Earlier today 2K revealed the first official Ringside Report for WWE 2K26 featuring some seriously awesome gameplay, new female superstar models and somehow so much more.
In the first of their ringside reports for this year’s game 2K not only updated fans on their official website but also provided a video packed full to the brim with new gameplay and commentary from Wade Barrett. So in today’s video we’re going to go over the ringside report video and see what we can uncover.
In the opening moments of the video we see 2K’s newest commentator Wade Barret making his way to the ring, with a look at Wade’s classic model. Wade alongside Booker T joins existing 2K commentators Michael Cole, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves in a first for the WWE 2K Series.
We then see an extended look at Cody Rhodes making his way to the ring before seeing our first piece of in-ring action with a brief clip of the inferno match and Rhea Ripley & Stephanie Vaquer facing off in the ring. This follows up with a blink and you’ll miss it clip of Bron Breakers Entrance before Roman Reigns hits Drew McIntyre with a spear as Gunther and Jey Uso look stunned inside the WrestlePalooza arena.
We then see some amazing footage of the shopping trolley in WWE 2K26 which looks hilarious and Dirty Dom sends Rey Mysterio hurtling out of the cart with a dropkick to the side of the trolley. This looks like so much for and just exactly what I want to see for the series. I’ve said it countless times but this stuff takes me back to my childhood and I just want more of it.
We then see the Undertaker and Kane once again making their entrances in what I can only assume is more footage of the start of the inferno match up between the pair.
We then get a look at the official Menu for WWE 2K26 which looks somewhat similar to WWE 2K25 as Barrett goes over the new match types in this year’s game. From the list we can see Underground, Bloodline Rules, Special Guest Referee, Brawl and Royal Rumble matches all return this year along with the Inferno, 3 Stages of Hell, I quit and Dumpster matches which all make their WWE 2K debut.
In the following shot we can see the Mexico Plaza returns to the series and interestingly it looks as though Dumpster matches and I’m guessing casket matches, will have the ability to toggle the ‘trap opponent in object’ to win rule. It could be just a way to show how a victory is awarded but it would be quite cool to be able to play the match without having to close the lid on your opponent as boy sometimes they do resist.
We then get some dumpster match official gameplay with a shot of Ethan Page and Jevon Evans squaring off in the NXT Parking Lot. I’m not sure if this is classed as the official match or just a backstage brawl but it is cool seeing Jevon slam the lid on Ethan’s head before sealing Page in for the night.
We then get a look at the I Quit match, which returns to the series over a decade later, last appearing in WWE ‘13. As part of the run down of the match we get our first official look at both Tiffany Stratton & Roxanne Perez in this year’s game, battling it out in what looks to be either a custom WrestleMania or maybe possibly from this year’s MyRise.
Judging by the footage it looks as though Tiffany is sporting her Evolution 2 attire from her match against WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Roxanne Perez however looks to be sporting her Elimination Chamber 2025 attire where she faced off against Bayley, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan and Bianca Belair. From what we can see in these shots both women look awesome here, with a better look at Tiffany later on in the video.
In the footage we see Tiffany taking Roxanne out, with a new look at the I Quit wheel minigame. The wheel by all means looks to be very similar to the pin bar in the WWE 2K series, with multiple chances to stay in the match.
We then see AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes facing off in the same match type as AJ Styles hits a Styles clash on Cody, looking to squash the Nightmare. Following their action we see Bron Breaker and Seth Rollins, with Breaker applying a submission on Rollins using a frickin chair. This clip alone honestly had me so hyped for this year’s game.
Obviously we don’t see the initial shot of the chair being set up but I really hope we can set up chairs in this year’s game and it isn’t just a grapple with the chair. Now that we have ragdoll physics officially in the series I would love the option to perform the likes of DDTs and diving moves onto the chairs, just think about all the crazy spots you could set up as you try to mutilate your opponent.
Even if you can’t set up the chair, I’ll still be super happy because this looks absolutely awesome as we see Breaker attempt to make Seth give up. I really hope we get some additional weapon submissions with maybe the kendo stick chokehold submission returning and maybe even some brutal new additions.
We then move on to 3 stages of Hell with the option to choose between Normal, Extreme Rules, Inferno, I Quit, Dumpster, Hell in a Cell, Table, Ladder, TLC, Casket and Ambulance Matches. There are additional matches, we just can’t see them here. I saw some twisted individual suggest having a 3 stages of Hell match with a Dumpster match, a Casket match and finally an Ambulance match. And to you sir I say don’t be disgusting.
We then see Triple H and Stone Cold facing off inside the RAW Arena as Austin slams Hunter face first into a trash can before suplexing him off the top rope inside a cage match.
We then move on to inferno matches with another look at Undertaker and Kane facing off. Whilst a lot of the footage is similar to what we’ve already seen, we do see the opening match sequence as both men are stunned when the flames rise. The segment rounds out as Taker throws Kane over the rope. Regardless of my thoughts on the flat texture, the match itself looks super cool or should i say Hot as the flames rise and surround the ring, growing greater with every strike and grapple.
We then move onto gameplay with a look at the new ragdoll physics in some extreme encounters between the superstars of WWE. We first see Dragon Lee slamming down Rey Fenix onto the mat, with Fenix hitting his leg off the steel steps. It’s such a small but awesome feature that not only adds to the gameplay but presentation of the match too.
We then get our first look at Maxxine Dupri in WWE 2K26 as she faces off against Becky Lynch inside the scrapyard brawl area. As predicted Maxxine is indeed sporting her Dungeon Dolls attire, not that that will do her any good as Becky Lynch slams Maxxine down 2 flights from on top of one of the many structures.
Honestly this short segment had me so hyped you wouldn’t believe. From the comical springboard Becky used to scale the structure to the amazing ragdoll physics on Maxxine, which had me thinking Becky may just have killed her former rival. It might not be for everyone this over the top arcade action but I bloody love it and I can’t wait to see what else lies in store.
We then see Austin and Booker T facing off in the scrapyard with another look at the Shopping Cart weapon as Austin takes Booker for a ride. Feeling inspired Dom also takes Rey for a ride of his own, before taking advantage throwing anything and everything at Rey, even slamming the cart into the side of the apron. This is so bloody good, can you imagine the storytelling from the community, there’s going to be kidnaps, drivebys and allsorts of crazy fun.
Sticking with the extreme we see Trick Williams and Ricky Saints facing off inside the NXT No Mercy arena with Trick pouring out a pile of thumbtacks. In a brutal spot we see Saints suplex Trick from the top rope right on top of the tacks in the middle of the ring. If you keep an eye it looks as though the tacks also stay stuck inside whoever lands on the tacks, which is such a cool feature. It could be like the poison mist and fade over time but It would be nasty to see the tacks still embedded during the victory scene.
We then see a series of extreme moments as we move to focusing on the Table stacking addition to this year’s game. In what I’m sure is a dream match for many we see Rey Fenix send Penta over the top rope onto the stacked tables as he hurtles to the floor.
Following on we get a brand new look at the Championship podium addition to WWE 2K26, with a WrestleMania themed podium for Punk’s world Heavyweight Championship. I honestly think this clip alone looks stunning and you better believe I’ll be returning to the podium time and time again to use titles as a weapon. It’ll be interesting to find out if you can customise podiums for custom arenas just like we see here, the WrestleMania podium makes for a neat touch.
We then see Punk using the title to obliterate rival Drew McIntyre as Drew lays lifeless on the floor. Punk continues to smash Drew around with the belt before we see Alexa Bliss swipe Tiffany Stratton with the Sword from last Year’s Island mode.
I just wanted to point out that both Alexa and Tiffany look seriously cool here, with a different take on Tiffany’s model compared to last year. I’m really hoping we have the option to use both of their hairstyles in this year’s game.
We then return to Triple H and Austin facing off before Fenix hits Finn Balor with a Meteora to the outside. Following this we get a look at Barricade moves and crowd fighting in this year’s game as Chyna and Rhea Ripley duke it out, surrounded by the WWE Universe. This year’s barricade allows for more interactions with the ability to perform grapples when both superstars are on top of the barricade which is shown off by Rhea, Chyna, Chad Gable and Penta. It will be interesting to see if there are any different crowd area spaces especially with them being teased here. We also know that the same interactions can be used on top of the high beams inside the Scrapyard area.
Speaking of the scrapyard we then see Ethan Page and Saints facing off in the scrapyard before Myles Borne makes a surprise appearance and official 2K debut. Surprise attacks will see WWE Superstars make spontaneous appearances during brawls making encounters even more chaotic. This kind of reminds me of classic WWF hardcore matches when anyone could turn up and the action would take a whole new turn and be even more crazy than it already was.
We then see Jade Cargill and Naomi making their way to the ring as the footage goes over the brand new, start of match actions. Amongst the available options are play to the crowd, offer a handshake, engage in chain wrestling, trade blows and launch a surprise attack. We see several of these in action as buddies Road Dog and X-Pac face off, with Road Dogg playing to the crowd before shaking hands with X-Pac. We then see Naomi and Jade engaged in some chain wrestling, followed by Road Dog and Pac exchanging blows, before Barret rushes Sheamus with a surprise attack. On paper this could seem like a small change but it will do wonders for the presentation and also keep gameplay fresh, never knowing what your foe could do before the bell even rings.
We then have a brief look at AI Sequences, with the reveal of a brand new feature which will see players have the ability to make superstars act more authentic with a series of attacks similar to what you would see on TV. Think John Cena hitting his signature moves one after the other. If you know me and my content you know that I have a certain combo lets say that I hit each and every year, an irish whip to the corner, followed by a spinning kick and then a bulldog. Having the ability to make my character do this instinctively is such an awesome feature and helps make each wrestler feel even more unique to you.
In another reveal it was announced that Rivalry cutscenes will now play out even in exhibition as we see RHIYO implode after IYO rejects a handshake. We then see Naomi grab a chair from under the ring, before pummeling Jade to the shock of a new and improved Jessika Carr. According to Wade, relationships will influence what happens, with Universe style cutscenes occurring based on actions throughout the match. If I had to suggest anything, it would be set up what you want your rivalries to be as soon as you get the game, so you can experience your roster and rivalries in your own way.
We then get a quick look at the commentators for WWE 2K26 and what looks to be the option to choose your own lineup of commentary as we see Graves and Booker T switch seats. This is such a neat feature if this is indeed right as it helps bring the game more up to date and allows players to set who they want as their very own broadcast lineup.
We then have our very first look at Interactive entrances, which are even more in-depth than I ever had imagined with the ability to not only toggle pyro but also superstar taunts and play to the crowd during entrances. The ability to taunt during entrances was last used way back in SmackDown Vs RAW 2009 on the Wii, which used motion controls to allow you to customise a superstars entrance. Seeing it return here is such a huge surprise and I can’t wait to play with the feature for myself. As part of the sequence we see various superstars making their entrances including Triple H, CM Punk, Shawn Michaels and Seth Rollins.According to Barret, this year’s game will allow for more camera control during entrances with WWE 2K25 being the introduction to this feature.
As the video begins to wind down we see a selection of brand new as seen on TV Referee’s including Vicky D’Errico. It’s so cool to see even more real life Refree’s in the series and helps keep the game more fresh and up to date. It also allows players to once again customise their matches in anyway they see fit.
There is also a new broadcast mode which simulates the WWE broadcasting style with the action cutting to different cameras just like you would see on WWE TV. We get some really cool examples of this as Roman Reigns and Punk square off before IYO hits an over the moonsault on Jade Cargill. Once again it’s another new feature that allows players to recreate what they see on TV and although small on paper, overall it adds to a sleeker and more realistic presentation.
As the trailer comes to a close we see the men and women of WWE duking it out in the new and revamped situations we discussed throughout the video, interestingly including what could be a tease for more TNA content as AJ Styles and Abyss prepare to battle. I’m praying i’m not reading too much into this but it seems a tad suspicious to have a throwaway shot of Abyss when he wasn’t featured anywhere else in the trailer. We then see more examples of the broadcast feature as the video closes out with another look at CM Punk’s entrance.
Honestly I don’t know about you but I thought this frickin Ringside Report absolutely ruled. It was like an adrenaline shot to my veins of WWE 2K26 and I honestly can’t wait to play the game. I’m trying to not get too excited but there are so many features and improvements that fit my type of gaming down to a tee from the presentation updates to the new ragdoll and extreme moments.
There are a lot of what could seem like minor improvements such as the match start options but overall they add to the presentation of any match you play. When it comes to exhibition, the fun has always been what happens during any match you play, now you can have fun during entrances and even right before the bell rings. There are also rivalry implications, meaning you never know what could happen and how that might impact your friends and foes going forward. I’ve always enjoyed exhibition but now, the days of exhibition being a sort of run of the mill mode, might actually see the mode being one of the funnest playgrounds there is.
So before I get too excited and waffle on for even longer, let me know in the comments below what you make of the ringside report and what has you most excited. Also let me know what you make of those new female modes and who you think looks the best so far.
Until Next time, i’ve been the revelleution.
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