Since the release of WWE 2K22, I’ve collectively put hundreds of hours into the latest run of games from 2K and Visual Concepts, as each year has only seemed to get better and better. The streak of in-ring improvements, game mode expansions, and creative content in each annual WWE 2K release has always been incremental, but it has always moved in the right direction. Unfortunately, that streak has come to an end with WWE 2K26.
To be clear, WWE 2K26 is a good game standing among great games. It doesn’t take the franchise back to the disastrous release of WWE 2K20, but it does fall short of its predecessors in WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23, WWE 2K24, and WWE 2K25. That’s because, while it’s generally solid on a technical level, WWE 2K26 feels creatively weakened at times.
In-Ring Action Remains at a High (with a Couple of Bugs)
It’s hard to imagine the in-ring action getting any better than WWE 2K25, but WWE 2K26 continues pushing it. Between all the additions in recent years, as well as the addition of new matches, the in-ring experience feels more personal than ever. Players can start matches however they like, whether that’s a cheap shot or chain wrestling, and the AI acts more realistically than ever. I was quite surprised when an AI put me in the corner, ran to the opposite one, and then did a running attack on me as I’d expect on TV. Yes, some superstars still have moves they wouldn’t normally perform in real life, but they would likely avoid many gameplay situations in real life. The audiovisual experience, the sense of being in the ring, and the Face/Heel expression are all uplifted in WWE 2K26.
However, it does seem to introduce more bugs than I’ve personally experienced in the past. For example, practically any time I would Irish Whip someone into a standing table outside the ring, they’d teleport into the middle of the ring. There were also plenty of times when Top Rope moves would be nullified. I’d clearly land on the opponent and hit the move, but they would not react, while my character acted as if the move missed. That was the worst of my hit detection issues, but there were others. It’s nowhere near the level of bugs in WWE 2K20 and never completely harmed the experience, but it impacts immersion that is otherwise at an all-time high.
WWE’s trend of superstars getting updated models while others look cursed continues.
The WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass is Okay, But Won’t Let You Forget It
One of WWE 2K26‘s new features is the Ringside Pass, a Battle Pass-like system to unlock new superstars, bonuses for MyFactions and Island, just by playing the game. It’s not as predatory as I feared, and nothing on the first run of the Ringside Pass created any sense of FOMO. I easily advanced it, mostly without even thinking about it. However, I wish I could play the game without it being on my screen.
Unless you are playing a match, the Ringside Pass is likely at the top right of your screen. When rewards are ready to claim, there’s a gold message that’s just annoying enough to constantly demand attention. It’s a constant reminder of the system, one that feels wholly unnecessary, and I saw nothing in the settings that would let me turn it off (or at least reduce its presence).
The Breadth of Content in WWE 2K26 Suffers Under Its Own Weight
One of the strengths of the WWE 2K games is the breadth of content. Between Showcase Mode, MyRise, MyGM, Universe, MyFaction, The Island, and general play, there’s plenty to support players spending hours in every game. By design, it ensures there’s a little something for everyone.
I am a big MyGM mode fan (as an example), with that game mode likely eating up the majority of my hours, and it feels stronger than ever. Extending the season length does more than make it feel longer: it adds more risk to injuries, adds more weight to booking decisions, supports a larger roster than before, and gives plenty of challenges/reasons to book multi-man matches of up to 8 wrestlers. Overall, it feels like the investment of my time in the mode has a solid return.
PLEs still get special treatment, but the big ones—Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, Survivor Series, SummerSlam, and WrestleMania—still lack their identity. Intergender Wrestling exists in MyGM now, which has less appeal than other additions, but it does create situations where wrestlers misgender one another. I had never paired Liv Morgan and Finn Balor as an example, but Liv was quite upset when I let “her” go. I completed one full career during my time with the game so far, and I am quite happy with it despite a handful of minor issues.
Universe, MyFaction, and The Island all take a similar approach, with The Island adding three new factions to rank up via Towers. They offer a little more and provide a similar experience to prior years, continuing the incremental improvements the franchise is known for. However, Showcase and MyRise’s lower quality brings down the overall selection of game modes.
CM Punk Doesn’t Want You to Play Showcase Mode
Every year, Showcase Modes are a great way to get insight into a wrestler or match. Unfortunately, WWE 2K26‘s Showcase Mode has two serious issues that, especially when combined, leave it feeling especially lackluster.
First, CM Punk’s narration is uncharacteristically bland. John Cena’s approach to Showcase offered good insight into his mentality, if at times being a little cheesy, and the bar was raised with the Bloodline Showcase. Roman Reigns’ presence and Paul Heyman’s skills as a narrator helped elevate what was already a strong showcase. In contrast, CM Punk is very obviously reading lines from a script, and it doesn’t seem like he’s enjoying himself. CM Punk’s skills on the mic are legendary but they are not on display here. Making it worse is the repeated use of the phrase “slingshot technology” in practically every scene, making his appearances seem like an ad for the tech as opposed to a reflection on his career. I’ve probably heard him say “slingshot technology” as much as I’ve heard Drew McIntyre complain about CM Punk.
Second, CM Punk’s Showcase suffers from a lack of real WWE matches, or more specifically, what is on offer is overwhelmed by imaginary matches. Showcase Modes typically have a solid line-up of real-world matches brought into focus, accompanied by some fun “what ifs” or silly matches to round it out. Nearly half of CM Punk’s matches fall into the latter. Most of those matches let players choose between CM Punk or another wrestler, which relieves some of its repetitive nature, but there were plenty of great WWE matches that just don’t exist in Showcase. It’s likely contract issues in some cases, but still, it feels like a half-CM Punk Showcase and a half-Whatever showcase.
Each is an issue on its own, but when combined, the Showcase experience suffers. Between the match selection and CM Punk’s bland narration, the lackluster Showcase falls short of the Best in the World.
MyRise’s Story is Bland
MyRise has had some genuinely interesting stories in the past. The Dark Horse lived in Roman Reigns’ shadow as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, and the NXT Mutiny was a fun, hostile takeover storyline (that predominantly featured CM Punk). WWE 2K26‘s MyRise storyline finds itself at the bottom of the barrel. Creatively, it’s the worst story: the story of the Archetype’s comeback could be summarized in less than a handful of words. For short periods, it even regurgitates moments from past games, with the player spending too much time in fictional promotion TBD or on a national tour again.
MyRise’s storyline is also the same across the Men’s and Women’s Divisions, with just new characters swapped in. The real determining factor is whether players want to play through a micro-storyline as either a Face or Heel, with the opportunities for those turns scattered between each story beat. There’s also usually a twist to MyRise storylines, and WWE 2K26‘s is the most underwhelming yet.
To make matters worse, MyRise requires players to complete Rise matches to progress in the story, creating a grind where players must gather 12 Stars by competing against wrestlers typically unrelated to the story at hand. That’s a minimum of 3 RISE matches every time players are forced into this position. There’s always been a grindy element to MyRise in the past, but WWE 2K26 doesn’t even pretend to wrap it in some narrative coating.
All of that said, WWE 2K26‘s MyRise storyline does have some solid moments to it—it’s just telling that R-Truth ripping off Jey Uso’s “Yeet” with “Neat!” is one of the highlights.
WWE 2K26 Isn’t the Best in the World, but It’s Not the Worst in the World
WWE 2K26 lives in the long shadow cast by the improvements seen in WWE 2K22 throughout WWE 2K25. It even makes its own improvements to the tried-and-true formula, but it ends up disappointing far more than its predecessors. The in-ring action still hits hard, and most modes deliver the experience fans have come to expect, offering just enough variety to keep the hours ticking by. There’s fun here, but it’s undermined by a lack of creative ambition. Creativity within its offerings is what elevates a good wrestling game into a memorable one, but WWE 2K26 often feels trapped in a creative plateau.
WWE 2K26 launches March 13 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, with early access beginning on March 3. GameRant was provided an Xbox Series X code for this review.
