In response to significant player criticism, 2K has announced a major overhaul of the Ringside Pass system in WWE 2K26. The community had voiced strong concerns after the new battle pass format replaced the traditional six DLC packs, requiring extensive gameplay to unlock roster members through 40 tiers instead of immediate access.
The core issue was that even premium pass buyers faced unexpectedly long grind times to obtain wrestlers they had already paid for. However, with the release of version 1.07, 2K is implementing changes starting from Season 2. All four characters in the Premium track will now be unlocked immediately at Tier 1, and the XP required per tier has been reduced from 800 to 625, a level the developer promises will remain fixed.
As a goodwill gesture, players who logged in before April 14 will receive 20 tiers of free XP to help unlock Season 1's AAA wrestlers: El Hijo Del Vikingo, Flammer, Mr. Iguana, and Psycho Clown. While this doesn't compensate for time already spent grinding, it eases the path forward.
These adjustments arrive just ahead of WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania, with Season 2 timed to coincide. Fans will now find it much simpler to acquire the next four superstars in the Ringside Pass: Ax, Smash, Crush, and Kelly Kelly. Subsequent seasons will continue to expand WWE 2K26's roster with additional wrestlers.
The Ringside Pass is priced at $9.99/£8.99 per season, with an annual pass available for $49.99/£44.99. The initial requirement for extra playtime on top of this cost had fueled player frustration, making these revisions a welcome relief. For more WWE coverage, explore our review of WWE 2K26 or the story behind keeping Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns separate during the Street Fighter movie production.
