With the Royal Rumble happening on Jan. 31, WWE and 2K have released the first images from the upcoming WWE 2K26 video game, which is slated to release on March 13. We also got a first look at some additions to the game, along with cover star CM Punk, the current World Heavyweight Champion in WWE who last appeared on a cover for the wrestling game franchise with WWE 13. He left the company shortly thereafter and returned in 2023.
The next installment of 2K’s series includes many updates and additions, several of which will change how you play through the game. That said, some things aren’t changing. Once more, there are multiple editions — King of Kings, Attitude Era, and Monday Night Wars — and all the game modes you’ve come to expect. Most importantly, though, 2K is taking a new approach to DLC.
Introducing the Ringside Pass
DLC is out, battle passes are in. The Ringside Pass replaces the traditional DLC packs offered in 2K’s past WWE titles, and will also unlock more content. It will also include a free tier of rewards you can earn without spending any additional money.
That free tier will contain 60 different items, with the premium tier including an additional 40 items — and that’s just in the first pass. Speaking to gamexplore about the passes, 2K explained that there will be multiple passes throughout the lifecycle of the game and none of them expire. That means if you don’t pick up the game until the upcoming holiday season, you’ll still be able to go back and earn the rewards from the previous Ringside Passes.
As for what sort of rewards will be offered, it’s basically everything that would’ve been in the DLC packs, plus a few more extras. A press release lists “superstars, cosmetic and customization items, VC, MyFaction and The Island content, and more” as up for grabs in the passes. The first pass will be available at launch in early March.
The various editions and what they give you
CM Punk is the cover star of the standard edition of the game, which is the one you’ll find in stores for a retail price of $69.99. It comes with more than 400 playable superstars, access to Ringside Pass, and a pre-order bonus bundle based on the former TNA champion and current NXT superstar Joe Hendry.
The Joe Hendry pack includes:
- Playable Joe Hendry superstar
- Joe Hendry shirt cosmetic item
- Joe Hendry MyFaction EVO card
- Joe Hendry Spin Island Emote.
If you preorder any version of the game on PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, you’ll also get last year’s WWE 2K25 base game for free.
Beyond the standard edition, there are three increasingly more expensive versions of the game that come with a slew of extras. The King of Kings edition, with Triple H on the cover, includes everything from the base game plus several other bonuses that you can see below. It will retail for $99.99. Here’s what you can expect from the King of Kings edition:
- Ringside Premium Pass season 1
- 32,500 VC
- Playable Triple H ‘98
- Playable Stephanie McMahon ‘00
- Triple H Signature Taunt Emote for The Island.
- Access to game a week early on March 6
Next, the Attitude Era edition retails for $129.99 and adds in more familiar faces and content from WWE’s late ’90s characters and storylines. The Attitude Era is considered by many wrestling fans to be the peak of WWE’s programming and is still loved by older members of the company’s audience today — even if it’s crass, gross, and sometimes pretty boring through a modern lens. The Attitude Era edition includes everything from the Standard and King of Kings editions, along with the content below:
- Ringside Premium Pass seasons 1-4
- 100,000 VC
- Playable The Rock ‘99
- Playable Kane ‘98
- Playable Chyna ‘97
- “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Rattlesnake MyFaction EVO card
- The Rock “People’s Champ” MyFaction EVO card
- Playable Raw is War ‘98 Arena
- Undertaker “Thumb Across the Neck” emote for The Island
- Shawn Michaels “DX Crotch Chop” Emote for The Island
- Superstar Mega-Boost, which grants 200 MySUPERSTAR attribute points for MyRISE
- Access to game a week early on March 6
Lastly, for the completists, there is a super-premium package retailing for $149.99. The Monday Night Wars edition brings the competing promotion WCW in on the action. The cover for this edition of the game is definitely missing some of WCW’s power players (Sting and Ric Flair are under contract to AEW), but there is still plenty of content beyond the included Standard, King of Kings, and Attitude Era editions. Take a look at the offerings below.
- Ringside Pass Premium seasons 1-6
- Playable Shawn Michaels (DX)
- Playable Macho Man Randy Savage ‘98
- Rowdy Roddy Piper ‘98
- WCW Thunder ‘98 Arena
- Diamond Dallas Page “Bang!” Emote for The Island
- Wrestlemania 42 pack (available post-launch)
- Wrestlemania 42 arena
- Three Wrestlemania 42 MyFaction Superstar Persona cards
- Access to game a week early on March 6
The new matches
If you’ve been watching WWE the past couple of years, these matches should be familiar. The biggest addition is the new Three Stages of Hell match, which pits two superstars in a best-of-three falls match where different match types are chosen for each fall. At the latest Three Stages of Hell match in January, Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes to become WWE champion. The first match of this kind dates back to 2001, when Triple H defeated “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The second new match type is a bit more obscure. In a dumpster match, the only goal is to throw your opponent in a dumpster and close the lid. It’s a lot like the casket match introduced in WWE 2K24, though with far more garbage involved. Back in 2024, Chelsea Greene and Michin fought in a vicious dumpster match that ended with Greene covered in trash. It was incredible.
Additionally, two matches from past WWE games are back. The I Quit match requires you to damage your opponent to the point that they’re forced to say “I quit.” Then there’s the Inferno match, a staple of the Attitude Era that’s rarely seen anymore. The ring is surrounded by a wall of fire, adding an extra dose of danger to the fight.
Other additions and changes
Beyond the new matches, there are loads more upgrades in store. The Island, which was introduced in WWE 2K25 and offered a gamified way to earn and purchase cosmetics through a connected virtual hub, is back with a new story. For the first time, it’s available on all of the game’s platforms. Last year, The Island was locked to Xbox Series X and PS5 players only, leaving Switch 2 and PC users in the dust. It was especially egregious for the Switch 2 release, given how bare-bones it felt.
Thankfully, 2K has put some time into the Switch 2 player experience, even adding in some unique features for the Nintendo console. There will be support for GameShare and GameChat, as well as the ability to play using a single Joy-Con. But the most impressive bit is touchscreen and mouse support coming to the Creation Suite. Being able to swipe around a screen to build your perfect wrestler, rather than creating yet another character with a controller, sounds fantastic.
Other additions include more slots for your created wrestlers, updated versions of MyFaction, MyRise, MyGM, and Showcase mode — which centers on CM Punk this year. 2K was also quick to note changes in the Universe mode of the game, which allows you to create your own wrestling world and run it as you see fit. The WWE draft is being implemented in the mode, along with new promo types and upgraded Money in the Bank cash-ins.
Lastly, it’s hard to talk about a wrestling game without talking about the ridiculous amount of weaponry they include. This year 2K is going the extra mile, adding in a weapon fans have been dying for: thumbtacks. We aren’t sure exactly how much damage they’ll do, but it’s about time we can powerbomb our opponents into tiny metal spikes. Other weapons include shopping carts and stackable tables, all of which will be a blast to hurl at your opponent.
WWE 2K26 will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on March 13. Those with the King of Kings, Attitude Era, or Monday Night Wars edition will gain access on March 6.
