WWE 2K26’s MyRise Mode Makes Paul Heyman a Major Antagonist

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A key developer for WWE 2K26 recently detailed changes coming to the game’s MyRise mode. The storylines for both male and female characters are getting a fresh approach, and Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Jordynne Grace will be the main villains. While Heyman and Breakker, as members of the heel group The Vision, are expected antagonists, Grace’s inclusion as a villain may come as a surprise to players.

The new WWE 2K26 game comes out on March 13th, with early access starting March 6th. 2K and Visual Concepts have been sharing previews of the game’s features throughout February, including updates to Universe and Creations modes, and a longer 50-week season in MyGM. While they’ve explained these modes in detail, they haven’t revealed much about the storylines players can experience in WWE 2K26.

WWE 2K26 MyRise Mode Details Revealed

New information about the MyRise story mode in WWE 2K26 has surfaced, revealing it will be called “The Comeback.” According to a recent TechRadar interview with lead narrative designer Sean Conaway, players will control a returning WWE Superstar nicknamed The Archetype. Shortly after their return to the company, players will face opposition from Paul Heyman and either Bron Breakker or Ivy Nile, who will attempt to derail their path back to the top.

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Fans widely expect Paul Heyman to be the main villain in the game, largely because he narrated the entire Bloodline Showcase Mode in WWE 2K25. Heyman has been a key heel figure in WWE for around six years, initially guiding The Bloodline, then betraying both Roman Reigns and CM Punk at WrestleMania 41 to become a key advisor for Seth Rollins and his group, The Vision. Similarly, Bron Breakker is a significant member of Rollins’ stable and has already appeared in a WWE game’s story mode – he was featured in the men’s MyRise mode in WWE 2K23, making this his second major role.

Image via 2K

Despite her recent popularity, Grace seems like an unexpected addition to Paul Heyman’s group. She first appeared in the WWE 2K25 video game last July as part of a downloadable content pack. According to developer Conaway, the game’s writers often work months ahead of the actual WWE storylines – they even paired Heyman and Bron Breakker together in the game before WWE did. The decision to include Grace in the main storyline reflects the development team’s confidence in her potential and future success as a wrestler.

MyRise in WWE 2K26 Will Have a Single Story with “Substantial Differences”

Image via 2K

Okay, so usually in the MyRise mode, you pick a male or female wrestler and play through their totally separate storylines. But last year in WWE 2K25, they switched things up! You started with both your male and female created wrestlers as a team, and then things split – one went to NXT Mutiny, the other tried to be the good guy in WWE. For WWE 2K26, they’re saying we’ll have one main story that both male and female characters go through, but it’ll change a lot depending on which roster you pick. We’re talking different cutscenes, different things characters say, and big moments happening differently. They haven’t given us all the details yet, but it sounds like the experience will be pretty unique depending on if you’re a male or female superstar.

In WWE 2K25, players had to replay the MyRise story mode several times to unlock everything. The developers heard the feedback and are changing things in WWE 2K26 to avoid that repetition, according to Conaway. You’ll still be able to unlock rewards by playing through the story mode, though, including alternate versions of wrestlers like CM Punk (from 2003) and Dusty Rhodes’ iconic polka dot singlet.

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2026-02-19 03:04