WWE 2K26 is coming in March, and after revealing the covers for its special Attitude Era and King of Kings editions, we finally know who the primary cover superstar is. That would be The Best in the World and current World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, who graces the cover of a WWE game for the first time since 2012.

In a virtual preview event with developer Visual Concepts, we learned all about what the next WWE 2K game has in store. In addition to being the first WWE 2K game this generation to leave PlayStation 4 and Xbox One behind, it also boasts highly requested new match types and weapons, reworked gameplay mechanics, its largest superstar roster yet, and much more.

The Roster

WWE 2K26 boasts over 400 superstars, both current and legends, at launch, the biggest day one roster to date. While we only know of a small handful of names currently, the roster includes a host of new talent. Here are the confirmed superstars so far:

• Andre the Giant
• Bret Hart
• Blake Monroe
• Bron Breakker
• Charlotte Flair
• CM Punk
• Cody Rhodes
• Drew McIntyre
• Eddie Guerrero
• Iyo Sky
• Izzi Dame
• John Cena
• Kane
• Liv Morgan
• Logan Paul
• Myles Borne
• Naomi
• Penta
• Randy Orton
• Randy Savage
• Rey Fénix
• Rhea Ripley
• Roddy Piper
• Roman Reigns
• Rusev
• Seth Rollins
• Stephanie Vaquer
• The Undertaker

Additionally, former TNA World Champion and recent WWE signee Joe Hendry will be included as a pre-order bonus.

When asked if Lucha Libre AAA, which WWE acquired in 2025, would have any representation in WWE 2K26, Visual Concepts coyley replied, “Maybe. Stay tuned.” It’s worth noting that the game’s website features a teaser of a desk laden with WWE easter eggs and one suspiciously prominent photo of an iguana, potentially a nod to AAA star Mr. Iguana.

New Match Types And Gameplay Updates

WWE 2K26 will introduce four new match types: Inferno, I Quit, Three Stages of Hell, and Dumpster. Like 2K25, every match can be contested under intergender rules, so male and female wrestlers can compete against each other. The commentary teams now include Wade Barrett and Booker T as well.

Before the match starts, you can spice up and have more agency during introductions thanks to more interactive entrances. As superstars make their way to the ring, you can now toggle one of three pre-set special animations and interactions based on superstar face/heel alignment (such as offering/rejecting pre-match handshakes). You can similarly trigger pyro on the stage or in the ring. Players can also now choose to start matches in different ways, such as hyping the crowd before initiating contact or rushing an opponent before the bell rings.

As for gameplay updates, thumbtacks and shopping carts can now be used as weapons. Tables can also be stacked on top of each other in another much-requested addition. Visual Concepts touts improved reactability to falling/getting slammed on weapons, where superstars behave more realistically and take more damage from weapon offense.

They also tout smaller touches, such as how thumbtacks will visually stick to the bodies of characters to display damage. 2K26 also features improved and expanded crowd and barricade combat features. Other presentational touches include the addition of championship belt podiums at ringside during title matches.

The reversal and stamina systems have been revamped, and physics interactions have been upgraded. Visual Concepts compared 2K26’s physics as being akin to Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, for reference.

Ringside Pass

Visual Concepts is ditching its usual DLC pack model to introduce its version of a traditional battle pass. Called the Ringside Pass, it consists of 60 free tiers and 40 premium (paid) tiers where players can earn XP to unlock new content simply by playing the game. 

The team describes this as an "added value upgrade to DLC" in that players will pay the same amount of money they normally would for the old DLC packs, but the Ringside Pass rewards more content. Players earn XP across all game modes, and players who reach tier 40 of the Ringside Pass Premium Season can unlock Superstars, cosmetics, customization items, VC, and more. 

Visual Concepts also confirms that unlockable DLC superstars are available in the first section of the Ringside Pass, so it seemingly won’t take as long to gain new faces. The studio points out that Superstars and Legends that used to be part of the Supercharger, which is no longer a thing in 2K26, will instead be obtainable in the Season 1 Ringside Pass' free tier. 

Six Seasons of Ringside Pass will be released throughout the year, with the Season 1 pass launching alongside the game.

Showcase Mode

2K26’s Showcase Mode will center on the career of cover star CM Punk. Narrated by the champ himself, this interactive documentary lets players relive Punk’s biggest matches and moments as well as engage in “What If?” style fantasy matches. For example, Visual Concepts says Showcase will explore the feuds and matches that could have happened if Punk hadn’t left WWE for nearly a decade in 2014.

The Island

The Island, the explorable quest-filled hub that debuted in 2K25, makes its return in improved form. This mode is available on all platforms this year (including PC, where it was absent last year). The mode’s story builds upon last year’s iteration, with a player choosing one of three factions battling to fill the power vacuum left after Roman Reigns’ fall as the tribal chief.

The Island’s progression system has been reworked, and it features a new environment: Scrapyard Brawl. It also features more immersive quests with cutscenes and dialogue screens. The Island boasts new Towers, shops, and branded gear for players to purchase using in-game and paid currency.

My Rise

The story-driven campaign is back with two new division-based storylines, and Visual Concepts says the babyface/heels decisions have a larger impact this time. My Rise is also more replayable, as players can continue engaging with the mode after wrapping up the main story to earn additional unlockables and achievements.

My GM

The popular general manager simulation mode features more match types, more possible matches, and more outcomes. Players can book intergender matches as well as bouts pitting 5, 6, and 8 superstars against each other. My GM now has more shows per season, the option to play a 50-week season, more cross-brand PLEs, and new management challenges to test would-be showrunners.

My Faction

WWE 2K’s collectible card game has new intergender lineups and the ability to “Quick Swap” cards during battles for more instantaneous and strategic play.  New My Faction chemistry allows players to boost card performance and run-in support. Of course, you can now collect new card designs and enjoy a regular release of new themed card packs and seasonal content throughout the year.

Universe & Creation Suite

The simulation-based Universe Mode features the WWE Draft as the big new addition. Money in the Bank cash-ins have been improved, and more promo types have been added. Furthermore, Universe Mode has a new Watch Show Mode.

The Creation Suite fulfills a long-time fan request by doubling the number of custom superstar slots from 100 to 200. The same goes for Create An Image slots, which have been increased from 1,000 to 2,000. Body and face-morphing sports deeper tools, and two-tone hair color blending have been implemented.

As for cross-platform creation sharing, Visual Concepts is still looking into whether this can be made possible, but does not make any promises. 

The Editions

 

WWE 2K26 launches on March 13 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. Those who pre-order or purchase the more expensive editions can play early, starting on March 6. 

For the first time, WWE 2K26 comes in four different editions instead of its usual three. Here's what each version has to offer:

Standard Edition  - $69.99

King of Kings Edition - $99.99

• Joe Hendry Pack
• Ringside Pass Premium Season 1 + 32,500 VC
• King of Kings Pack (Triple H '98, Stephanie McMahon '00, Triple H signature taunt for The Island)

Attitude Era Edition - $129.99

• King of Kings Edition content
• Ringside Pass Premium Season 1-4
• Attitude Era Edition Pack (The Rock '99, Kane '98, Chyna '97, Stone Cold Steve Austin "Rattlesnake" and The Rock "People's Champ" MyFaction EVO cards, Raw is War '98 arena, Undertaker "Thumb Across the Neck" and Shawn Michaels "DX Crotch Crop" emotes for The Island)
• Superstar Mega-Boost (200 MySuperstar attribute points for MyRise)
• 100,000 VC

Monday Night War Edition - $149.99

• Attitude Era Edition Content
• Ringside Pass Premium Seasons 1-6
• Monday Night War Edition Pack (Shawn Michaels DX, Macho Man Randy Savage '98, WCW Thunder '98 arena, Diamond Dallas Page "Bang" emote for The Island.
• Entitlement for the WrestleMania 42 Pack, which includes the WrestleMania 42 arena and three WrestleMania 42 Superstar Persona Cards

For the last 25 years, developer IO Interactive has been known primarily for the lauded Hitman franchise. In that series, players take control of Agent 47, a blank-slate killing machine who travels the world to hunt down targets and take them out in ways that either look like an accident or are untraceable back to him. The series, particularly the World of Assassination trilogy, saw IO Interactive reach new heights, delivering some of the most engaging sandbox stealth experiences the medium has ever seen.

Though markedly different experiences, many of the skills that IO developed transferred to the development of 007 First Light. However, IO Interactive CEO and 007 First Light game director Hakan Abrak credits Hitman with helping to establish the studio's identity. “It’s defined many things for us throughout the years, from the technology we’ve been doing to the communities we’ve built,” IO Interactive CEO and 007 First Light game director Hakan Abrak says. “When it comes to creating a spy or agent fantasy that travels the world – the globetrotting, contemporary world fantasy – we have spent a lot of hours traversing in that area, which, I think, has given us a certain expertise and know-how over the years.”

That very DNA influenced the direction IO Interactive took with 007 First Light, informing the studio's approach to the more open-ended sequences of the game. "Whenever we can, we try to open it up; in the gameplay trailer, you have to infiltrate this chateau," narrative and cinematic director Martin Emborg says. "This is where we try to bring that IOI DNA that we have from Hitman, where you represent it as a way where there are different paths into this chateau, and then you have to go from here. And then, we have the Kensington level, where we have several segments, especially going through the trespassing segments where combat is involved, where you have a much wider range of choice: You can go stealthy or you can go combat, or anything in between. It's actually up to you, and all these routes or play-style choices should all be viable and fun to use."

However, even with Hitman's influence and DNA permeating 007 First Light, they still look, flow, and play completely different. "Obviously, we've had a lot of learnings from our Hitman titles, especially because we knew we also wanted to have some kind of stealth in this game," gameplay director Andreas Krogh says. "It was very obvious for us to just say, 'Okay, we have a stealth loop in Hitman, and a way of approaching that with environment interactions and the moment-to-moment, second-to-second gameplay that we like and saw users like.' It was obvious for us to bring that to the table. But on the other hand, we knew we had a new game here, with a new protagonist that we knew we had to do some of the areas we weren't good at in Hitman."

In addition to the structure being much more linear, with a combination of set-piece action moments and sandbox creativity sequences, in the Hitman games, there is no driving, and combat is often a last resort if you're made by the enemies. In 007 First Light, you'll be expected to embody all parts of Bond's persona, including his expert driving ability and skilled bravery within the chaos of a firefight.  

"There's obviously experience from [Kane & Lynch and Freedom Fighters], but there are certain things where, you know, new blood, new talent to IO from the outside," Abrak says. "There are things that we're really, really good at, and there are things where we had to get new expertise that helped develop our engine, our technology, and our game features to deliver above the benchmark for an action game, because Hitman does give you the freedom to go guns blazing. However, even though we give you that freedom, [...] the full experience in Hitman is premeditated; you're planning, you're observing, it's not impulsive, necessarily. It's very thoughtful with pre-planning that goes into that, understanding the wants and motivations, the patrolling patterns, and where the different opportunities are before you make your move for a perfect execution and getaway. Bond is different."

For 007 First Light, IO Interactive wanted to establish a consistent forward momentum for players. "An important difference is that in Bond, we are striving to do forward momentum gameplay all the time, both in combat and in stealth," Krogh says. "Where in Hitman, we had some setups where we wanted you to use some time to stake out the situation and maybe poke a little bit at it to see what happens. In Bond, you can use time to observe a situation, but it’s very evident there are options you can use right away, and you can just use them and see what happens and come forward. We want to reduce that decision-making time to always keep moving forward and be a little bit faster."

And then there's the driving sequences, which are unlike anything IO Interactive has ever released. In my time watching a live demo of an intense driving sequence, I was surprised by how smooth the controls look – way more smooth than you might expect from a studio with seemingly no experience with driving mechanics. "It’s true that we haven’t released any game with driving and vehicles,” Abrak says. 'However, we’ve done numerous IPs, and luckily, a lot of them saw the light of day. Some of them haven’t, and some of the prototypes… we always have incubation going on in IO Interactive, and in some of the incubation groups we’ve done vehicles and driving. With that said, getting that from prototype into a fully finished game, it’s a long journey. We also spent almost six and a half years on 007 now, so it’s a great amount of effort going into creating these vehicles, their behavior, their physics."

On top of that, Bond has a much more prominent personality, which, from what I saw, is performed admirably by actor Patrick Gibson. "There are a lot of good things going for us, going from Hitman, but I will say in the same breath that retraining your brain creatively from doing an agent that is an antihero, Agent 47, to create a fantasy that is a hero, and is a charming, talkative one, to the audience, to the player, that has a completely different demeanor and way about him. That has been the creative challenge that we had to crack."

From everything I've seen, IO Interactive has risen to the occasion with its transition from the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy to the superspy action of a James Bond game. However, we won't know for sure until we get ahold of the final product when it arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC on May 27.

Early Access games have been around for a while now. The trend of launching a game into Early Access to allow curious of players to check out an in-progress game and get their feedback for 1.0 continues to grow. But knowing what I'd be playing is unfinished and could change has always kept me at an arm's length from these games. I even skipped Hades II's Early Access period, despite adoring the first game and knowing developer Supergiant Games is good for its in-development word. 

I'm starting to wonder if I've been throwing a wet blanket on this type of release after playing Witchfire, an Early Access game that has me hooked. I started it yesterday and already have a dozen hours in it. It is fantastic. But Game Informer Editor-in-Chief Matt Miller has been singing its praises alongside thousands of other early adopters for years now; I'm not saying anything surprising here, and if you want to read about why this game is good, there's lots of great writing out there for that. 

Having put aside the mouse and keyboard that control my Preyer's arsenal of destruction, I'm stuck thinking about how many other games I've dismissed sight-unseen because they're in Early Access. I know I'm checking Witchfire out years into its Early Access life at this point, which began in 2023, but I'm bewildered by just how much is here, and how much of it is so polished, too. 

I'm still overwhelmed by how many systems and synergies are at play in Witchfire – various build types, leveling and progression systems, weapons, magic spells, enemy types, biomes to explore, and bosses to fight. I'm not even sure what I want to see in a 1.0 build; if the version of Witchfire I am playing right now launched today, I wouldn't question a thing about all there is to do in the game. That makes it all the more exciting that a 1.0 launch is happening this year, promising even more to come for this so-far excellent FPS roguelite adventure. 

I'm sure there are examples of Early Access games that are significantly more feature-lite, and to be clear: I think that's okay. I just know I'd rather wait for the full 1.0 release at that point. But there are also probably just as many feature-rich Early Access games I'd likely enjoy as much as The Astronauts' shooter, where I'm left wondering how the game isn't a content-complete 1.0 release. 

I suppose this is less a dive into the gamut of Early Access games and their role in game releases (typically in the PC ecosystem) and more so an admission of me being plain ole silly. Of course, I check out Early Access games from time to time for work, but prior to Witchfire and outside of work, I only played 1.0+ releases as if Early Access was a black mark unworthy of my free time. But I know all too well how game development works and how Early Access allows developers to accomplish goals they would otherwise never reach. Games like Hades might never have been the success they are if not for what Supergiant learned during its Early Access period: understanding what its players like, love, dislike, and hate, and shaping the game into something both parties enjoy. 

The same goes for Witchfire, and there's a world where I might have missed the fun and excellence that is this game had I brushed it off as just another Early Access release. The potential of one day checking out its 1.0 release was always there, but that potential has now metastasized into a thrilling excitement – anticipation for changes, an eagerness to dive into what's new, and a newfound enthusiasm for a game I almost ignored.  

If you're like me and haven't given Witchfire a go yet, it's available in Early Access on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. In the meantime, you can read our preview here to learn why it's one of our most anticipated games of 2026. After that, read about the Webgrave update that added a new region, new enemies, and more last year. 

What are some of your favorite Early Access games? Let me know which ones I need to check out in the comments below!

Nintendo dove deep this morning on its upcoming simulation game, Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream. The Switch game (notably not Switch 2, though Nintendo reminds that you can play it on Switch 2) is a sequel to the 3DS game Tomodachi Life that released in North America in 2014 for 3DS. You can read our review of that game here. Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream releases April 16.

In the game you create Miis and watch them live out their lives on Yoomian Island as you interact with them and create scenarios for the characters to meet and interact. The original game was renowned for being bizarre, and though Living the Dream's reveal teased some of that strangeness, today's presentation focused on the more typical parts of the game.

You create the characters using familiar Mii creation tools and can dictate their gender (male, female, or nonbinary) as well as their dating preferences. Unlike previous Mii creation tools, you can now create elements like face paint, and that customization seems to extend to nearly every facet of the game. You can design the exteriors of buildings, the ground, clothing, and even draw pets for the Miis to have. The presentation showed one Mii walking with a hand drawn dog.

 

Once you have Miis you can select elements of their personalities, gift them quirks like the animations they use to eat, and even dictate familiar phrases they will use. You can also play god and place your Miis next to each other to force them to interact and hopefully become friends. You can even choose what they talk about by typing in topics, which an automated, robotic voice will dictate. You can also push characters to become roommates with up to eight characters being able to live together in one large house.

You can also witness elaborate romantic scenarios. Miis can develop crushes on each other, profess their love, and even be turned down. A scenario in the presentation showed one character being confronted by multiple suitors and having to choose. The way the game works is the Miis are meant to be characters with their own agency so even though you choose elements like where they go and how they do something, like profess their love to their crush, it will be up to the characters to make the final decisions.

At the end of the presentation, Nintendo showcased a wedding scene, and even showed a baby crawling on the ground. It's unclear if those elements will just be performative visual moments, or if there will be opportunities to create families that birth children who grow up to become their own Miis. The game happens in real time (meaning your Miis will be living their lives even when you're not playing), so it remains to be seen how that part of the game will work.

 

Alongside all the character interactions, Nintendo also showed off how much control you have over the design of the island. It feels very Animal Crossing in this way. Different stores sell food, clothing, offer photo gallery opportunities, there is a news station that gives frequent updates, and you can also build and relocate everything on the island, and even change the land mass.

In a complimentary way, it looks like Nintendo is trying to merge elements of The Sims (creating and watching characters live out their lives) and Animal Crossing (living on and designing an island while witness to interpersonal character interactions). We will see if the game can live up to the reputation of either of those franchises when it releases on April 16.

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: The Game Bakers
Developer: The Game Bakers
Release: January 29, 2026
Rating: Teen

There’s a popular trope in media that the lone hero who persists against all odds should be celebrated without limits, and that any amount of endurance and sacrifice is worth it to surpass and succeed, no matter the cost to self or others. Cairn is the rare narrative that says something more nuanced, simultaneously celebrating the triumph against seemingly impossible odds, while also painting the painful picture of obsession and selfishness that are often left unspoken. That would be noteworthy enough on its own, but with its mountain-climbing adventure, The Game Bakers team has also crafted a deeply engaging open world to explore, accompanied by breathtaking visuals and music, and featuring my favorite new control mechanic in years.

As we join pro climber Aava, she’s on the cusp of tackling her greatest challenge: solo climbing the seemingly insurmountable Mount Kami, an imposing beast of a peak. With little preamble or guidance, the player is forced to learn on the job about strong handholds, judicious piton placement, and foraging of resources to survive, even while Aava inexorably pushes her way higher.

The bulk of playtime is spent on the wall, inching Aava up one scrambling grab at a time. Nerve-wracking and tense, you control the specific placement of each foot and hand as you select tiny crevices, hard-to-spot outcroppings, and brief moments of respite to recover stamina, even as wind and rain batter against the cliff face. The freeform and slow-paced traversal is intensely rewarding, and I was still striving to master it a dozen hours into my journey. Cairn manages that rare feat, making me feel truly immersed in an experience I would never dare to attempt, and giving a glimpse into the tiny triumphs a real climber must feel every time they pull themselves up those last desperate inches to a plateau.   

Mount Kami is like one massive puzzle to solve, or a single, improbably long boss fight, with many strategies for success. You choose your climbing line. Maybe you inch slowly along a treacherous ledge to reach an inviting angled scramble of loose rock. Or dare that seemingly sheer straight line, trusting to well-chalked hands to manage the shortcut. While there are boundaries to the world, I still found significant freedom in charting my own course. Cairn also offers ample opportunities for emergent moments of beauty – shooting off a handful of found fireworks from camp, seeing the stars reflected in a secluded lake, or witnessing an animal who has never seen a human before – take a different turn, and those moments might never transpire.

 

In between climbs, frequent stops along the way reveal hidden secrets. Some are forgotten caves, remnants left behind by failed Kami climbers, or caches of food or drugs that might give you the edge to continue. But the more interesting secrets come through intermittent injections of character cinematics and dialogue, both from those Aava meets on the mountain and from audio messages sent from those on the ground. For both Aava and those whose lives she learns about, the narrative explores themes of loss, the hard words we leave unspoken, and the way that people run away from the things they love – sometimes to the literal ends of the Earth. As the plot thickens, it’s easy to question if everything we’re witnessing is still real, or perhaps some existential hallucination accompanying impending death on a lonely defile.

Cairn is not a casual narrative game. The climb is hard, and survival is difficult. Food and water are sometimes scarce. Aava’s fingers bleed, and you must manually wrap them with climber’s tape at the weather-battered bivouac sites you might find along the way. No matter the difficulty (for which there are thankfully many ways to customize), the final hours are a brutal stretch that left me exhausted and excited in equal measure. The return on that investment and challenge makes the climb worth it, up to and including one of the most affecting and vulnerable endings I’ve seen a game pull off. 

Like Aava on the wall, Cairn has occasional stumbles that hold it back. Frame glitches and pauses sometimes break the immersion. The usually immaculate climbing mechanic sometimes breaks and creates weird interactions or falls – especially frustrating on greater difficulties. Checkpoints can be too far apart in that frustrating-but-not-fun way. The free-rotating camera can have brief moments that lead to frustration.

Even with some minor missteps, Cairn is a stunning and surprising masterpiece. I’ve rarely encountered a game with such a slow overall pace that nonetheless kept me on the edge of my seat. Gameplay is buoyed by a subtle, emotionally powerful musical score and a uniquely textured art style that enhances both the game’s beauty and one’s ability to read its many pockmarked walls. When all its merits were added together, I was constantly drawn back to the climb to see the next vista. Cairn is challenging as a game and as a story; because, and not despite its many differences from other games you’ll play this year, it deserves your time and attention.

Score: 9.25

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