WWE 2K26 New Ringside Cross Defined: Tiers, Rewards & Schedule – Gameplay, Leaks & Tech

• Primary Subject: WWE 2K26 – Ringside Pass
• Key Update: WWE 2K26 is replacing traditional DLC packs with a 6-season Ringside Pass battle pass system, requiring players to grind XP to unlock new superstars.
• Status: Confirmed
• Last Verified: February 5, 2026
• Quick Answer: The Ringside Pass is an 80-tier battle pass. It features 24 DLC superstars over six non-expiring seasons, requiring RXP from gameplay to unlock rewards.

The biggest change that’ll shape how the post-launch of WWE 2K26 will unfold is the reworked Ringside Pass. Previously, the pass bundled all DLC characters and other bonuses into a single buyable collection. But now it works like a battle pass we see in modern live titles.

The one and perhaps only positive about the new Ringside Pass is that it never expires. Requiring “grind” to access the DLC characters you paid a premium for is not going to sit well, though. The announcement being widely panned by the player base shows that.

So, unless there is any change before release, here’s how Ringside Pass will work in WWE 2K26.

WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass Explained

Credit: 2K Games

Ringside Pass is WWE 2K26‘s version of a battle pass. There will be a total of 80 levels that have 120 rewards. 40 levels will be free, and the other 40 will be paid. Rewards include superstars, cosmetic and customization items, VC, Personas, MyFACTION, The Island content, and more.

As with any battle pass, you’ll have to earn XP (called RXP in the game) to level up. You can earn RXP by simply playing matches across most game modes or completing specific objectives. 

There will be a total of 6 Ringside Passes across 6 seasons. Unlike most live titles, these will not be time-limited and will not expire. While they won’t expire, they’ll be released periodically, across the period of one year, in a similar format as general seasons in games do. 

A new season will begin every 1 to 2 months. The first-ever season kicks off with early access release on March 6, 2026. 

To sum all that up, here are the key highlights of the brand-new Ringside Pass in WWE 2K26:

• It has two versions.
  • The free version has 40 tiers and 60 rewards in them.
    • WWE Legends will now be part of the free track.
  • The premium version, called Ringside Pass Premium, has 40 tiers and 60 rewards in them.
    • Rewards in the premium tier are 4 brand-new superstars. The first superstar will be unlocked automatically. The remaining 3 will be within the first 20 tiers.
    • Other playable characters, such as Personas, will generally be available from tiers 21-40.
    • Paid version costs $9.99 / £8.99
• You’ll have to earn RXP to level up.
  • RXP can be earned by simply playing matches across most game modes or completing objectives.
  • The following modes will reward RXP:
    • Play Now
    • Universe
    • MyRISE
    • Showcase
    • MyGM
    • MyFACTION
    • The Island
  • Of course, of course, there are tier skips. That means you can pay more to access content you already paid for. Riveting stuff.
• There will be six Ringside Passes released throughout the year.
  • Ringside Pass Season 1, Ringside Pass Season 2, and so on until Ringside Pass Season 6.
• A new Season will arrive every one to two months.
  • Seasons do not expire. That means you can unlock Season 1 rewards even when the latest one is Season 4.
  • Only 1 season can be active at a time. Select which of the available seasons you want to progress towards.
• Premium Editions include a few Premium Ringside Passes.
  • King of Kings Edition has Ringside Premium Season 1 Pass only.
  • Attitude Era Edition has Ringside Premium Season 1 to Season 4 Pass.
  • Monday Night War Edition has all Ringside Premium Season 1 to Season 6 Pass.
• Ringside Passes can also be bought collectively through the Season Pass.

It’s replacing the traditional DLC drops we had in the past. All the brand-new talents that’d otherwise be added as a part of character DLC will now be tossed into the premium Ringside Pass. Four new stars are promised for each season. 

WWE 2K26 All Seasons Release Date

Credit: 2K Games

While developers haven’t shared the exact release, we know the month each WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass will go live:

• Ringside Pass Seasons 1: March 6, 2026
• Ringside Pass Seasons 2: April 2026 (before WrestleMania)
• Ringside Pass Seasons 3: June 2026
• Ringside Pass Seasons 4: July 2026
• Ringside Pass Seasons 5: September 2026
• Ringside Pass Seasons 6: October 2026

As we said earlier, they won’t expire when a new one pops up. Each will also bring 4 new DLC superstars. 

While it does add more rewards, we do not know how grindy each season will be. It certainly doesn’t sound promising with tier skips.

Likewise, the previous model just handed out DLC characters once bought, but now we have to work towards unlocking the content that we paid a premium for.

You could argue that’s just how battle passes work in general, even if it is something unfamiliar for the series. A lot of it just depends on execution, and we’ll have to wait until seasons are live to see how they fare. 

That’s everything about the new Ringside Pass in WWE 2K26. 

Stay tuned to RealSport101.com: The Home of Sports Gaming News, Guides, Leaks, and Reviews!