There are many exceptions to the rule, but it is worth assuming: WWE 2K The video games are just as good as the WWE products. It all starts and ends with Raw, SmackDown and various premium live events (PLE). WWE 2K20 The disaster is noteworthy because it was released in 2019. It hasn't been a great year creatively in WWE, and that's before Roman Reigns returns as the tribal chieftain in 2020. Skip forward a year and later the WWE product has improved; WWE 2K Video games are good again.
Well, that was before we experienced the recession. WWE 2K26. Although it is not a complete decline like WWE 2K20However, it is the worst game released in the past few years. And perhaps not coincidentally, WWE has been at its worst creatively for years. After Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee were removed from the WrestleMania main event storyline, there was any hope that storytelling could get back on track. Let's be honest, it's older than WrestleMania 42, but the truth is simple. WWE Backlash's card doesn't seem to be shaping up the way WWE needs it to creatively. And it will harm all related products such as: WWE 2K Video games.
All WWE 2K26 unlockables (Superstars, Championships and Arena)
A complete guide on how to unlock all 177 Superstars, 40 arenas, and 51 championships in WWE 2K26.
Roman Reigns (C) vs. Jacob Fatu, World Heavyweight Championship
Now let me be clear: Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu is an absolute money match that deserves to headline WrestleMania someday. I truly appreciate the Tribal Chief, and I actually hope his return will help restore the reputation of WWE storytelling. If Jacob Fatu doesn't have fans, I'm dead. They even have to be in one of the Big Four and not in Backlash. SummerSlam, Survivor Series or the Royal Rumble are the steps they deserve, and the transition from Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns is a bit sloppy, but the storytelling possible is worth it.
Click or tap the game that matches your category.
start
And while the promotion is definitely moving in the right direction and this is the best match set on the card so far, I appreciate Bloodline. Why redo another Mystery Caller storyline after what happened to Pat McAfee and Randy Orton at WrestleMania? Why is a main event comprised of simple yet effective Bloodline storytelling being tainted once again like WrestleMania Night One? I have no doubt that Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu will knock the roof off the ring, but the story is more jumbled than it needs to be. And most cards don't live up to this match.
Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breaker (w/ Paul Heyman)
Unfortunately, The Vision's storyline has been marred by the rise of Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker, so hopefully this new direction for The Vision will be successful. The talent is there, the storytelling potential is there, and Paul Heyman is on board. Hopefully, this will develop further throughout the year and the developers will move forward. However, with Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu at the top of the card, this feels like a start and a solid “second position”, but the rest of the card doesn't hold up.
Trick Williams (C) vs. WWE United States Championship Sami Zayn
I'm all for a bit of silliness and levity, especially family-oriented storylines and kid-focused storylines, but why get a storyline about a gingerbread man costume? I can't imagine anyone thinking that would be a good idea. Especially in the mid-card title picture, it feels like these titles are becoming less prestigious by the day. It's not Sami and Trick's fault. They're talented with a capital T, but they feel creatively lacking. Why is this chosen over Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther, even if Gunther's offense feels a little out of left field? Perhaps there will be more championship matches added at the last minute, or maybe WWE will deviate from the standard five-match card, but I doubt it.
Iyo Sky vs. asuka
Iyo Sky vs. Asuka is a good matchup, and I believe both men will emerge victorious in the ring. They are fantastic wrestlers. But creatively, it's always been a filler storyline that's been torn apart by the recent WWE release of core Kairi Sane. Good creative, good storytelling can create stakes that elevate a good in-ring story, and this feels like an undeserved ending to a story that wasn't really given a chance. I honestly doubt there will be any development for these wrestlers after Backlash, and that's the bigger concern.
Who is that character?
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
start
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Eternal Death (2.5 seconds)
Danhausen & Mystery Wrestler vs. The Miz & Kit Wilson Tag Match
I like Danhausen. I hate how I feel the need to make it clear that this is not aimed at the talent involved. Danhausen, his mystery partner The Miz, Kit Wilson, etc. was an interesting storyline. But it doesn't feel like a PLE match. It feels like a weekly rivalry that gets resolved on SmackDown. Worse than that, this feels like a random tag team proxy for the reported Cody Rhodes and Jelly Roll vs. Randy Orton and Pat McAfee match that was ultimately abandoned. Worse than that, recent WWE releases have been absolutely slaughtering the tag team division.
Will WWE have the courage to part ways with The New Day, members of the MFT, Wyatt Sicks, and the Motor City Machine Guns and continue with their tag team program? It's almost like the company is proud of their current tag team division.
WWE 2K27 vs. Backlash
All of this means that while I choose to see hope in storylines like Roman vs. Jacob and Bron vs. Seth, all storylines should be built on a similar level of prestige. Instead, we're getting matches with less creativity than uplifting matches, and this certainly seems to be the era of WWE we live in. And what's good for the goose is good for the goose, and what's bad for the WWE product is bad for WWE byproducts. I hope I'm wrong, but later WWE 2K26 review, WWE 2K27 I think it's about 3/5 of the backlash card.
- released
-
March 12, 2026
- ESRB
-
Teen/blood, language, suggestive themes, violence, in-game purchases (including random items), user interaction
