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With its release only a few weeks away, major MyGM and Universe mode improvements for WWE 2K26 have been revealed. This comes as the official WWEGames account on X continues to debut new faces ahead of the roster and ratings reveal date on February 27.
Starting with MyGM mode, 2K has released a new Ringside Report outlining the improvements. MyGM is a mode that first debuted with the SmackDown vs. RAW series before being removed with SvR 09 in 2008 and making its long-awaited return in WWE 2K22 in 2022.
The mode lets you manage RAW, SmackDown, ECW, NXT, or WCW, and you can compete against either the game’s AI or another player to achieve brand supremacy by completing an assortment of objectives to earn the highest number of fans and ratings.
For WWE 2K26, the starting budget options have been increased to a maximum of $7 million. Additionally, there’s a new difficulty setting called Immortal, providing a much harder challenge against the AI.
There are also the following new match rules as well as new match types:
New match rules:
- 5-Way
- 6-Way
- 3 vs. 3
- Triple Threat Tag
- 8-Way
- 4 vs. 4
- Fatal Four-Way Tag
- 1 vs. 2
- 1 vs. 3
- 1 vs. 4
New match types:
- Ladder Match
- Battle Royal
- Bloodline Rules
- I Quit
- Inferno
- Dumpster
- 3 Stages of Hell
There’s also support for intergender matches, meaning male vs. female, and the ability to add custom championships for the first time, although this is restricted to offline only. Finally, you can expect to see the following new arenas as well as new managers, with returning managers confirming the inclusion of Mick Foley:
New arenas:
- Clash at Paris
- Crown Jewel
- Battleground
- Evolution
- Great American Bash
- Halloween Havoc
- Night of Champions
- No Mercy
- Worlds Collide
- Survivor Series WarGames
- Elimination Chamber
New managers:
- Bobby Heenan
- Stacy Keibler
- Anonymous General Manager
WWE 2K26 Universe mode improvements
Away from MyGM, senior designer Cristo Kyriazis discussed improvements to Universe mode in an interview with Metro. Universe is a returning sandbox mode that has existed since SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 in 2010, and it gives you complete freedom to control WWE, from organizing rosters, to booking weekly shows, to adding custom wrestlers from other promotions like AEW to create fantasy matchups.
The biggest update to Universe mode this year is the return of the Draft. Similar to drafts in other sports, this sees wrestlers traded between brands, such as Roman Reigns being drafted from SmackDown to RAW.
Kyriazis explained, “You’ll have these dedicated tiles on the match card for a round, [and] you’ll see the GMs Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis walk onto the stage, [where] they’ll take up their podiums” to announce their brand-specific draft picks. You will be able to customize draft picks, as well as the number of rounds, rules for champions, and more.
WWE 2K26 is also introducing a new feature called Universe Wizard. Not many details were provided, but Kyriazis explained that it will “try and ease” you into starting a new Universe mode by providing an optional “streamlined menu.”
There’s also a new feature called Watch Show. This aims to emulate the broadcast experience, as explained by Kyriazis: “The little intro movie for the show will run and go straight into the match entrances, and play out the matches. Once that one’s done, if it’s possible, we try to flow seamlessly into the next match and cut down as many load screens as possible.”
Unfortunately, rivalries are still restricted to 1v1 and 2v2, and promos still don’t feature any text or voice acting beyond the commentary team. However, there are new promo types, including post-match winner interviews featuring WWE presenter Cathy Kelley.
Finally, 2K has improved Money in the Bank cash-ins, as they can now be triggered spontaneously in the middle of a match rather than needing to be set up beforehand.
New roster additions
Besides these mode improvements, the WWEGames account on X continues to confirm new additions for the WWE 2K26 roster. After previously revealing entrances for Blake Monroe and Ricky Saints, the account has now shown the entrance for another new NXT addition, Izzi Dame.
Recently, 2K also confirmed AJ Lee will be part of the roster at launch, marking her return for the first time since WWE 2K15 in 2014. Other new additions include NXT wrestler Zaria, who appears in one of the MyGM promotional images.
The full roster and ratings will be revealed on February 27 through ESPN. Leaks have claimed Torrie Wilson is returning, presumably as part of the Ringside Pass, and wrestlers from the Lucha Libre promotion AAA, such as Mr. Iguana and El Hijo del Vikingo, have also been heavily teased.
WWE 2K26 releases on March 13, unless you choose early access starting March 6. To get early access, you must pre-order either the King of Kings, Attitude Era, or Monday Night Wars edition.
Other improvements this year include the return of body morphing to the Creation Suite, as well as additional match types such as Inferno and I Quit. There’s also a new Showcase mode starring CM Punk, featuring historic matches against wrestlers like John Cena and Brock Lesnar, as well as fantasy bouts against Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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