WWE 2K26 Review of DLC Details and New Features Ahead of Release

WWE and 2K Sports have always delivered some of the most intriguing, exciting, unique downloadable content but this year, as part of WWE 2K26, they may have outdone themselves.

This year's crop of downloadable Superstars are headlined by some of Mexico's finest from AAA, including the wildly popular Mr. Iguana and standout star El Hijo del Vikingo.

Dive deeper into the Superstars that join them in this year's Ringside Pass, indulging a pair of newly announced Hall of Famers, and find out some of the new features gamers can expect with this preview.

Release Information

Release Date: March 6 (early release for premium editions), March 13 (standard edition)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Nintendo Switch 2

Pricing: $69.99 (Standard), $99.99 (King of Kings Edition), $129.99 (Attitude Era Edition), $149.99 (Monday Night War Edition)

Rating: ESRB T

Pre-Order Bonus: The Joe Hendry Pack (Joe Hendry, Joe Hendry My Faction EVO card, MySuperstar CAS Part: Joe Hendry T-Shirt, MySuperstar Island emote: Joe Hendry spin), early access, and virtual currency

Special Edition DLC

Gamers who purchase the 2K26 special editions will have the opportunity to download the following talent, available depending on said edition:

King of Kings Edition

Triple H '98

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley

Attitude Era Edition

Chyna '97

Kane '98

The Rock '99

Monday Night War Edition

"Macho Man" Randy Savage '98

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper '98

Shawn Michaels DX

Plus: WrestleMania 42 pack featuring three personas from the event

Ringside Pass DLC Details

Ringside Pass 1 (March 6)

El Hijo del Vikingo

Lady Flammer

Psycho Clown

Mr. Iguana

Two personas

Two new arenas

Two new championships

Free Tier: In-game unlockable legends previously available in the in-game store or Supercharger

Ringside Pass 2 (April 2026)

Ax

Smash

Crush

TBA woman

Ringside Pass 3 (June 2026)

Brian Pillman

La Parka

Matt Cardona

TBA

Ringside Pass 4 (July 2026)

Lady Shani

Jelly Roll

TBA

TBA

Ringside Pass 5 (September 2026)

Pagano

Brie Bella

TBA

TBA

Ringside Pass 6 (October 2026)

Octagon Jr.

TBA

TBA

TBA

DLC information via TheSmackDownHotel.com.

New Features

Start of Match Actions

One of the most important elements of any classic match are the actions that take place before the bell rings. These are the interactions with the audience, between the Superstars, and during that initial lockup that help set the tone for the contest.

This year, 2K Sports has introduced "start of match" actions, which allows the gamer to control the tone and narrative of the match before the referee evens calls for the opening bell.

They include:

Play to the crowd

Offer a handshake

Engage in chain wrestling

Trade blows

Launch a surprise attack

Not only does this new feature add to the realism of the WWE 2K26 experience, it introduces another means of storytelling to every match.

New Arenas and Brawling Spaces

WWE 2K26 has several new arenas for fans of historic premium live events to enjoy, including but not limited to:

ECW Hardcore Heaven 1994

ECW One Night Stand 2006

WCW Fall Brawl War Games 1995

WCW Halloween Havoc 1997

WCW Monday Nitro

WWE Raw 2002

WWE SmackDown 2002

WWE SummerSlam 1988

WWE WrestleMania 30

The game has you covered should your fight spill out of the ring and into other areas of the arena, too. Among the new brawling areas for gamers to take their battles are:

Backstage

NXT Parking Lot

The Scrapyard (part of The Island)

WWE Archives

Anyone familiar with NXT knows how dangerous that parking lot can be. Now, it can serve as the setting for the most intense brawls, featuring the stars of today and yesterday.

Most intriguing is the WWE Archives area, where relics of eras gone by will surround the most heated fights between the most recognizable Superstars in pro wrestling history.