WWE 2K26 Ringside Pass Grind Could Take Nearly 1,500 Matches to Complete

WWE 2K26 is here, and alongside many new features, 2K has added one that isn’t being loved by the fans. In case you didn’t know, we’re talking about the Ringside Pass. This is the new battle pass system that allows you to unlock additional superstars, arenas, championships, and more. Featuring both free and premium tiers, the Ringside Pass has replaced the traditional DLCs in this iteration.

However, the fans are riled up by the fact that you have to grind through the pass to unlock the content. And they should be, because the grind isn’t easy. As you can guess from the title, completing all six seasons of the new Ringside Pass can take up to 1500 matches, which is not an easy feat for anyone.

1500 Matches To Complete The Ringside Pass

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For those of you who have already played the game, you already know how the Ringside Pass works. However, for those who are still on the fence about making the purchase, I’ll break everything down.

The Ringside Pass is 2K’s edition of a traditional battle pass. It features both free and premium tiers, with the better rewards tied to the latter version. To unlock these rewards, players have to earn RXP, which is awarded for playing the game’s various modes.

Here are the game modes that give you RXP:

• Play Now
• Universe
• MyRISE
• Showcase
• MyGM
• MyFACTION
• The Island
• Custom Matches

As you can see, basically all modes in the game give out RXP, progressing you along the ladder of the Ringside Pass; however, reaching the end isn’t as easy as it sounds.

@JackCrimsonCAWs on X recently did the math, and it turns out you’ll need to play almost 1500 matches to unlock the full DLC content.

Compared to previous iterations, where buying the DLC unlocked everything on day one, this is a major step backward. As expected, fans are fuming. Paying $150 for the deluxe edition, and still having to grind so much, wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card.

To make matters worse, 2K patched the RXP farming method, where you could quickly submit the lowest-rated character, Eric Bischoff, and earn the RXP for the match. This forces you to play the game as intended and grind to unlock everything.

However, if you’re frustrated and don’t want to spend hours unlocking the DLC you paid for, you can always opt for tier skips in the Ringside Pass. These are additional microtransactions that let you skip the grind.

I don’t want to crash out on 2K, but these are biblical levels of greed. While 2K26 is a decent game, matters like these are pretty heavy turn-offs. I hope 2K reduces the grind, so people can actually enjoy what they paid for, because no one wants to spend their entire day playing the game.

That said, until they do so, the 1500 math remains true.