WWE 2K26 Review – Slapstick, emphasis on the slap

by

As a wrestling fan, I’ve always loved how over-the-top and dramatic it is – it’s basically a soap opera with incredible athletes! And WWE 2K26 really gets that. The game looks fantastic, the physics feel improved, and they’ve added a ton of crazy weapons to use, which perfectly captures the chaotic energy of a wrestling match. Honestly, when the action is happening in the ring, it’s amazing. But outside of the matches, the game feels a bit slow and clunky. It’s like the menu navigation and other stuff just can’t quite keep up with the excitement of the wrestling itself.

Right from the start, WWE 2K26 emphasizes creating a grand show. The interactive entrances let you fill the arena with pyrotechnics and emotes as you and your opponent make your way to the ring, letting you customize the atmosphere. These moments can be surprisingly unpredictable – like when the crowd unexpectedly booed the Undertaker despite his iconic entrance, with flames erupting as I rapidly pressed buttons.

This year’s version of the game focuses on making matches feel more impactful. They’ve improved the physics so impacts are stronger, collisions are more precise, and wrestlers move more realistically, all to make the action more exciting.

Just before the match starts, you can try to get the crowd excited for a boost of energy, face off with your opponent, or even offer a handshake. Be warned, though – your opponent might try to attack you unexpectedly, or you might be tempted to do the same! These moments aren’t a huge part of the game, but they add some exciting unpredictability and contribute to the overall spectacle. However, you can always skip all the pre-match rituals and jump straight into the fight – and that’s when the game is at its best.

This year’s game focuses on making matches feel more impactful. Hits are much more forceful, the game accurately detects when wrestlers collide, and the way bodies move after impact is more realistic, all adding to the excitement. Punches and slams now feel powerful, and opponents react convincingly. Interactions with the arena – like throwing someone onto steel steps – are much more dramatic and believable, unlike in previous versions where wrestlers would sometimes glitch through objects.

The game still has some noticeable flaws. Objects like tables can easily slide around, getting hit by a traffic cone feels surprisingly powerful, and characters always seem to land safely, no matter how far they fall. What’s especially disappointing is that these issues existed in previous games, making their return now even more frustrating.

WWE 2K26 struggles to find a balance between fast-paced arcade action and realistic simulation. While the game features impactful and satisfying physics, it lacks consistent consequences for actions. For example, a significant fall or a dangerous impact, like hitting someone with an ambulance door, should realistically end a match, but often doesn’t.

The motorcycle racing game RIDE 6 lets players switch between arcade-style and realistic gameplay, and maybe the WWE 2K series could benefit from a similar approach. Some fans want over-the-top, unrealistic moves, while others prefer a more realistic and brutal experience.

 

I love the showmanship in wrestling and recognize that comedy is a big part of what makes it fun. However, it shouldn’t overshadow the athletic skill and dramatic stories. Maybe allowing players to choose between over-the-top, arcade-style action and a more realistic experience would be a great improvement. Visual Concepts, are you paying attention?

I think WWE 2K26 is at its best when it leans into the over-the-top nature of professional wrestling. My favorite match type this year is the return of the Ladder match. While I Quit is really tough, relentlessly attacking your opponent until they give up, the Dumpster match feels pretty similar to Coffin and Ambulance matches.

Three Stages of Hell is a short series of three matches where you get to pick the match types. It’s most fun with the wildest options, like Hell in a Cell, cage matches, and ladder matches. Because stamina and injuries carry over between each match, it’s a grueling test of endurance where sheer determination can make all the difference.

WWE 2K26 is taking match chaos to a new level with interactive elements in the arena. Players can now stack two tables for even more destructive moves, and scattering thumbtacks creates a dangerous area that can leave opponents with painful pins. The game also adds a fun, new weapon: a shopping cart, found in the junkyard brawl area. You can load a stunned opponent into the cart, wheel them around, and even tip them over – adding a bit of comedic flair to the action. Maybe the game is meant to be a lighthearted spectacle all along!

The game’s standard camera often creates visibility problems in almost any environment, including arenas like The Scrapyard. I frequently lost sight of the action due to obstacles like stacked crates and walls. This happened even when watching Hulk Hogan enter the arena! While the third-person camera option, added last year, helps by getting you closer to the action with more control, I found its controls a bit awkward. I’d prefer the default camera to automatically adjust its view based on how close the action is. Sometimes, the camera even cut off important moments, like when I was showing off before a finishing move, only showing my torso. It’s a small issue, though – I still managed to win the match.

The game’s updated commentary really shines during CM Punk’s Showcase mode, adding depth and meaning to each match beyond just having more lines of dialogue.

The high point of the CM Punk Showcase was an incredibly exciting match. By revisiting key moments from Punk’s career, combined with his own commentary, it’s the most captivating mode in WWE 2K26. Punk’s insights give each match meaning, and the experience flows seamlessly from fight to narration and back again. The attention to detail is remarkable – arenas, entrances, outfits, and even small things like the bandages on Punk’s arms are faithfully recreated.

The updated commentary really shines during CM Punk’s Showcase mode, adding depth and importance to each match beyond just more lines of dialogue. It’s a great improvement to WWE 2K26’s overall presentation. While the energetic commentary isn’t as detailed in other parts of the game, it’s a noticeable change that makes the experience better.

 

While Showcase mode looks great, the rest of the game doesn’t quite reach that level. The best parts are the intense fights in crowded arenas or rough scrapyard battles. It’s disappointing when these exciting moments are interrupted by long sections that aren’t very interesting.

The Island offers a progression system based on joining different factions, with improved quests and a highly detailed character customizer. While there’s a story about the conflict between these groups, I found the journey through CM Punk’s wrestling career far more engaging. Unfortunately, moving around the environment feels clunky, and every encounter starts with strange interactions with oddly-designed characters. These interactions also reveal how much effort went into modeling each wrestling star, with some looking much better than others.

The game does a great job of recreating some wrestlers, like Randy Orton, who looks perfectly placed even in a less glamorous setting. However, other wrestlers aren’t as detailed. The game lets you fine-tune very specific facial features, but it’s hard to see the point of such detailed customization if your created character doesn’t look as good as the famous wrestlers in the game.

MyRise, like The Island, frequently interrupts its good flow with unnecessary distractions. The story setup is better this time – you play as a former wrestling star determined to make a huge comeback. However, the exciting matches are constantly broken up by awkward backstage scenes and endless scrolling through social media. The social media aspect doesn’t feel connected to the game and actually feels frustrating, like Liv Morgan’s negative comments are affecting me personally even when I’m not playing.

The writing felt a bit stiff at times, but some of my character choices led to surprisingly funny moments. I designed him to look like Skeletor, which meant I ended up covered in dramatic gothic makeup – not just during the match, but even at press conferences! It was hilarious to imagine him quickly reapplying it after getting beat up in the ring, just in time to face the reporters.

I made a choice in the game’s dialogue that explained why this wrestler was stepping back from the ring – he wanted to focus on raising a family. It’s cool that the game actually remembered my choice, because later I was chatting with my character in the gym and he mentioned carpooling his kids! But honestly, now I can’t help but picture him dropping his kids off at school with his face still completely covered in his signature skull makeup. It’s a funny, slightly unsettling image!

The humor we’re seeing is probably unintentional. The developers at Visual Concepts likely didn’t plan for the game to be so slapstick, but it’s clear that comedy is more important to wrestling games than I initially thought – and that’s a good thing. There’s still plenty of drama, suspense, and amazing athletic skill, but the added humor makes the game more enjoyable and accessible.

Let’s move on. MyFaction is the typical card-collecting mode you’d expect from yearly sports games: you collect cards, compete, and earn more cards. While WWE 2K26 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it offers a lot to do, including faction battles, live events, tower challenges, and a new match type called Quick Swap, which lets you switch between your faction players in a fighting game-like style.

Despite being a fast-paced, tag-team style fight, there’s a lot of strategy involved. You can switch between fighters at any time, which is helpful when facing opponents with a significant size advantage. Another tactic is to swap fighters when one is low on health, but be aware that returning to the fight won’t fully restore their energy. This creates a tough choice: do you keep fighting with a damaged character, or switch to a fresh one, even if it means being weaker later? Luckily, special moves and finishing attacks carry over between characters, so I often brought in my strongest fighter to deliver the final blow when my opponent was almost defeated.

Quick Swap is a really enjoyable new match type that would be a welcome addition to the single-player modes. However, it’s important to note that its teleportation mechanic isn’t realistic, unlike the other match types in WWE 2K26. Therefore, it would only truly fit if the game fully embraced an arcade-style approach.

WWE 2K26 still offers a lot of creative tools for building and managing your wrestling world. However, these features are most enjoyable if you already know the game series or are a fan of professional wrestling.

No matter how you play, you’ll earn experience points that fill up a progress bar. As you level up, you’ll unlock items through a new system called the Ringside Pass. This system has both free and paid options, but many players haven’t been happy about the change. I wanted to find out how much time I’d need to spend playing to unlock everything. After playing for five hours, I completed about two-thirds of the first tier. I did three Showcase fights and tried out other modes, so it seems like unlocking all the rewards will take a significant amount of time.

The core of WWE 2K26 is its wrestling action, and that’s where the game truly shines. While the pace can feel slow when navigating menus and certain game modes, there are also some issues during matches themselves. The new reversal system, for example, is tied to stamina, which is intended to create more strategic and skillful gameplay.

If you’re new to this, embracing the humor – whether it’s fully intentional or not – is probably the easiest way to get started.

I always try to reverse moves, no matter how tired I am. Sometimes, the AI opponents seem distracted – they’ll wander around instead of finishing me off, which is odd. I even saw Rey Mysterio accidentally fall out of the ring once! These glitches don’t happen all the time, but the developers really need to fix them, because they’re frustrating for players.

I still believe the combat is the most enjoyable aspect of the game – and it really should be, shouldn’t it? However, these problems indicate the game needs further development to truly feel immersive. Despite this, it offers plenty of fun, especially for longtime fans and wrestling enthusiasts. The large selection of wrestlers, the engaging CM Punk story mode, and the variety of unique match types should keep them thoroughly entertained.

If you’re new to the game, enjoying its often silly and over-the-top nature is a great way to start. Don’t be afraid to embrace the ridiculousness – like extravagant entrances and even throwing objects at opponents! WWE 2K26 really shines during in-ring action, whether you’re focusing on skillful wrestling or simply having fun with its playful, lighthearted moments.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Read More

2026-03-10 22:44