Nothing is known about WWE 2K26 just yet as of when this article was written, yet one has to wonder what new features such a game will have. The most recent game, WWE 2K25, brought back intergender wrestling, which used to be a staple in the Smackdown vs. Raw titles and earlier. Hence, what might come back for the next game in the 2K series?
This listicle will highlight five classic features that used to be a lot of fun in the older WWE games. This list is not meant to be indicative of any recent news, as everything listed here is merely for fun discussion. Similarly, some of the topics mentioned here have been brought up in other online circles, as some of these gameplay features are fan favorites of their time.
The 2K series has brought back several fan-requested game modes in the past few games, ranging from the aforementioned intergender wrestling to GM Mode. It's not exactly a pipe dream if the following five features also happen to be included in an upcoming game, whether it's WWE 2K26 or another future title. If you have your own suggestions to add to this discussion, feel free to comment it below.
1) Create-A-Story
Some fans call this feature "Create-A-Story," Story Creator," or "Story Designer." Regardless of what you call it, the premise is the same. For those who don't know, Create-A-Story was a gameplay feature in old games like WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 or WWE '13, where you could create a series of cutscenes akin to a real-life WWE plotline.
You could create something bizarre, funny, serious, or anything else on your mind. Some gamers love to fantasy book, so this feature gave them potentially hundreds of hours of fun. You can select one of several pre-made cutscenes, add whatever text you want, and even upload it to Community Creations for others to view.
Create-A-Story was amazing for creative writers and aspiring directors to get their vision across in a WWE game, much like how Create-A-Superstar can be fun for other people. WWE 2K26 will likely have Community Creations like its predecessors, so it would be nice to see Create-A-Story return.
2) Season Mode
While MyRise has had some memorable moments in recent WWE 2K games, some gamers would argue that the old season modes from the WWE Smackdown! games were better. The main difference between the MyRise game mode and the old season modes of those older titles was that MyRise is far more rigid.
There are choices to make in MyRise, but it's nowhere near as comprehensive compared to how multiple playthroughs of WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth or Here Comes the Pain's season mode would be like. Voice acting does understandably limit how open-ended modern season modes could be, yet WWE 2K26 could always theoretically be more ambitious than its predecessors.
Give players more decisions to make that actually impact their storyline, especially since replaying modern MyRise for rewards can feel stale.
3) Create-A-Finisher
Modern WWE games have so many moves, yet there may come a time when you feel like you're lacking a specific maneuver to finish the match. Older games like WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 and WWE 2K14 had a pretty fun Create-A-Finisher suite. While its name was a little different across the games this feature appeared in, the premise was the same.
You could mix and match several sequences of moves to create something cool or goofy. This would also include altering the move's speed, which gave the player more control over their moveset creation suite.
On a side note, older games also allowed you to create a taunt, walking style, and running style. All of that would be awesome to see in WWE 2K26!
4) Superstar Threads / More Alternate Costume Slots
Seeing some brilliant alternate designs for beloved wrestlers like Alexa Bliss or Roman Reigns on Community Creations is cool. Sometimes, you might even see a more modern design for another wrestler that isn't in the current version of the game, so if you like having a more up-to-date roster, then downloading that attire seems reasonable.
Too bad it eats into your 100 CAW slots in modern WWE games. An older game like WWF No Mercy allowed you to use one slot for four different attires for your matches. WWE '13 had Superstar Threads, which allowed you to recolor attire for three different attires.
WWE 2K26 and other future titles will inevitably be impressive from a technical standpoint. Current alternate attires are amazing compared to mere palette swaps, but it would be nice if every wrestler got an extra slot or two instead of using a CAW spot. Giving players extra slots would always be welcome.
5) Body Morphing
Modern Create-A-Superstar creations these days are incredibly impressive. What the community can create can be astonishing, to be honest. One odd thing is that a crucial feature is missing from the most recent games, yet the older titles had it. That missing gameplay element is body morphing.
Nowadays, you have to select one of several pre-made body types. If the body type you're looking for isn't available, then you can't quite make the accurate creation you intended to. Many older wrestling games from the previous console generations allowed you to mess around with your superstar's body proportions, like how you can edit the width, height, and depth of current facial parts in modern games.
You could make silly abominations in terms of character design with that level of body morphing, or you could create more accurate wrestlers. Either way, it's a lot more fun. WWE 2K26 would be amazing if the present body types were still there alongside body morphing for more fine-tuned designs.
What features do you want to see return in WWE 2K26 from past games?