Since the release of WWE 2K22I've put a combined hundreds of hours into the latest set of games from 2K and Visual Concepts, as each year has only seemed to get better and better. A series of ring improvements, game mode expansions and creative content every year WWE 2K The release has always been incremental, but it has always gone in the right direction. Unfortunately, that stretch has come to an end WWE 2K26.
To be clear, WWE 2K26 is a good game that stands among great games. It doesn't take the franchise back to the disastrous release of WWE 2K20but it falls worse than its predecessors in WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23, WWE 2K24and WWE 2K25. This is because although it is generally stable on a technical level, WWE 2K26 feel creatively weakened at times.
In-Ring Action remains top notch (with a few bugs)
It's hard to imagine the action in the ring getting any better than that WWE 2K25but WWE 2K26 keep pressing it. Between all the additions in recent years, as well as the addition of new matches, the experience in the ring feels more personal than ever. Players can start matches however they want, whether it's a cheap shot or chain wrestling, and the AI acts more realistically than ever. I was quite surprised when an AI cornered me, ran to the opposite one and then did a running attack on me like I'd expected on TV. Yes, some superstars still have moves that they wouldn't normally perform in real life, but they would probably avoid many real game situations. The audio-visual experience, the feeling of being in the ring and the face/heel expression are lifted WWE 2K26.
However, it seems to introduce more bugs than I have personally experienced before. For example, practically every time I would whip someone into a standing table outside the ring, they would teleport into the center of the ring. There were also many occasions when Top Rope moves would be canceled. I would clearly land on the opponent and hit the move, but they wouldn't react, while my character acted like the move missed. That was the worst of my hit detection problems, but there were others. It's nowhere near the level of bugs in the WWE 2K20 and has never completely damaged the experience, but it does affect the immersion which is otherwise at the highest level.
WWE's trend of Superstars getting updated models while others look pissed off continues.
WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass is okay, but won't let you forget it
One of WWE 2K26New features are the Ringside Pass, a Battle Pass-like system to unlock new Superstars, MyFactions and Island bonuses, just by playing the game. It's not as predatory as I feared, and nothing on the first run of Ringside Pass created any sense of FOMO. I advanced it easily, mostly without even thinking about it. However, I wish I could play the game without it on my screen.
If you're not playing a match, the Ringside Pass is most likely in the top right of the screen. When rewards are ready to be claimed, there is a golden message that is just annoying enough to constantly demand attention. It's a constant reminder of the system, one that feels completely unnecessary, and I didn't see anything 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 with WWE 2K games are the breadth of content. Between Showcase Mode, MyRise, MyGM, Universe, MyFaction, The Island, and general gameplay, there's plenty to support players spending hours in each game. Through its design, it ensures that there is something for everyone.
I'm a big fan of MyGM mode (as an example), with that game mode probably 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 increases the risk of injury, puts more weight on booking decisions, supports a larger roster than before, and provides many challenges/reasons to book multi-man matches with up to 8 wrestlers. Overall, it feels like my investment of time in the mode has a solid return.
The PLEs still get special treatment, but the big ones—Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, Survivor Series, SummerSlam, and WrestleMania—still lack their identity. Intergender Wrestling is in MyGM now, which has less appeal than other addons, but it creates situations where wrestlers misgender each other. I had never paired Liv Morgan and Finn Balor as an example, but Liv was pretty upset when I dropped “her”. I made a full career in my time with the game so far, and I'm pretty 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 bit more and provide a similar experience to previous years, continuing the incremental improvements the franchise is known for. However, Showcase and MyRise's lower quality drags down the overall selection of game modes.
CM Punk doesn't want you to play Showcase Mode
Each year, Showcase Modes are a great way to get insight into a wrestler or match. Unfortunately, WWE 2K26's Showcase Mode has two serious problems that, especially when combined, make it feel particularly lackluster.
First, CM Punk's storytelling is uncharacteristically bland. John Cena's approach to the Showcase offered good insight into his mentality, even if it was a bit cheesy at times, and the bar was raised with the Bloodline Showcase. Roman Reigns' presence and Paul Heyman's storytelling skills helped elevate what was already a strong showcase. However, CM Punk is very obviously reading lines from a script, and it doesn't seem like he's enjoying it. CM Punk's skills on the mic are legendary but they are not on display here. Making matters worse is the repeated use of the phrase “slingshot technology” in virtually every scene, making his appearances seem like an advertisement for the technology 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 offered is overwhelmed by imaginary matches. Showcase modes usually have a solid set of real-life matches in focus, along with some fun “what if” or silly matches to finish it all off. Almost half of CM Punk's matches fall into the latter. Most of these matches let players choose between CM Punk or another wrestler, which alleviates some of its repetitive nature, but there were plenty of great WWE matches that simply aren't in the Showcase. It's likely contract issues in some cases, but still, it feels like half-CM Punk Showcase and half-Whatever Showcase.
Each is a problem on its own, but 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 was living in the shadow of Roman Reigns as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, and the NXT Mutiny was a fun, hostile takeover storyline (predominantly featuring CM Punk). WWE 2K26The MyRise story is at the bottom of the barrel. Creatively, it's the worst story: the story of the archetype's comeback can be summed up in less than a handful of words. For short periods, moments from past matches even resurface, where the player spends too much time in fictional marketing TBD or on a national tour again.
MyRise's story is also the same in the men's and women's divisions, with only new characters swapped out. The real deciding factor is whether players want to play through a micro-story as either a face or a heel, with the possibilities for these twists scattered between each story beat. There is also usually a twist to MyRise stories, and WWE 2K26s is the most underwhelming yet.
To make matters worse, MyRise requires players to complete Rise matches to progress in the story, creating a gate where players must collect 12 stars by competing against wrestlers that usually have nothing to do with the story. There are at least 3 RISE matches every time players are forced into this position. There's always been a grumpy element to MyRise in the past, though WWE 2K26 don't even pretend to wrap it in some narrative coating.
All this said, WWE 2K26The MyRise story has some solid moments in it – it just says that R-Truth rips off Jey Uso's “Yeet” with “Neat!” is one of the highlights.
WWE 2K26 is not the best in the world, but it is not the worst in the world
WWE 2K26 lives in the long shadow of the improvements seen in WWE 2K22 throughout WWE 2K25. It even makes its own improvements to the tried-and-true formula, but ends up disappointing far more than its predecessors. The action in the ring still packs a punch, 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. The creativity of its offerings is what elevates a good wrestling game to a memorable one, but WWE 2K26 often feel trapped in a creative plateau.
WWE 2K26 launches March 13 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X, with early access starting March 3. GameRant received an Xbox Series X code for this review.
