Stevie Richards Blasts WWE 2K26: “Perversely Greedy” System Slammed

Stevie Richards is not happy with the changes that have been made to WWE 2K26.

2K has introduced a Ringside Pass XP (RXP) system. It is the experience points you earn by playing matches and completing challenges to progress through the Ringside Pass tiers. As you gain RXP, you unlock rewards like new wrestlers, cosmetics, packs and other in-game items from both the free and premium tracks. There is a free track and a premium track. The free track includes 60 rewards to unlock across 40 tiers. The premium track includes an extra 60 rewards to unlock but in order to have the opportunity to do so, you have to purchase one of the premium editions of the game or pay for that track separately. Unfortunately, DLC characters are part of those premium rewards. There will be six seasons each with their own Ringside Pass.

Co-host of The Stevie Richards Show, James Romero, was shocked at how little you get if you buy the premium edition.

“I’ll tell you, if you buy the base game, you will be stunned by how much you don’t get. Stunned and that was 60 pounds (approximately $80 USD). That is a full price game, let me tell you. You’re not even as far as choice goes. It doesn’t even seem like you’re getting one-third of what you can,” he said.

He and Richards complained that even Steve Austin is locked and he is on the cover to sell the game to people.

“Initially, you and I were like: Oh, we’ll get the Monday Night Wars edition. We’ll have everything unlocked and we don’t have to worry about playing it for so many hours. Thank God we didn’t buy it! Number one, it’s not the $70 game like, like you said it’s not even a third. We’re in very dangerous territory, and it’s not just TKO and 2K every game, is a very much stripped down version for the Basic Edition and makes you buy DLC, season passes, all this different stuff but it was really disheartening. I think that’s not a word to use, very disheartening playing this game,” said Richards.

Romero accused the producers of making content that used to be included for free part of the new Ringside Pass system.

“When you bring out a game and you make it seem like the DLCs that are added on afterwards are additions that they couldn’t get out in time for the main game or whatever but this is extra stuff for the fans, if you want it, all optional. Then it’s a completely different situation where it’s very obvious that they are stripping out content from the base game to then swindle you to then get more expensive versions of the game, which should have been in the $70 version,” he claimed.

“They’re stripping the game down to make it more profitable than ever to upgrade editions or buy DLC in the future and the game prices are rising?…When I saw you have to create a 2K account to play this game, I was like, come on! Isn’t it bad enough that I overpaid for this game to begin with? No, we have to sell your data,” accused Richards.

Like other gaming companies, Richard believes 2K is squeezing every nickel and dime they can out of users.

“I just want to get through tutorial mode before I have 1000 matches. It’s perverse. Is that a good word for it? Perversely greedy to that point you, and that’s the analogy. That’s the bait and switch. That is the worst bait and switch of all. The Monday Night Wars edition, the people on the cover that you buy the game for are locked Austin and the NWO and whoever else, maybe, all of them are locked. Isn’t that a rib on everybody?” laughed Richards.

“They are actively taking away features again from previous games and locking them behind paywalls which is common practice for 2K common practice for EA, common practice for the least reputable game publishers out there who, once again, are trying to squeeze you for everything they’re worth,” said Romero.

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