WWE 2K26 review: a punk-rock showcase and wild story modes elevate this wrestling sim

WWE 2K26 continues in the footsteps of WWE 2K25, which is a very good wrestling game. While the new release doesn’t do anything staggeringly different, it does add weirdness through narrative game modes that shake up the usual experience.

If you love your professional wrestling with a side of supernatural shenanigans, and some wild and uncanny storytelling, then this is the game for you.

WWE 2K26 leans into the weird and wonderful

In WWE 2K26, you’ll find a familiar array of modes. Like others in the series, this game is relatively bloated, with modes that let you run your own WWE shows, manage wrestlers, create your own custom character, take part in single and multi-player matches, and go online to compete with other players.

I’ve often thought of the WWE 2K games as being multi-games-in-one. You really need to pick a mode and invest deeply in it because there’s just so much to do, and so many different modes you can explore in-depth.

If you’re into story, you’ll want to follow along with MyRISE, The Island or Showcase, where you can create your own wrestler and send them on a journey of glory. If you’re into management, then you’ll find opportunities to corral your favourite wrestlers in Universe, MyGM and MyFACTION modes.

While I dabbled in each and every mode for this review, I’m mostly going to focus on MyRISE, The Island and Showcase, as the flagship modes backed by various storylines. They’re the most compelling in my books, and the ones that get you as close as possible to the fictional world of WWE.

MyRISE puts you right into the action

First up, MyRISE. This year’s mode is a dual-timeline plot where you can either rise up the ranks of the Men’s Division or the Women’s Division, with Jordynne Grace or Bron Breakker (two powerhouses) as your rival.

This year’s plot didn’t entirely grip me. It’s about an already-established wrestler coming back to WWE after years away and immediately failing to win a championship. While you can compete actively in the game’s opening match, the outcome is predetermined so no matter what, you’ll be a failure on debut and must work your way back up the ranks by fighting against no-name wrestlers.

The story isn’t so different from what’s come before, which is why I’m lukewarm on it. But I do appreciate that it skips over the typically painful ‘early wrestler learning the ropes’ tropes. You arrive as a star, and that means the action kicks off quick, and it isn’t long before you’re bantering with Paul Heyman and CM Punk.

There are also some pretty good performances here, and also in The Island, which add to that all-important feeling of authenticity and immersion. You can tell Punk’s done acting before, and Heyman is as boisterous as ever. Not everyone fares so well – unfortunately, there are some really dour, droll performances in the lot – but the voice acting is appreciated anyway.

Having a starry array of wrestlers in the cast means you’re fully entrenched in the plot either way.

The Island has a surprisingly compelling plot

The Island, a new mode launched in WWE 2K25, returns in this game, and it’s actually got the better plot this year compared to MyRISE. Joining the island as a custom wrestler (who can be upgraded the more you play), you’ll join one of three new wrestling factions, which can be adequately described as the goths, the punks and the jocks.

Wrestlers are assigned to a certain faction based on their looks and attitude, and depending on which faction you pick, you’ll end up interacting with them the most, taking on a variety of quests in a semi-open world.

While The Island is positioned as an online hub where players can connect for multiplayer matches, a bit like with Street Fighter 6, you can also tackle its many quests solo, completely ignoring its online features. You still get to experience its wild plot and its many unique matches, like its scrapyard match, which lets you climb up ladders and jump off multistorey scaffolding like it’s nothing.

Tackling the Order of Shadows plot, I was particularly enamoured by my goth wrestler cohort – Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black and others – and how weird The Island is willing to get. When you start with a wrestling companion named Dolores who reads tarot cards and summons spirits, it can only get weirder from there.

The Island also has some very neat callbacks to last year’s plot, as your journey is overseen by a giant, headless Roman Reigns statue that looms ominously in the distance.

Showcase is the real headliner of WWE 2K26

Beyond these story-focused modes, the real headliner here is this year’s showcase, which is led by CM Punk. As I covered pre-release, this is a solid showcase mode that reimagines the career of Punk, if he’d been booked as he’d wished.

There are a number of iconic fights included, with the added twist that Punk always wins, even when the outcome is non-canon, such as his ‘defeat’ of the Undertaker. Playing through various determined moves, dictated by the game, you’ll take on opponents like JBL, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre.

There’s a good mix here, although there are some exclusions based on current working contracts, and the fact that ‘better’ versions of some feuds – specifically John Cena vs CM Punk – have already featured in past WWE 2K games.

There’s still a great array here, and each match is elevated by live-action cutscenes of Punk griping about his booking, which should serve to delight his fans and annoy those who dislike the wrestler. They’re the perfect mix of smarmy and fun, and add high stakes to each matchup.

Showcase also has some other notable changes this year, mostly in the game’s use of ‘slingshot’ technology. In the past, performing moves in a certain sequence would unlock a slingshot back to the past, with real-life footage of wrestling matches spliced into gameplay. I quite liked this feature in WWE 2K25, and enjoyed seeing how in-game matches aligned with their real-life counterpart.

It appears others didn’t feel the same, as there are no live-action cutscenes spliced in this time around. I’ve seen pretty much all the matches of Punk’s career highlights to date, so I would’ve loved to see how they translated, but at the very least this change does mean fights are more immersive, and you aren’t forced to take as much of a backseat when you pull off a big move.

One other big change

Another change worth noting, and one that may prove controversial, is that everything you do in WWE 2K26 feeds into a battle pass system, no matter if you’re charting a story or individual matches. Everything you do earns you ‘RXP’ which allows you to advance along reward tracks.

You get immediate access to the game’s free tier on launch, but there is also a paid tier you need to purchase separately.

I wouldn’t have as much of an issue with this WWE 2K26 addition if it was cosmetic only, but you can earn various useful rewards along the paid track, including new wrestlers. The game’s first season of content includes AAA stars like Mr Iguana, as well as accessories inspired by this wrestler.

In future, you can expect other seasons, all of which will contain free and paid unlockable content.

This system appears to replace the DLC wrestler system, with players instead purchasing battle passes to unlock them, and having to work their way through matches to eventually unlock all tiers and earn these wrestlers.

For the positives, this is an optional system, and it’s not particularly intrusive. It can actually be nice to see your progress on screen, in a sort of instant-gratification way. But on the other hand, gating wrestlers in this manner does delay your sense of satisfaction. You’ll really need to work to unlock those late battle pass wrestlers.

I’m not specifically opposed to a battle pass in this game. In fact, I think it makes sense, and adds a feeling of progression to each and every fight. But having to really grind for wrestlers – and the potential for that wrestler to be a favourite, or someone you desperately want to play with – can be a drag.

Despite my issues with this battle pass system, I found plenty to like in WWE 2K26. This is a weirder sort of game that explores wild and uncanny stories across its many narrative-focused modes. It does what WWE TV can’t – it offers a chance to play with your toys, and jump into the strangest, and most fun matches you can dream up.

While this game isn’t as much of an upgrade as its predecessor was, it still offers plenty for players looking to live out their wrestling dreams.

A PlayStation 5 code for WWE 2K26 was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.

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