WWE 2K26 review – The new Ringside Pass system lets this down

The last couple of entries in the WWE 2K series have been pretty brilliant, packing in loads of content and modes while delivering what feels like an authentic wrestling experience. It’s been enough to allow you to overlook the occasional bug and inconsistency in the action, as well as its predatory monetisation, at least to some degree. WWE 2K26 improves on things yet again, but also makes some changes that might ruin it all for some players.

Jump into WWE 2K26 and you’ll find all the usual modes – there’s nothing genuinely new here on that front. You can jump into a quick match, though now additional match types have are available such as Inferno and Dumpster, and of course there’s MyRise, the single-player story mode with RPG elements. This year you get to play through a comeback story, complete with branching paths, though the need to earn stars to progress your campaign can feel like a drag.

This year’s Showcase lets you relive and rewrite the career of CM Punk, taking part in historical, fantasy and “what if?” matches to unlock new content. And then you’ve got the likes of MyFaction, Universe and The Island also vying for your time, all with minor improvements and additions that aren’t likely to set your world on fire, but are welcome nonetheless. As ever, then, WWE 2K26 has something for everybody. No matter how you like to play, chances are there’s at least one or two modes here that will keep you occupied for hours on end.

Of course, the gameplay at the heart of WWE 2K26 has undergone some tweaks as well. Improved physics and the reduction of invisible barriers give the combat more weight and authenticity, and there are more opportunities to get the crowd involved in the combat. Changes to the reversal system add a little more depth and rewards those who go on the offense successfully. And there are more usable items than ever before, making for yet more varied and exciting battles. Add in a range of new start of match actions, such as rushing in to attack your opponent, playing to the crowd and offering a handshake, and the gameplay of WWE 2K26 feels richer and more dynamic.

So far, so good, right? And if this was where my review of WWE 2K26 ended, I’d be saying it’s another brilliant (though perhaps rather unambitious) entry in the wrestling game series. But the trouble is, 2K and Visual Concepts have decided to lock a large amount of the game’s content behind a Ringside Pass system. There’s both a free and paid premium track, each offering a range of goodies including additional wrestlers, customisation items, currency, and more. It’s stated that these Ringside Passes won’t expire, so you can unlock the content they offer at your leisure. But honestly, it feels like a grind.

I’m an old-school wrestling fan, so my favourite fighters are Razor Ramon and Diesel. As usual, they’re both locked at the outset, but previous WWE 2K games have allowed you to unlock them pretty much at the start of the game using a small amount of VC. Here, you have to grind to tier 22 of the Ringside Pass to unlock them, which takes a considerable amount of time. You can’t even use VC to speed up the process, but you can spend real money to purchase tier skips. Of course you can. Perhaps you won’t feel as raw about it if all the wrestlers you want to play as are available from the outset, but it’s left a very sour taste in my mouth.

There are other issues with WWE 2K26 as well. It’s not unusual for the referee to get in the way during matches, for example, and don’t be surprised if you whiff an attack for no discernible reason from time to time, leaving you frustratingly wide open. There’s just the typical lack of polish here that you get from yearly releases. But still, the main issue here is the Ringside Pass. If you don’t mind heaps of content that you technically already own being locked behind a battle pass, then chances are you’ll think WWE 2K26 is the best yet. For everyone else, however, it’ll feel like a slap in the face.