then powerbombing your opponent through them is one of the most satisfying feelings in the game. I simply can’t get enough of it.

The Rise of MyRISE

MyRISE is the story campaign which is all about your created wrestler (or one that is downloaded via community creations). You get to be a Paul Heyman guy or girl. This story has multiple-choice decisions and branching storyline paths, each of which unlocks unique rewards and adds a lot of replayability.

However, unlocking those rewards won't just be determined by simply winning matches, because a star rating will also help determine what goodies come your way. If you pull off a five-star banger, your rewards will be that little more sweater. A new addition to this campaign is taking part in press conferences, which help to shape your story, and you might be pleased to know that New Game Plus returns.

The Universe Is Your Oyster

The Universe mode has always been about creating your own WWE TV programming with the Superstars of your choice. Playing weekly TV shows, Raw, SmackDown and NXT, as well as the PLE’s. You can choose what matches and rivalries you want, or let the game decide the schedule for you; it’s up to you. I kind of thought of it as a more immersive way to experience exhibition matches with added story elements. However, in previous years, it never quite hooked me as much as I would have hoped, but WWE 2K26 is a little different.

Stephanie Vaquer, 2K

There are more rivalry options between Superstars, more promo choices, you can press a button during a match for the current Money in the Bank winner to cash in their contract, it has seamless cutscenes at the beginning, sometimes middle and end of a match, which helps you feel more immersed in its story.

Arguably the biggest feature of Universe is the Draft, where Raw general manager, Adam Pearce and SmackDown general manager, Nick Aldis, will draft WWE Superstars of their choosing (which includes NXT) to their show. It’s presented on-stage, just like in real life, with three rounds over the two shows, resulting in potentially drastic changes on the fly. I played as NXT’s Joe Hendry, and being called up from WWE’s developmental show to SmackDown felt great, as it’s something that could happen in real life at any point.

MyFACTION Goes Marvel vs Capcom

MyFACTION is a mode that I spent the most time playing in the WWE 2K series, and while it has tons of enticements to spend real-money on its packs, it can easily be enjoyed without spending a penny. Whether it’s the World Tour that includes chapters in the US, South America, Europe, Japan and Africa, the Weekly Towers, Live Events and more, there are tons of ways to unlock new Superstars, and that’s not even taking into account the Ringside Pass.

New features to MyFACTION include its chemistry system. If you have a random faction of WWE Superstars, they might have low chemistry, and this could impact a match with a teammate refusing your tag and walking away. With good chemistry, such as members of The Bloodline or Judgement Day, there’s a random chance that an AI-controlled teammate might run in during a match to help you out.

MyFACTION also includes intergender matches, meaning that men and women fighting against each other is no longer exclusive to exhibition matches. This makes things especially easier, because it means that you don't have to have one men's team and one women’s team to complete certain objectives to unlock rewards (which you can still do, if you want).

Chemistry can be a game-changeer in MyFACTION, 2K

The biggest new feature of MyFACTION is ‘Quick Swap’, which is inspired by Marvel vs Capcom. In teams of four, rather than having you in the ring with three teammates on the apron, each match is one-on-one, but by pressing a button, one of your three other teammates will instantly spawn in to replace them.

The ‘Quick Swap’ tags can be used strategically, for example, matches are determined by KO, and when my Shawn Michaels was close to being eliminated, because the Signature and Finisher metre is shared across the team, I was able to quickly spawn in Steve Austin to unleash his ‘Stone Cold Stunner’ finisher to claim victory. I wasn't sure how well this mode would work when I first heard about it, but I now think the devs are onto something special.

The Island Is Bigger and Better

The Island was introduced in WWE 2K25 and was an open-hub area where players complete wacky story missions, some of a supernatural nature or challenge other players for rewards.

I could see what the developers intended with The Island, but it had no cut-scenes, audio dialogue from the Superstars (it was all text-based), and limited created character cosmetics with a push towards spending money on something more snazzy; it struggled to win me over. But I could see its potential, at least.

Thankfully, all those issues from last year have been fixed. Not only do players have three stories to choose from with the factions: Order of Anarchy (led by CM Punk), Order of Shadows (Rhea Ripley) and Order of Tradition (Cody Rhodes), all competing for control of The Island, but Superstars are now voiced, there are in-engine cutscenes to enhance the story, and there are more cosmetic freebies.

The Island is now larger to explore and has the new Scrapyard area (which is also playable in exhibition). If you were put off by The Island in WWE 2K25, you might want to give this year's attempt a try. Plus, there are tons of rewards to win.

The new Scrapyard area in The Island, 2K

MyGM Has Been Expanded

Now, straight off the bat, I should say that out of all the modes in the WWE 2K series, MyGM has never really been one for me, but I can understand why it’s such a popular mode, and to the developers' credit, this year's iteration has some minor tweaks that might tempt me to sink more time into it.

In a nutshell, MyGM is a manager mode where you control one of the WWE brands and compete against the others, either solo or against other players online and locally. Each week, shows compete with the highest match ratings and money earned, all while trying to maintain a budget. Joining the Raw, SmackDown, NXT and ECW shows this year is Mutiny, a show that featured in WWE 2K25’s MyRise campaign.

MyGM includes more match types such as Inferno, I Quit, Three Stages of Hell and so forth, more PLE’s, more promos that Superstars can cut to intensify a rivalry and now, intergender matches. It remains to be seen how much time I’ll spend playing MyGM, but if there was a time for that, it might very well be in WWE 2K26.

The Creation Suite Is Bigger Than Ever

One of the most popular aspects of the WWE 2K series is the seemingly endless amount of tools that players have when creating WWE Superstars, PLE’s title belts and much more. There are now 200 Create-a-Wrestler save slots, so that you can build or download a huge roster. There are more layers to body parts, more morphing tools and even two-toned hair colours. The arena also includes LED barricades, customisable announce tables, there are 2,000 custom image slots, and you can import a photo to make a created wrestler's face more realistic. WWE 2K26 creation tools are better than they have ever been.

WWE 2K26 has more creation tools than ever, 2K

The Introduction of the Ringside Pass

In WWE 2K26, the developers have ditched the previous formula of delivering DLC through a season pass, with each pack released separately. Instead, the Ringside Pass is basically a battle pass that you might see in Fortnite and Call of Duty.

By playing any mode in the game, you will earn XP towards the Ringside Pass, which will unlock new Superstars, packs, cosmetics, in-game currency, XP boosts and more. There are two passes: a free pass and a premium pass. All the above can be unlocked in the free version, and let me tell you, there is a lot to unlock, and that’s on top of everything else you’ll unlock via WWE 2K26’s various modes.

The premium Ringside Pass will have exclusive Superstars which will be tied to the Live Events in MyFACTION, and each new season will have a unique theme, this year being the Mexican promotion, AAA and yes, in the premium Ringside Pass, you can unlock Mr Iguana. The premium pass will also give you more of what’s included in the free pass, including bonus packs and currency.

I get that not everyone will appreciate the introduction of the Ringside Pass at the expense of traditional DLC packs, but personally, I prefer it. There are not only tons more items to unlock in WWE 2K26 over previous games, but I enjoy the grind and the Ringside Pass gives me even more incentive to play the game to unlock new rewards, and this is coming from someone who practically played WWE 2K25 everyday. At the end of the day, it’s personal preference.

WWE 2K26 Has an Accessibility Issue

For the most part, I feel like WWE 2K26 is a near-perfect pro wrestling game. I love the added depth that’s been added to modes such as MyRISE, Showcase, Universe, MyFACTION and even MyGM. However, I do have one major issue with WWE 2K26, which wasn't an issue in WWE 2K25 and that’s having to rapidly mash the buttons to close the lid on my opponent in Casket and Dumpster matches.

Io Sky in WWE 2K26, 2K

In WWE 2K25, there was an option to hold down the designated button instead of mashing it; that option has been removed in WWE 2K26. I know holding down the button might feel like cheating for able-bodied gamers, but for me, it’s a major problem. I have arthritis in my hands, and not only is it impossible for me to mash the buttons fast enough for me to win, but it also drastically increases the pain in my hands. For me to win a Casket or Dumpster match, I had to call in my son, which isn't ideal.

This is only an issue in MyFACTION because the option to hold down the button is in every other mode. When I asked the developers about this, it was explained to me that it’s to prevent exploitation in online matches, which I totally understand. I was told that they would look into it, but nothing was guaranteed. I get their reasons, but unless the option to hold down the button returns, this is going to be a major accessibility issue for a lot of gamers and will prevent progression in the game. I feel an ideal solution would be to implement the option to hold down the button in offline matches only.

Reviewer's notes:
20/03/26: Following this review, Visual Concepts deployed a patch that added the slider function to submission matches in MyFACTION. This is for PvE only, and not PvP. While this is not the perfect resolution for gamers, it seems a fair compromise.
02/04/26: It is now possible to hold down the button in MyFACTION for submission, ladder, casket and dumpster matches.

That being said, I tip my hat to the developers for how they are continually able to improve every year. Sure, it’s not a perfect game, but objectively, I believe that WWE 2K26 is the best wrestling game ever made, and that’s the bottom line, because I said so!

Pros: Over 400 playable characters, looks and plays great, so much depth and replayability, Quick Swap tag is a blast

Cons: Removing the hold button and enforcing rapid in MyFACTION is an accessibility issue

For fans of: WWE 2K25

9/10: Exceptional

WWE 2K26 released on 5 March via early access and 13 March 2026 for the standard edition on PC, PlayStation 5 (version tested), Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.

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