WWE 2K26 is the best-reviewed game in the series in a long time, but players aren’t being as kind to it thanks to the “predatory” microtransactions and crashes.
I wouldn’t blame you if WWE 2K26 felt like it came out of nowhere this year. Previous WWE games have had a good bit of marketing time, but 2K26 shot up out of the blue last month without much warning. That tactic seems to have worked, though, as it’s gone on to be the highest-reviewed game in the series since 2007’s SmackDown vs. Raw.
Critics are being much kinder to this year’s WWE game than they usually are, and it seems like Visual Concepts is on a bit of a winning streak. That streak has been tainted a bit now that everyone is getting their hands on the game, as its user reviews aren’t exactly glowing for a number of reasons.
WWE 2K26 Hit With “Mixed” Steam Reviews That Look Set To Drop Further
The Metacritic User Reviews Are Especially Damning
WWE 2K26 has been out for a few days now, and it’s already attracted its fair share of controversies. By far the biggest issue is the introduction of the Ringside Pass, which is basically WWE’s version of a Battle Pass that you need to grind out in order to unlock characters, even if you paid $150 for the most expensive edition of the game.
Ragdoll Physics Are The Best Thing To Happen To WWE 2K In Decades
WWE 2K26 is delightfully violent in the most video game way possible.
That Ringside Pass has been a massive bugbear for WWE players (especially after 2K patched out a grinding exploit), and that’s reflected in the game’s Steam reviews. As of the time of writing, 50 percent of the 759 WWE 2K26 reviews on Steam are negative, leaving the game with a “Mixed” review score.
Many of the user reviews call out the “predatory” Ringside Pass and the amount of grinding and DLC that’s in the game, but it’s not the only issue. Several players on Steam have reported performance issues and crashes, while others have the usual annual release complaint that it’s just too similar to last year’s WWE 2K25.
It’s not just Steam that shows how annoyed WWE players are with 2K26’s battle pass, as its Metacritic user score of 2.1 makes the disappointment very clear. The reviews on Metacritic call out the same things as the Steam reviews, but are even more brutal, especially when placed next to the glowing 80 from critics.
WWE 2K26
- Released
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March 12, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
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Visual Concepts
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