WWE 2K26 Essentially Has a $500 Microtransaction

by

Fans are excited about the upcoming WWE 2K26, particularly the new wrestlers and game features being announced. However, some recent news might disappoint players: the game will include optional microtransactions that, if fully utilized, could cost nearly $500.

Currently, the price for the least expensive WrestleMania 42 ticket on Ticketmaster is around $443, and can go much higher. There have been reports that WrestleMania 42 is having trouble selling out, with some, like Matt Hardy, describing it as difficult to promote. This new set of optional purchases is likely to face similar resistance from fans.

As a big wrestling fan, I was really interested to hear more about how WWE 2K26 will handle new content. It sounds like they’re moving away from traditional downloadable content packs and introducing something called Ringside Pass. Basically, instead of buying characters and content immediately, everything new after the game launches will come through this Ringside Pass system. Each season of the pass will reportedly cost around $10, and there are going to be six seasons in total. So, you’ll need to buy the game itself, and then plan to spend $10 for each season if you want all the new stuff. It’s a bit different than how they’ve done things before, but I’m curious to see how it works in practice!

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Players can earn all the rewards in a Ringside Pass simply by playing the game. However, they also have the option to speed things up by paying $1.99 to unlock each tier individually. According to Insider Gaming, bypassing all tiers of a Ringside Pass – essentially unlocking content you’ve already paid for – costs a total of $80. If someone were to do this for every season of the pass, it would add up to $480.

The Math on WWE 2K26’s Ringside Pass System

  • WWE 2K26 Standard Edition: $69.99
  • $10 for Each Season (6) of the Ringside Pass: $60
  • Optional Microtransactions: Up to $80 every season to bypass ($480 total)

The game itself costs $120 with the Ringside Pass, but optional in-game purchases could bring the total cost to around $600. While players can earn characters simply by playing, the main issue lies in the game’s design. New Ringside Passes will be released every seven weeks, and the first character in each pass is unlocked immediately upon purchase. You can unlock the rest of the characters within the first 20 tiers, but more exclusive items like Personas will be available only at the higher tiers.

While it might not be as frustrating as locking the most popular WWE character behind the final level, these kinds of in-game purchases usually offer an easy way to bypass challenges in a Battle Pass. We’ll have to see how it works, but skipping tiers will probably be tempting to players – otherwise, there wouldn’t be much reason to buy them.

Ringside Pass Seasonal Release System

  • Ringside Pass Season 1: March 6 (Making DLC Characters available day one for the first time)
  • Ringside Pass Season 2: April (Before WrestleMania 42)
  • Ringside Pass Season 3: June
  • Ringside Pass Season 4: July
  • Ringside Pass Season 5: September
  • Ringside Pass Season 6: October

Ultimately, it’s important to remember that these optional purchases aren’t required to enjoy the game. While 2K’s previous WWE games typically included downloadable characters in future releases (often like CM Punk), this new approach is a significant shift. The fact that this is even possible highlights the growing trend of microtransactions in many games, including WWE 2K26.

Read More

2026-02-23 21:04