Paul E. Dangerously. Paul Heyman. The Advocate. The Special Counsel. The Wise Man. The Oracle. You should never trust a man with two first names, and you should never trust someone who adopts as many monikers and allegiances as Paul Heyman—a fact learned by many WWE Superstars, including the beloved Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman’s stature in WWE ensures his roles in the WWE 2K games are never surprising, but WWE 2K26 puts a premium on the idea of the “Paul Heyman Guy.”
WWE 2K26‘s cover star is CM Punk, the original “Paul Heyman Guy,” so this really isn’t that surprising. When players boot up MyRise, they’ll be able to enter either the Women’s Division or Men’s Division and come face-to-face with real-world contenders for future Paul Heyman Guys/Gals. As The Archetype, players will tell their own Comeback story, and that means staring down either Jordynne Grace or Bron Breakker.
WWE 2K26 Review: Not the Best in the World
WWE 2K26 continues to build on its predecessor in many ways, but the annual cadence appears to be taking its toll creatively.
Unfortunately, it’s worth noting that WWE 2K26‘s MyRise storyline ultimately falls short of past years. That’s not to say it’s not worth your time, but the amount of grind vs. storytelling (that’s not exactly high quality) just doesn’t shake out to an enjoyable experience. But it is Paul Heyman, and he’s worth discussing.
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR WWE 2K26. Early Access began on March 6, with the full release slated for March 13.
In WWE 2K26’s MyRise Mode, Paul Heyman is the Puppeteer
As the Archetype, players get to mount their comeback to WWE with an immediate World Title match against Paul Heyman’s newest client, Jordynne Grace or Bron Breakker. There’s no real difference between the Men’s and Women’s Divisions in this WWE 2K26 mode; instead, players are often given the chance to turn Face or Heel, with that choice determining subsequent storylines.
Ahead of that title match, players get to determine why they left WWE (time with family, injury, etc.) and speak with Heyman. He’s clearly not happy with the Archetype because, as he reveals, we either left or refused his offer to become one of his clients. The Archetype could have been a Paul Heyman Guy/Gal, but events unfolded elsewhere. And, ultimately, players will lose to Grace or Breakker to kick off this WWE 2K26 storyline.
A press conference after the match lets players choose a Face path or a Heel path, depending on how they feel about that loss. This begins a series of side quests more random than Cody Rhodes’ between WrestleMania 39 and WrestleMania 40. It varies by choice, but WWE 2K26 players can spend some time in the fictional promotion TBD, touring the world to challenge other wrestlers, turn their gym into a series of underground matches, spend some extra time in NXT, chase tag team titles, become the United States champion, betray a mentee or be betrayed by the mentee, deal with the Wyatt Sicks, and ultimately end up back on the trail of Grace or Breakker.
Where it starts to get interesting is around the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber. One WWE 2K26 path sees Heel players miss out on the Royal Rumble, instead taking out the winner (Cody Rhodes) and demanding his spot against Breakker. Instead, a Triple Threat to determine a number one contender is set up, and the player takes all of them out by attacking them before the match. The other WWE 2K26 path sees the player dealing with other distractions at the Royal Rumble, but otherwise qualifying for, entering, and winning the Elimination Chamber.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
All of this culminates in a cutscene where the player calls out Grace or Breakker, but is instead greeted by, “Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman.” After a little back and forth, the player will ask if Heyman’s client knows and then reveals their thought: that many of the side quests were set up by Heyman, like a puppeteer in the background, to protect his client. There’s some variation here, it seems, but ultimately, Heyman takes pride in confirming that he’s been messing with The Archetype since their return in WWE 2K26. The rationale is quite petty, but fitting: Heyman was not happy about the player refusing to become his client before he left WWE.
Jordynne Grace or Bron Breakker comes out shortly after and is obviously angry about this, questioning Heyman’s faith in them. They ultimately accept The Archetype’s challenge, and while there are a few story beats between, it is The Archetype vs. Grace/Breakker at WrestleMania for the World Title.
To Be Or Not to Be Paul Heyman’s Client—That Is the Question
Before the match, there are a few conversations that may determine the stipulation of the match (if there is one) and if the player regrets turning down Paul Heyman or not. This matters because, once players defeat the champions and claim the title for themselves, Heyman escorts them halfway down the ramp before pausing and turning back to the ring. What’s WrestleMania without a little drama? Heyman appeals to the player and asks them to reconsider becoming his client.
Players can agree or not, creating a unique WrestleMania moment for them and Heyman. After that, MyRise is effectively over, but players can continue to play should they so choose. Throughout MyRise, players must complete RISE matches where they accumulate stars to progress the story. The endgame is essentially an endless version of this, where players must defend their World Title against a random selection of challengers. If they side with Heyman, he’ll give them the RISE matches; it’s someone else if not.
