Match Types, Gameplay Changes & More

• Primary Subject: WWE 2K26
• Key Update: The game introduces four brand-new match types and a controversial Ringside Pass battle pass system, among other additions.
• Status: Confirmed
• Last Verified: February 11, 2026
• Quick Answer: WWE 2K26 arrives March 13 with a new set of Showcase matches and a Gauntlet to unlock rewards faster. Key features include the return of Inferno and I Quit matches, plus new weapons like thumbtacks and shopping carts.

The March 13, 2026, release of WWE 2K26 is not far off. Based on all the early looks and gameplay deep dives, it looks like a familiar entry with all the staples we have come to expect over the years.

While the game does appear largely iterative, WWE 2K26 will introduce several new and unique elements to the series. The general gameplay will see improvements across the board, including physics revamps, improved AI, and better presentation.

Not all the additions have been well-received, with one in particular causing quite a stir. Continue reading to know everything new about WWE 2K26.

WWE 2K26 Showcase Mode & Gauntlet Matches

Credit: 2K Games

Showcase Mode has been one of the standout features of every WWE 2K game in recent years. This time, we will relive the most memorable moments of CM Punk’s career that have left a lasting mark on the squared circle. 

Here are the 13 matches confirmed so far:

• CM Punk vs. JBL (SummerSlam 2008)
• CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio (Armageddon 2008)
• CM Punk vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania XXVII)
• CM Punk vs. The Rock (Elimination Chamber 2013)
• CM Punk vs. John Cena (Raw, February 25, 2013)
• CM Punk vs. Undertaker (WrestleMania 29)
• CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar, No Disqualification (SummerSlam 2013)
• CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre, Hell In A Cell (Bad Blood 2024)
• CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins (Raw, January 6, 2025) (Netflix Debut)
• CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 41)
• CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, CM Punkvillion
• CM Punk vs. Eddie Guerrero, CM Punkvillion
• CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. The Miz & Maryse

If you want to run through them, you can play the Gauntlet instead. It’ll have you face 20 consecutive opponents either as CM Punk or AJ Lee. If you win them all, you can get all the Showcase Mode rewards. Yes, that means if you lose, you’ll have to start over again.

Four New Match Types Confirmed for WWE 2K26

Credit: 2K Games

WWE 2K26 will add four new core matches. MyFACTION also sees one addition, while The Island gets a new arena. 

Core Matches

• 3 Stages of Hell: Three rounds. Three match types. One survivor. Win two out of three and escape the 3 Stages of Hell.
• Dumpster: Beat down your opponent and toss them into the dumpster to claim victory in this hardcore classic.
• Inferno: Survive the heat in the Inferno Match. A scorched-earth showdown where the only way to win is to light your opponent up. Literally.
• I Quit: Make your opponent scream “I QUIT!” in this brutal 1v1 showdown where only the toughest survive.

Additional Matches

• Quick Swap: Quick Swap turns MyFACTION into a fighting-game-inspired brawl. Outmatch the competition in this 1v1 team knockout mode that encourages quick tags and even quicker decisions.
• Scrapyard Brawl: A new brawl environment where Superstars and Legends can battle it out in a wasteland of wreckage and ruin from The Island.

Dumpster is the first for the series, as the other three have been featured in earlier titles. 3 Stages of Hell has been rarely booked in real life. Only seven televised matches in the history of the promotion, and the most recent was a title-changing fixture between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes.

WWE 2K26 Gameplay Updates

Credit: 2K Games

WWE 2K26 will introduce plenty of changes and improvements to the moment-to-moment gameplay. Check the key highlights below, as revealed during the recent Ringside Reports.

• Reversals Revamp
  • Reversals now depend on your stamina. Low stamina means you can no longer counter moves.
• Reduced invisible barriers and restrictive ledges.
• Improved combat physics
  • Bumps and collisions will feel heavier.
  • Superstars will more naturally fall off elevated surfaces and interact more realistically with uneven objects such as steel steps or announce tables.
  • The championship atop a pedestal ringside can be grabbed and used as a weapon against your opponent.
• Crowd combat improvements
  • Crowd combat has expanded to more match types, with revamped action in the crowd to allow more freedom.
  • Superstars can also now battle it out on top of the barricade using strikes and grapples.
• Improved Presentation
  • A refreshed commentary team featuring Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Booker T, and Wade Barrett.
  • Camera refinements include improved depth of field, reduced dead zones, and enhanced camera shakes. Visual effects have also been upgraded, including improved particle lighting and full-screen VFX.
  • Interactive entrance with control over key gestures, taunts, and pyro moments.
• AI Improvements
  • New AI Sequences system influences AI strategy and attack selection, making matches feel more deliberate and authentic.
  • AI Superstars will also now display more natural reactions and animations in between actions they perform during a match.
• New Start of Match Actions system
  • Superstars can set the tone of the match before it even starts through a variety of options:
    • Play to the crowd
    • Offer a handshake
    • Engage in chain wrestling
    • Trade blows
    • Launch a surprise attack

WWE 2K26 Improvements to Core Modes

Credit: 2K Games

The core modes in WWE 2K26 have also seen several additions and improvements.

• Universe Mode: WWE Draft will now be available in the mode. Other new introductions include the new Universe Creation Wizard, Promo Types, Watch Show mode, and improved Money in the Bank cash-ins.
• Community Creations: 200 CAS slots. Community Creations now features expanded image capacity, deeper body and face morphing tools, 2-tone hair color blending, and more.
• MyRISE: Two new division-based storylines. Defend your title in post-main path RISE matches against Superstars and Legends.
• The Island: Revamped co-op progression. All-new single-player story where three rival Orders battle for supremacy.
• MyFACTION: New Quick Swap 1v1 team knockout mode that encourages quick tags and even quicker decisions.
• MyGM Mode: 50-week seasons. Intergender matches. Largest roster of superstars.

WWE 2K26 New Weapons

Credit: 2K Games

Thumbtacks and a Shopping Cart are the two new weapons coming to WWE 2K26. With improved weapon physics, these weapons are interactive. You can add your opponents to carts, stroll around, hit with weapons while they’re trapped, or push around the environment.

Existing weapons will also see improvements. Tables are now stackable, allowing you to place one on top of another. Characters will now also react to slams or collisions with tables, ladders, chairs, and steel steps.

WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass Details

Credit: 2K Games

The most controversial addition, which was widely panned by the player base, is the Ringside Pass in WWE 2K26. It is the game’s version of a battle pass. 

Ringside Pass has 80 tiers, half of which are free while the other half cost $9.99. All those tiers have 120 rewards in total, including superstars, cosmetic and customization items, VC, Personas, MyFACTION, The Island content, and more.

The traditional DLC superstar drops will now be tossed into the paid Ringside Pass. Four are promised each season, and you’ll have to grind to unlock three, and one will unlock automatically.

You can check our complete breakdown of Ringside Pass to know everything about it. Spoiler: Nothing looks encouraging so far.

That’s everything you need to know about new features coming to WWE 2K26. More new stuff will be revealed as the release approaches. We will be sure to update you whenever we learn more.

Stay tuned to RealSport101.com: The Home of Sports Gaming News, Guides, Leaks, and Reviews!