WWE 2K26 packs one of the largest playable rosters in franchise history, with over 400 names available across all game modes. But a significant chunk of that roster is locked behind progression systems, and knowing exactly where to focus your time makes the difference between grinding aimlessly and building your dream card fast. Whether you want Andre the Giant at Tier 4 or Hollywood Hogan waiting at Tier 39, this guide maps out every unlock method so you know exactly what to do next.
Ringside Pass reward tiers
What Unlock Systems Does WWE 2K26 Use?
WWE 2K26 replaces the old in-game store and Supercharger with a new Ringside Pass battle pass system. You earn XP by playing any game mode, which advances you through tiers and rewards superstars, arenas, and championship titles along the way. Beyond the Ringside Pass, there are four additional unlock paths:
- Ringside Pass (Free Track) - Available to all players, rewards content through Tier 40
- Ringside Pass (Premium Track) - Requires the premium pass upgrade, unlocks AAA crossover stars and select personas
- 2K Showcase - Complete specific historical, fantasy, and "What If" matches to unlock tied superstars and arenas
- MyRISE - Earn stars through the Rise Rewards system and progress through story chapters
- MyFACTION / The Island - Complete faction objectives, World Tour stops, and live events
- DLC Packs - Purchased separately or bundled with special editions
How to Unlock Wrestlers via the Ringside Pass
The Ringside Pass is your primary unlock engine. Playing any mode earns XP, pushing you through tiers on either the Free or Premium track. Below is a breakdown of notable superstars and their required tiers.
Free Track Unlocks (Tiers 1-40)
| Superstar | Required Tier |
|---|---|
| Shawn Michaels | Tier 1 |
| Tyler Breeze | Tier 1 |
| Eddie Guerrero '97 | Tier 2 |
| Alundra Blayze '94 | Tier 5 |
| Chyna | Tier 5 |
| Bret Hart | Tier 7 |
| Jim Neidhart | Tier 7 |
| Ultimate Warrior | Tier 8 |
| Honky Tonk Man | Tier 8 |
| Ravishing Rick Rude | Tier 8 |
| Headbanger Mosh | Tier 9 |
| Headbanger Thrasher | Tier 9 |
| Booker T | Tier 11 |
| Kurt Angle | Tier 13 |
| Undertaker '03 | Tier 14 |
| British Bulldog | Tier 15 |
| Bray Wyatt | Tier 17 |
| Mr. Perfect | Tier 19 |
| Roddy Piper | Tier 19 |
| The Iron Sheik | Tier 19 |
| Kane '08 | Tier 20 |
| Terry Funk | Tier 20 |
| Dusty Rhodes | Tier 21 |
| Superstar Billy Graham | Tier 21 |
| Diesel | Tier 22 |
| Razor Ramon | Tier 22 |
| The Hurricane | Tier 23 |
| Vader | Tier 23 |
| Randy Savage | Tier 25 |
| Miss Elizabeth (Manager) | Tier 25 |
| Faarooq | Tier 26 |
| Paul Bearer (Manager) | Tier 26 |
| Undertaker '98 | Tier 26 |
| Dude Love | Tier 27 |
| Mankind | Tier 27 |
| Kevin Nash | Tier 28 |
| Scott Hall | Tier 28 |
| Syxx | Tier 28 |
| WWE Hardcore Championship | Tier 28 |
| DDP '98 | Tier 29 |
| The Great Muta | Tier 29 |
| Lex Luger | Tier 29 |
| Sensational Sherri | Tier 30 |
| Shawn Michaels '94 | Tier 30 |
| Hulk Hogan '02 | Tier 32 |
| Stephanie McMahon | Tier 34 |
| Triple H '08 | Tier 34 |
| Shawn Michaels '05 | Tier 35 |
| The Rock '01 | Tier 36 |
| Hollywood Hogan | Tier 39 |
| Bray Wyatt '23 (The Field) | Tier 40 |
Premium Track Unlocks
The Premium Track requires purchasing the upgraded Ringside Pass. These superstars are locked behind it:
| Superstar | Required Tier |
|---|---|
| El Hijo Del Vikingo | Premium Tier 1 |
| Lady Flammer | Premium Tier 7 |
| Mr. Iguana | Premium Tier 20 |
| Psycho Clown | Premium Tier 13 |
| Elite Jacob Fatu (Persona) | Premium Tier 26 |
| Stephanie Vaquer (Persona) | Premium Tier 33 |
| AAA TripleMania XXXIII Arena | Premium Tier 40 |
| Worlds Collide 2025 Arena | Premium Tier 40 |
2K Showcase match selection
How to Unlock Wrestlers in 2K Showcase
WWE 2K26's 2K Showcase centers on CM Punk, featuring historical matches, fantasy bouts, and "What If" scenarios. Each match completion unlocks at least one superstar and often an arena tied to that event.
Historical Matches
| Match | Superstars Unlocked |
|---|---|
| Historical #1 | CM Punk SummerSlam '08, JBL |
| Historical #2 | CM Punk Armageddon '08, Rey Mysterio '08 |
| Historical #3 | CM Punk '11, Randy Orton '11 |
| Historical #4 | CM Punk WM29, Undertaker '13 |
| Historical #5 | CM Punk '13, John Cena '13 |
| Historical #6 | CM Punk '13 Elimination Chamber, The Rock '13 |
| Historical #7 | CM Punk '13 SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar '13 |
| Historical #9 | Seth Rollins '25 |
| Historical #10 | Seth Rollins WrestleMania 41 |
Fantasy and What If Matches
| Match | Superstars Unlocked |
|---|---|
| Fantasy #1 | CM Hart, Shawn Michaels '97 |
| Fantasy #2 | Cactus Jack |
| Fantasy #3 | Stone Cold Steve Austin |
| Fantasy #4 | Eddie Guerrero |
| What If #1 | Triple H '14, Stephanie McMahon '14 (Manager) |
| What If #2 | Batista, Randy Orton '14 |
| What If #3 | John Cena '15 |
| What If #4 | AJ Styles '16 |
| What If #5 | Kurt Angle '19 |
| What If #6 | Bray Wyatt The Fiend |
| What If #7 | AJ Lee, AJ Lee '15, Maryse, The Miz '17 |
How to Unlock Wrestlers in MyRISE
MyRISE uses a star-based Rise Rewards system. You earn stars by completing matches, objectives, and story milestones. Some characters unlock at specific star thresholds, while others unlock through story progression regardless of star count.
MyRISE Rise Rewards tracker
MyRISE Star Threshold Unlocks
| Stars Required | Character Unlocked |
|---|---|
| 10 stars | Buzz |
| 13 stars | Cole Quinn |
| 22 stars | CM Punk Retro |
| 31 stars | Red, Tre |
| 37 stars | Josie Jane |
| 43 stars | MyRISE 2K22 Male Player, MyRISE 2K22 Female Player |
| 46 stars | Chase |
| 51 stars | El Mago Jr. |
| 57 stars | El Ordinario |
| 60 stars | Paragon Jay Pierce |
| 69 stars | The Lock |
| 72 stars | Gabriel Slade |
| 81 stars | LJ |
| 84 stars | Odyssey Rift |
| 90 stars | Carly Prime |
| 98 stars | Alundra Blayze |
| 103 stars | Scott Steiner '03 |
| 108 stars | Michelle McCool |
| 124 stars | DDP |
| 140 stars | Bray Wyatt The Fiend (Burned) |
| 150 stars | The Dark Horse |
| 175 stars | Bronze Breakker |
| 200 stars | Juggernaut Grace |
MyRISE Story Progression Unlocks
These characters unlock by reaching specific chapters or completing story beats rather than hitting a star count:
- 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, Barron Blade (Manager)
How to Unlock Wrestlers in MyFACTION and The Island
MyFACTION and The Island house some of the most unique alternate versions of current superstars. These include Elite personas and historical variants that are not available anywhere else.
MyFACTION Unlocks
| Character | Method |
|---|---|
| Brock Lesnar '01 | Live Events |
| Drew McIntyre '10 | Live Events |
| Elite Jey Uso | Live Events |
| Elite Jade Cargill | World Tour - London |
| Elite The Rock | World Tour |
| Rob Van Dam '97 | World Tour - Osaka |
| Triple H '99 | MyCollection |
| Alexa Bliss '25 | Persona Card |
| Booker T '01 | MyFACTION (TBA) |
| Dominik Mysterio '23 Masked | MyFACTION |
| Elite Rhea Ripley | MyFACTION |
| Elite Seth Rollins | MyFACTION |
| Jean-Paul Levesque | MyFACTION |
| Seth Rollins '15 | MyFACTION |
The Island Unlocks
- Bobby Newton
- Dahlia Hex
- Delilah Hex
- Marshall Thompson
- Odette Beaumont
MyFACTION World Tour stops
What DLC Wrestlers Are Available in WWE 2K26?
Several superstars are tied to paid DLC packs, either bundled with special editions or arriving through additional Ringside Pass seasons.
DLC Pack Breakdown
| Superstar | DLC Pack |
|---|---|
| Joe Hendry | Pre-order bonus (auto-unlocked) |
| Chyna '97 | Attitude Era Edition |
| Kane '98 | Attitude Era Edition |
| The Rock '99 | Attitude Era Edition |
| Shawn Michaels DX | Monday Night War Edition |
| Randy Savage '98 | Monday Night War Edition |
| Roddy Piper '98 | Monday Night War Edition |
| Triple H '98 | King of Kings Edition |
| Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley | King of Kings Edition |
| Ax | Ringside Pass #2 |
| Crush | Ringside Pass #2 |
| Smash | Ringside Pass #2 |
| Brian Pillman | Ringside Pass #3 |
| La Parka | Ringside Pass #3 |
| Matt Cardona | Ringside Pass #3 |
| Jelly Roll | Ringside Pass #4 |
| Lady Shani | Ringside Pass #4 |
| Bam Bam Bigelow | Ringside Pass #5 |
| Brie Bella | Ringside Pass #5 |
| Pagano | Ringside Pass #5 |
| Octagon Jr. | Ringside Pass #6 |
Unlockable Arenas and Championships: Quick Reference
Beyond wrestlers, WWE 2K26 hides dozens of arenas and championship belts behind the same unlock systems. A few highlights worth targeting:
Notable Arenas by Unlock Method:
- ECW One Night Stand 2006 - Ringside Pass Free Tier 32
- WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 - Ringside Pass Free Tier 18
- WWE SummerSlam 1988 - Ringside Pass Free Tier 24
- Raw 2002 / SmackDown! 2002 - Ringside Pass Free Tier 37 each
- ECW Hardcore Heaven 1994 - 2K Showcase vs. Cactus Jack
- WWE Survivor Series 1997 - 2K Showcase vs. Shawn Michaels '97
- WrestleMania 42 Arena - WrestleMania 42 DLC Pack
Notable Championship Belts by Unlock Method:
- Million Dollar Championship - Free Tier 4
- WCW nWo World Championship - Free Tier 39
- WWE Championship '88-'98 - 2K Showcase vs. Shawn Michaels '97
- WWE Championship Smoking Skull - Free Tier 36
- WCW nWo Legacy Championship - Free Tier 28
- Archetype Raw Women's Championship - MyRISE Chapter 6, Face path
Historic championship belt menu
