Last year we got to see how plenty of different franchises adapted to the Switch 2 hardware, and even in the launch window of the new console there were some seriously impressive offerings. One of the earliest and most enjoyable of these was WWE 2K25, which packed the big burly men into a handheld package. I hadn’t played a WWE game for almost a decade, and was rather blown away by the sheer density of content. Now a year on WWE 2K26 is even more impressive, and this time around is much more timely than the previous port.
If you’ve not played a WWE 2K game before, you’re likely not prepared for what lies ahead. Stretching far beyond what those wrestling games of my childhood had to offer, the 2K games have so many different modes that you could easily play them for hundreds of hours each year. There are multiple modes that serve as a story campaign, with MyRise offering branching paths for a custom character while Showcase mode allows you to experience some history. There’s also Universe mode for those who want to create their own brand, GM mode which is a management game, and multiple online modes. It’s absolutely overwhelming, but once you get stuck in you won’t want to leave.
First of all I needed to remind myself of how to play, which meant heading to the beloved Performance Center and playing some tutorials. At this point 2K have pretty much mastered their systems, with all sorts of ways to pull off flashy finishers and counter the offence of an opponent. This time around your counters are tied directly to stamina which means there’s a balancing act in every match, and this adds a lot of tension especially when you’re starting out.
When playing last year’s entry I often felt rather out of control with my superstar of choice, with moves not quite flowing the way I expected them to. Whether it’s experience or the extra polish of the game itself, this time around my strikes and grapples all felt buttery smooth.
After learning the ropes of fighting between the ropes, I decided to head over to Showcase mode. This year the focus is on CM Punk, with the straight edge superstar taking centre stage and talking through his favourite historic matches. Alongside real in-ring classics, you’ll also get to have matches that Punk never had (often taking place during his time away from the company). It’s just a seriously cool setup for fans of Chicago’s favourite son, and will grant you a ton of bonus characters as you play.
MyRise is as weird and wonderful as ever too, with you getting to tell the story of your own creation trying to succeed in the cutthroat world of the WWE. If focusing on custom creations is your jam though you’ll probably enjoy Universe mode the most, where you can take control of an entire wrestling promotion and watch the rivalries of your dreams unfold. There’s even a Draft included this year which long time fans of Raw and Smackdown will really appreciate.
Last year I was a little intimidated by GM Mode, but in WWE 2K26 I decided to bite the bullet. I’m really glad I did, because this delightful management mode could easily be its own game. Battling against other GMs and trying to screw them over is such a joy, and there’s so much to take into account. It took some time but before I knew it I was making the fans happy and making enough money to pay the performers, and getting to watch the important matches play out is really cool.
As if all this wasn’t enough, there are also some constantly evolving online modes you can sink all your free time into should you wish. The Island is here to stay, but this time with three factions you can choose to help out now that the Tribal Chief has been taken down. MyFaction also returns with all the cards you could ever want. The inclusion of intergender matches makes this more enjoyable than ever, and it’s another great way to spend your time and unlock the most ridiculously stacked roster you could ever truly imagine.
In terms of the Switch 2 performance, WWE 2K26 is once again an absolute triumph. The game runs ridiculously smoothly (often at 60 FPS even in handheld mode) in all but the most wild multi-man matches. There is of course a visual compromise that comes along with this, but if you can cope with a bit of plastic looking hair you’ll have just as good a time here as you could with the home console versions of the game.
WWE 2K26 is once again an extraordinary package for fans of sports entertainment, with a frankly ridiculous amount of content packed in. The improvements to the combat are great, and the game runs like magic on the hybrid handheld console. WWE 2K26 has blown me away and knocked me down for a ten count, making it the new World Heavyweight Champion of wrestling games.
