WWE 2K26 Preview – The Show Never Stops
Earlier this week, COGconnected was invited to a developer’s roundtable where WWE 2K26 was previewed. We enjoyed a presentation laying out many of the new features and additions to this year’s WWE release. Members of Visual Concepts, the developers of WWE 2K26, were on hand to answer some of our biggest questions. And while there is still plenty to be revealed, including the massive roster, we walked away with plenty of info on the upcoming game. Here are the top 6 things we’re looking forward to with WWE 2K26.
1) 2K Showcase: Punked – CM Punk’s Personal Journey
This year’s 2K Showcase features the iconic CM Punk. Narrated by CM Punk himself, this showcase will give players the chance to relive incredible moments from his storied career. Iconic matches, fantasy matches, and more – all with a focus on CM Punk.
2) BIGGEST Roster Yet
400+ wrestlers. That’s a huge roster. Fans of every WWE era should have no trouble finding many of their favourite wrestlers. While the full roster list has yet to be revealed, we can confirm the following will be included:
- John Cena
- “Macho Man” Randy Savage
- Rhea Ripley
- Cody Rhodes
- Roman Reigns
- Iyo Sky
- Andre the Giant
- Drew McIntyre
- Bron Breakker
- “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
- Seth Rollins
- Logan Paul
- Stephanie Vaquer
- Eddie Guerrero
- Liv Morgan
- Bret “Hitman” Hart
- Penta
- Charlotte Flair
- Randy Orton
- Rey Fénix
- Rusev
- Blake Monroe
The King of Kings Edition will include:
- Triple H ’98
- Stephanie McMahon ’00
The Attitude Era Edition will include all of the above and:
- The Rock ‘99
- Kane ‘98
- Chyna ‘97
And finally, the Monday Night War Edition will include all of the above and:
- Shawn Michaels DX
- Macho Man Randy Savage ‘98
- Rowdy Roddy Piper ‘98,
Pre-ordering WWE 2K26 will provide access to Joe Hendry.
3) New Match Types!
This year, fans will have access to four brand new match types. This includes the I Quit match, Inferno match (the ring is surrounded by fire), Three Stages of Hell match, and the Dumpster match.
Additionally, Intergender Matches will now be available across all core game modes.
4) Gameplay Updates
WWE 2K26 brings along many amazing gameplay updates including:
- Pushing opponents around in shopping carts
- Thumbtacks. And yes, they actually stick into the skin of the wrestlers during the match.
- Larger interactive environments
- A revamped Reversals and Stamina system
- Stackable tables
- Interactive entrances. While your Superstar is approaching the ring, you’ll be able to choose a few different ways to interactive with the audience.
- Expanded commentary team featuring Booker T and Wade Barrett
5) Ringside Passes
DLC is so yesteryear. Like other popular gaming franchises, WWE 2K26 is moving away from the DLC model and will introduce six separate Ringside Pass seasons, starting with Ringside Pass Season 1 at launch. Each Ringside Pass will feature 60 free tiers of content, and 40 premium tiers of content. Rewards will current Superstars, Legends, cosmetic items, and customization items.
6) Creation Suite Gets a Huge Upgrade
The amount of Create-A-Superstar save slots have doubled this year to 200. This allows people to create up to 200 of their own personal creations. Deeper body and face morphing tools will provide players with more freedom then ever before to create the Superstar they’ve always wanted. Two-tone hair color blending gives an added aesthetic touch that’ll deepen the realism even more.
And this is only the beginning of what WWE 2K26 is offering fans this year. Improvements to other modes such as MyRISE, MyGM, The Island, and MyFACTION are all coming along for the ride. A significant bump in physics and visuals, in part due to dropping last generation support (sorry PS4 & Xbox One), will make this the best looking WWE game to date. Oh, and yes, The Island will be available on all platforms this year, including PC.
WWE 2K26 arrives in four different editions. King of Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition, and Monday Night Wars Edition are scheduled for release on March 6, 2026 The Standard Edition, which will be available March 13, 2026.
