WWE 2K26 review: The game keeps getting better, the monetization keeps getting worse | Tech Radar

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WWE 2K26 review: The game keeps getting better, the monetization keeps getting worse

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WWE 2K26 once again sees 2K improve on its yearly release, but like with other years, there's always a downside to go along with it. This year's My Rise feels undercooked, and the Ringside Pass locks paid DLC behind progression that takes an age to move forward. It's still a top-of-the-line grappler, but frustrating choices hold it back.

+Rebalanced stamina system makes things a bit more tactical

Rebalanced stamina system makes things a bit more tactical

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My favorite thing about WWE 2K26 is a relatively minor feature. At the start of every match, you get the choice of what actions your character will take. Do you bumrush your opponent and try to knock them down out of the gate? Do you go in for a staredown or a handshake? Or do you hang back and play to the crowd? Yearly sports games don't tend to feature massive overhauls, but this implementation of a little bit of psychology shows me that deep down, Visual Concepts gets it.

Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2 Release date: March 13, 2026 (Early access on March 6, 2026)

Since returning with WWE 2K22, these games have gotten steadily better with each release, and WWE 2K26 is no different. The grappling feels better thanks to the aforementioned change and an updated stamina system that forces you to play tactically; the roster is huge, and the updated match types are mostly winners. But as is the tale with the WWE 2K series, its improvements are undercut by what feels like new ways to make money.

One major change to WWE 2K26 is the absence of the traditional "buy a pack, get x wrestlers" DLC model. This year introduces the ringside pass, of which there will be 6 across the entire year. There's also a free route, which is how you unlock WWE Legends this year as opposed to previous years, where there was an in-game shop or unlock-everything DLC to grab. I don't blindly hate battle passes in games, but in 30 hours of playing WWE 2K26, I've barely hit the halfway point of the first pass.

Sure, there are ways to gain levels faster, such as your My Rise playthrough or Showcase mode – the latter of which is one-and-done – while the quickest ways seem to be through The Island and My Faction, two modes that are playable without spending a penny but far easier for those who do invest. Paired with the ability to buy level skips, it feels like a rough trade from simply getting the characters you pay for – especially when there are still characters locked to My Faction card drops through random number generating (RNG) on top of that. And while you can complete these battle passes at any time across the year, you can only work towards one at a time, meaning anyone who isn't playing consistently from day one will get left behind.

This is paired with another symptom of the yearly sports release, that some things just don't get touched. Aside from the ability to book intergender matches, My GM – which should be my favorite mode as someone who was begging for a booker mode in these games from 2008-2022 – remains practically unchanged from WWE 2K25, and thus my same issues persist (namely, the super restrictive class and alignment systems).

The highlight of this year's modes is 2K Showcase – the yearly mode focusing on a story, be that of a wrestler, a family, or a show in which you play recreations of classic matches – with this year's focusing on cover star CM Punk. While there are some notable omissions from the mode, like the absence of Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan from WWE, stopping those feuds from being included, it's a lengthy selection that covers the bases.

Punk notably had a very public falling out with WWE in 2014 before returning in 2023, and part of this year's Showcase is imagining what would happen if he didn't leave. These include the likes of his planned showdown with Triple H at Wrestlemania 30, taking on AJ Styles at his first Wrestlemania, and fighting Bray Wyatt as The Fiend. These are the absolute highlights of this mode and made me wish deep down we could've seen them happen in real life.

I typically prefer My Rise – a storyline featuring a created character – most years, but sadly, I'm a bit let down by this year's edition. Don't get me wrong, The Comeback and the story of The Archetype is one of the best stories told in the series to date, but you can feel the budget ripped out of this mode as you play.

As opposed to the separate men's and women's division stories of previous years, it's pretty much the exact same story across both, with recurring dialogue and events, just with women instead of men in roles. And like last year, side quests are gone entirely; instead, you play Rise matches, which are simple exhibition matches against wrestlers to earn stars. These are fine as a side thing to buff your character, but you're forced to play them between pretty much every main storyline, and it feels like tedious, artificial padding.

After hating it last year (I called it "a superfluous mode that feels focused on money"), The Island returns this year, and shockingly, it feels a lot more interesting. Instead of still images and text, the mode features actual cutscenes this year, making it feel like an extension of My Rise in ways.

But once again, you create a new character for The Island, and this character’s stats are upgraded via VC – the game’s premium paid currency, which can also be earned in-game. So if you want to play one of the mode's towers, which challenge you to play a gauntlet of matches on one health bar, you're going to have a far rougher time with your base stats. Plus, you can battle other players online on The Island, and I don't need to tell you that the person who spends money will have a better time.

The CM Punk Showcase mode, filling in the blanks of his decade-long WWE absence, was filled with genuinely great 'What If?' moments, like him retiring Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 35 or answering John Cena's US title open challenge.

But ultimately, I think, why would I want to spend money on this? I received a review code for the Monday Night Wars Edition of the game, which comes with a substantial amount of VC anyway, but I still feel like I'm wasting it to buff up a character I frankly don't care about. And given My Rise has gotten smaller both years The Island has been included, I can't say I'm a fan of this tradeoff from one of my favorite modes to one I can't see myself thinking about too often.

I'd much rather save the VC for My Faction – the game's Ultimate Team equivalent. But not because I'm madly into My Faction, but because exclusive versions of superstars are often locked behind this mode's RNG. Do you want Drew Mc Intyre's 2010 version with his fantastic theme song? Better hope you get him. What about Booker T's iconic King Booker gimmick? Well, you're going to need to get five Oddities cards, which are random drops. Plus, you straight up can't play certain missions or challenges without having access to certain cards, so get spending, I guess.

WWE 2K26 continues the series tradition of frustrating me with every entry. There's a fantastic wrestling game in there; the roster is great, the showcase is an excellent piece of throwback and fantasy about one of the best wrestlers of all time, and My Rise continues to be a fun story despite feeling majorly cut back. But the Ringside Pass is another red flag on top of the existing red flags of previous years and something that will need to be significantly tweaked for me to consider it a suitable replacement for the previous method.

You want a great wrestling game WWE 2K26 is great grappler that improves upon last year's entry in solid iterative ways. It's not going to be a major overhaul for series regulars, but smart changes make for a more engaging battle system. And there's a lot of it among the specific modes.

You're a fan of wrestling history The CM Punk Showcase mode is already a brilliant edition in its own right, but the inclusion of those "what if I never left" matches offers an interesting take on what is one of the most significant events in wrestling history.

You get fomo You won't unlock everything in WWE 2K26. It's updated all year with new exclusive characters locked to My Faction cards, and with the addition of grindy battle passes this year, that's only going to get worse.

You're extremely averse to microtransactions You can play WWE 2K26 entirely without spending a penny, but some of the modes are made far more accessible and easier for those willing to put a bit of coin in.

WWE 2K26's accessibility features are mainly focused around mini-games. You can change the timing-based pinfall minigame to a rapid press motion if you please, or change the rapid press submission game to a slider, alongside the option to include held inputs for both, but these won't be changed for any online modes. Outside of that, there's not much to write home about, with four difficulty options and manual AI sliders. However, there are no options for colorblindness, unfortunately.

I played 30 hours of WWE 2K26 on PS5 Pro using a Dual Sense Wireless Controller, and an LG C5 OLED TV with its built-in sound.

During this time, I played all of Showcase mode, a Babyface men's division run of My Rise, and the first few chapters of a Heel women's division run. I played a few months of My GM and Universe mode, a few chapters of The Island, and about four hours of My Faction – mostly the towers. I also played a good few regular matches along the way.

Scott has been freelancing for over two years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on Tech Radar in 2022. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Push Square, The Daily Mirror, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that never get sequels.

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Key Takeaways

• WWE 2K26 review: The game keeps getting better, the monetization keeps getting worse

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

• WWE 2K26 once again sees 2K improve on its yearly release, but like with other years, there's always a downside to go along with it

• +Rebalanced stamina system makes things a bit more tactical

• Rebalanced stamina system makes things a bit more tactical