WWE 2K26 Guide | How to Unlock All Wrestler

WWE 2K26 has over 400 playable names across all game modes, making it one of the largest rosters in the series. A big portion of that roster is locked when you start, and knowing how the unlock systems work saves you a lot of time. The old in-game store and Supercharger are gone entirely in this entry.

There's no way to buy individual unlocks with in-game currency anymore. Every superstar now requires actual gameplay to obtain. This guide covers every unlock path so you always know where to focus.

How The Unlock Systems Work

There are six ways to unlock content in WWE 2K26: the Ringside Pass free track, the Ringside Pass premium track, 2K Showcase, MyRise, MyFaction and The Island, and paid DLC packs. Playing any game mode earns XP, which moves you through tiers on the Ringside Pass and rewards superstars, arenas, and championship titles along the way. Since all modes contribute XP equally, the most efficient approach is to play whatever you enjoy while also working toward mode-specific unlocks at the same time.

Ringside Pass Free Track Unlocks

The free track runs from Tier 1 to Tier 40 and is available to all players. Here's what unlocks at each tier worth noting.

Shawn Michaels and Tyler Breeze are available at Tier 1. Eddie Guerrero '97 comes at Tier 2. Alundra Blayze '94 and Chyna unlock at Tier 5. Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart are at Tier 7. Ultimate Warrior, Honky Tonk Man, and Ravishing Rick Rude unlock at Tier 8. Headbanger Mosh and Headbanger Thrasher come at Tier 9. Booker T unlocks at Tier 11, Kurt Angle at Tier 13, and Undertaker '03 at Tier 14. British Bulldog is at Tier 15 and Bray Wyatt at Tier 17.

Mr. Perfect, Roddy Piper, and The Iron Sheik unlock at Tier 19. Kane '08 and Terry Funk are at Tier 20. Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham come at Tier 21. Diesel and Razor Ramon unlock at Tier 22. The Hurricane and Vader are at Tier 23. Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth as a manager unlock at Tier 25. Faarooq, Paul Bearer as a manager, and Undertaker '98 are all at Tier 26.

Dude Love and Mankind unlock at Tier 27. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Syxx, and the WWE Hardcore Championship all come at Tier 28. DDP '98, The Great Muta, and Lex Luger are at Tier 29. Sensational Sherri and Shawn Michaels '94 unlock at Tier 30. Hulk Hogan '02 is at Tier 32, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H '08 at Tier 34, and Shawn Michaels '05 at Tier 35. The Rock '01 unlocks at Tier 36, Hollywood Hogan at Tier 39, and Bray Wyatt '23 (The Field) at Tier 40.

Ringside Pass Premium Track Unlocks

The premium track requires purchasing the upgraded Ringside Pass. El Hijo Del Vikingo unlocks at Premium Tier 1, Lady Flammer at Premium Tier 7, Psycho Clown at Premium Tier 13, Mr. Iguana at Premium Tier 20, Elite Jacob Fatu as a persona at Premium Tier 26, and Stephanie Vaquer as a persona at Premium Tier 33. The AAA TripleMania XXXIII Arena and Worlds Collide 2025 Arena both unlock at Premium Tier 40.

2K Showcase Unlocks

WWE 2K26's 2K Showcase centers on CM Punk and covers historical matches, fantasy bouts, and what-if scenarios. Finishing each match unlocks at least one superstar and usually an arena tied to that event.

For historical matches: completing Historical Match 1 unlocks CM Punk SummerSlam '08 and JBL. Historical Match 2 gives you CM Punk Armageddon '08 and Rey Mysterio '08. Historical Match 3 unlocks CM Punk '11 and Randy Orton '11. Historical Match 4 gives CM Punk WM29 and Undertaker '13. Historical Match 5 unlocks CM Punk '13 and John Cena '13. Historical Match 6 gives CM Punk '13 Elimination Chamber and The Rock '13. Historical Match 7 unlocks CM Punk '13 SummerSlam and Brock Lesnar '13. Historical Match 9 gives Seth Rollins '25 and Historical Match 10 gives Seth Rollins WrestleMania 41.

For fantasy and what-if matches: Fantasy Match 1 unlocks CM Hart and Shawn Michaels '97. Fantasy Match 2 gives Cactus Jack, Fantasy Match 3 gives Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Fantasy Match 4 gives Eddie Guerrero. What If Match 1 unlocks Triple H '14 and Stephanie McMahon '14 as a manager. What If Match 2 gives Batista and Randy Orton '14. What If Match 3 unlocks John Cena '15, What If Match 4 gives AJ Styles '16, What If Match 5 gives Kurt Angle '19, and What If Match 6 gives Bray Wyatt The Fiend. What If Match 7 unlocks AJ Lee, AJ Lee '15, Maryse, and The Miz '17.

Completing Showcase matches also unlocks the matching arenas. Finishing the match against Shawn Michaels '97, for example, rewards both the WWE European Championship and the WWE Championship '88-'98 belt, along with the WWE Survivor Series 1997 arena.

MyRise Unlocks

MyRise uses a star-based Rise Rewards system. You earn stars by finishing matches, hitting objectives, and clearing story milestones. Some characters unlock at star thresholds and others unlock through story progression regardless of your star count.

For star-based unlocks: Buzz at 10 stars, Cole Quinn at 13, CM Punk Retro at 22, Red and Tre at 31, Josie Jane at 37, MyRise 2K22 Male Player and MyRise 2K22 Female Player at 43, Chase at 46, El Mago Jr. at 51, El Ordinario at 57, Paragon Jay Pierce at 60, The Lock at 69, Gabriel Slade at 72, LJ at 81, Odyssey Rift at 84, Carly Prime at 90, Alundra Blayze at 98, Scott Steiner '03 at 103, Michelle McCool at 108, DDP at 124, Bray Wyatt The Fiend (Burned) at 140, The Dark Horse at 150, Bronze Breakker at 175, and Juggernaut Grace at 200.

For story progression unlocks, the following characters come through reaching specific chapters or completing story beats rather than star counts: Alundra Blayze, Bron Breakker, CM Punk Retro, DDP, Dusty Rhodes '89, El Mago Jr., El Ordinario, Gabriel Slade, Geneva Rose, Hector Flores, Josie Jane, Juggernaut Grace, Justine, Justine '99, La Cangrejita Loca, Main Event R-Truth, Meilee Fan, Michelle McCool, Moreno, Psycho Sally, Red, Rikishi, Road Dogg, Scott Steiner '03, Slade, Tavish, Tre, The Captain, Chosen, and Barron Blade as a manager.

MyFaction And The Island Unlocks

MyFaction and The Island hold some of the alternate versions of current superstars that aren't available anywhere else, including Elite personas and historical variants.

For MyFaction unlocks: Brock Lesnar '01 and Drew McIntyre '10 come through Live Events. Elite Jey Uso is also a Live Events unlock. Elite Jade Cargill comes from World Tour – London and Elite The Rock from World Tour. Rob Van Dam '97 unlocks at World Tour – Osaka and Triple H '99 through MyCollection. Alexa Bliss '25 is a Persona Card unlock. Booker T '01 is a MyFaction unlock with timing still to be confirmed. Dominik Mysterio '23 Masked, Elite Rhea Ripley, Elite Seth Rollins, Jean-Paul Levesque, and Seth Rollins '15 all come through MyFaction.

Live Events and World Tour stops rotate on a schedule, so characters like Brock Lesnar '01 and Drew McIntyre '10 may only be available during specific windows. Check the in-game schedule regularly so you don't miss anything timed.

For The Island unlocks, the characters available there are Bobby Newton, Dahlia Hex, Delilah Hex, Marshall Thompson, and Odette Beaumont.

DLC Wrestlers

Several superstars are tied to paid DLC packs, either bundled with special editions or arriving through additional Ringside Pass seasons.

Joe Hendry is a pre-order bonus and unlocks automatically. He's the only DLC character that doesn't require a separate purchase. The Attitude Era Edition includes Chyna '97, Kane '98, and The Rock '99. The Monday Night War Edition includes Shawn Michaels DX, Randy Savage '98, and Roddy Piper '98. The King Of Kings Edition includes Triple H '98 and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley.

Ringside Pass #2 brings Ax, Crush, and Smash. Ringside Pass #3 adds Brian Pillman, La Parka, and Matt Cardona. Ringside Pass #4 includes Jelly Roll and Lady Shani. Ringside Pass #5 adds Bam Bam Bigelow, Brie Bella, and Pagano. Ringside Pass #6 brings Octagon Jr.

Notable Arenas And Championship Belts

Arenas and championship belts follow the same unlock systems as superstars. On the free Ringside Pass track, WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 comes at Tier 18, WWE SummerSlam 1988 at Tier 24, ECW One Night Stand 2006 at Tier 32, and Raw 2002 and SmackDown! 2002 both at Tier 37. Through 2K Showcase, ECW Hardcore Heaven 1994 unlocks from the match against Cactus Jack and WWE Survivor Series 1997 from the match against Shawn Michaels '97. The WrestleMania 42 Arena comes with the WrestleMania 42 DLC Pack.

For championship belts, the Million Dollar Championship is at Free Tier 4, the WCW nWo Legacy Championship at Free Tier 28, the WWE Championship Smoking Skull at Free Tier 36, and the WCW nWo World Championship at Free Tier 39. The WWE Championship '88-'98 comes from the 2K Showcase match against Shawn Michaels '97. The Archetype Raw Women's Championship unlocks through MyRise Chapter 6 on the face path.

Also, check our WWE 2K26 Review and other guides below:

• WWE 2K26 Beginner's Guide | Gameplay Tips & Tricks