Universe Mode has been within the WWE 2K series for a very long time at this point. Through the years, it has been continually updated, with latest features added almost yearly. In WWE 2K26, 2K has added things akin to WWE Drafts, the Universe wizard, and more.
All this, plus every thing else that has been added over time, means there may be loads to Universe Mode. If you happen to haven’t played the mode shortly or never, here is an entire guide to every thing you’ll want to know.
Setting Up The Universe
Right as you press the Universe Mode option on the principal menu, you’ve to make several decisions.
This can be a breakdown of each:
Superstar Mode Or Classic Mode
Before you do the rest in Universe Mode, you first must select whether you wish to play Superstar Mode or Classic Mode. In each modes, you are given quite a lot of control in organising your Universe.
Yet, once it’s arrange, you get much less control in Superstar Mode. It’s because as an alternative of being the overlord who controls all of the match cards and superstars, you only control one wrestler.
You’ll find more information on each Superstar and Classic modes later on this guide.
Customize The Calendar And Your Shows
One latest feature in WWE 2K26 is the Universe wizard. Once you first start the mode, you are given the choice to ‘customize Universe.’ If you happen to’re going to change the calendar and your shows, it’s a superb idea to make use of this wizard, because it gives you a pleasant start.
Here’s what it takes you thru:
Select Weekly Shows
The very first thing the wizard has you do is select your weekly shows. The initial options are Raw, NXT, Smackdown, WCW Nitro, and ECW. You may add custom shows, too
Select Premium Live Events
After you have chosen and edited your weekly shows, you then get the possibility to select your Premium Live Events. There are a bunch of pre-selected ones you can keep or turn off.
You can even add latest ones, which takes you to a menu just like the edit shows one. One difference is the ‘Host Shows’ option, which allows you to select which of the weekly shows will host this event, meaning which superstars from those shows will feature on it. Also, you’ll be able to add a second day to the event if you happen to want.
Select Starting Month
Now, you get to pick which month the Universe begins in. By default, you begin within the month after WrestleMania since that is largely the beginning of the WWE yr.
Nevertheless, you’ll be able to select to begin in every other month. For example, you might wish to begin in January, which immediately puts you on the road to WrestleMania.
Add Or Edit Shows
If you happen to select so as to add a show, you come to a menu where you’ll be able to change the next things:
- Show Details – Show name, arena, theme song, graphics, etc.
- General Manager – The one that will represent them within the draft.
- Participants – The superstars who compete on the show.
- Variety of Matches – The variety of matches you wish on each show.
- Match Table – The kind of match types that the sport robotically generates for the show, and the way incessantly they achieve this.
- Edit Championships and MITB – Select the championships that you just want the show’s roster to compete for, including the Money within the Bank briefcases.
- Edit Divisions – Each championship has its own division. Select which superstar suits during which division. This impacts what titles they go for.
- Edit Power Rankings – Dictates how everyone seems to be ranked on the show. Those near the highest get a lift to their attributes.
- Day – What day of the week your show takes place on.
All of this stuff might be modified on existing shows, too, by pressing the ‘Edit Show’ button.
After you have chosen all this stuff, you are able to generate your Universe.
Settings
After the fundamental setup, the next step is to go to options, since there could also be things you wish to change before you start. You may find ‘options’ on the principal Universe menu.
These are the choices you’ll be able to change:
Universe Tab
- Current Playstyle – That is the Classic or Superstar mode decision, just in the choices menu.
- Manager Superstar Frequency – That is exclusive to Superstar mode. Within the Manage Superstar menu, you get to forcibly start rivalries, change shows, give yourself a title match, etc. This selection allows you to resolve how often you are shown this menu.
- Intergender Wrestling – Select whether you wish men and girls to fight each other.
- Starting Month – One other probability to pick what month the Universe begins in.
- Automatic Rivalries – Dictates what number of, if any, rivalries might be robotically created after a rivalry motion occurs. If you wish to manually create your individual rivalries, you’ll be able to set this to ‘off.’
- Automatic Rivalry Actions – How likely it’s that a rivalry motion robotically triggers.
- Tag Team Formations – Determine whether you wish the sport to robotically form teams based on rivalry actions.
- Tag Team Break Ups – Determine whether you wish the sport to robotically break teams up based on rivalry actions.
- Auto-Assign Managers – Dictates whether the sport robotically assigns managers when creating matches. If set to Teams, the sport will assign team members as managers. If set to Superstars, the sport will prioritize assigning regular managers before team members.
- Alignment Changes – Determine whether you wish the sport to robotically make someone turn heel or babyface based on rivalry actions.
- Injuries – Select whether you wish people to find a way to be injured from rivalry actions.
- AI Announce Money-In Rate – The upper the number, the more likely the AI is to announce its Money In The Bank cash-in ahead of time. Set it to zero to disable it completely.
- AI Mid-Match Money-In Rate – The upper the number, the more likely the AI is to money within the Money In The Bank in the course of a match. Set it to zero to disable it completely.
- AI Post-Match Money-In Rate – The upper the number, the more likely the AI is to money within the Money In The Bank at the tip of a match. Set it to zero to disable it completely.
- Universe Tutorials – Select whether you wish tutorials to look in Universe Mode. If you happen to’re latest to the mode, it might be value keeping them on.
Presentation Tab
- Superstar Entrances – Select whether you wish entrances on by default.
- Intro Movie – Select whether you wish your shows to have an intro.
- Show Theme – Select whether you wish your show’s theme to play between matches.
- Show Match Card Theme – Select whether you wish your show theme to play throughout the match card menus.
- Gameplay Take Over Behavior – Once you’re watching the show as an alternative of playing it, you’ll be able to take over mid-match. This dictates whether that option is on by default.
- Gameplay Take Over Reset – If you happen to’re watching the show and have taken over mid-match, you’ll be able to proceed to play the following match if this setting is about to ‘Don’t Reset.’
- Watch Show Gameplay HUD – Select whether you wish the HUD to be there once you’re watching a show.
Matchmaking Tab
These settings don’t impact the matches you have booked on the show. They’re solely based on the AI-booked matches.
- Match Card Sort Style – On ‘Modern,’ the sport places crucial matches initially and end of the show. On ‘Retro’, the least essential matches are initially, and the matches get more essential as the cardboard goes on.
- The remainder of the choices on this tab are sliders that allow you identify which varieties of matches are considered roughly essential, which impacts the ordering.
Power Tools Tab
- Clear Relationships – Click this to clear the relationships for each superstar on either all or specific shows. This implies they may now not have any current allies or enemies.
- Clear Managers – Click this to clear the managers for each superstar on either all or specific shows.
- Clear Rivalries – Click this to clear rivalries for either all or specific shows.
- Clear Championships – Click this to clear the present titleholders for either all or specific shows.
- Clear Divisions – Click this to clear the divisions for either all or specific shows.
- Clear Championship History – Click this to remove all championship history for either all or specific shows.
- Clear Historical Stats – Click this to remove all history for superstars on either all or specific shows.
- Reset Universe – Resets the whole Universe, deleting all of your progress.
Using The Calendar
From the principal Universe menu, you’ll be able to access the calendar.
If you happen to’ve used the wizard to establish your Universe, you likely won’t need to make use of the calendar an excessive amount of. In spite of everything, it’s mainly for adding and editing weekly shows and Premium Live Events, which you’ll have already done with the wizard. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to make adjustments.
Plus, if you happen to click on a day in any month, you are in a position to jump to the day on the calendar. So, if you wish to skip ahead to an enormous Premium Live Event, you’ll be able to. All the outcomes for the shows you skip might be simulated.
Managing Roster (Classic Mode)
Listed below are different ways to manage your roster in WWE 2K26:
Edit Superstars
On the principal Universe screen, there may be a ‘Superstars’ tile. Click on it to see the entire superstars in the sport. From here, you can edit various things about them.
Listed below are the principal things:
- Attributes
- Personality Traits
- Alignment (Heel or Babyface)
- Crowd Response
- Relationships (Allies and Enemies)
- Assigned Show
- Attires
- Paybacks
- Entrance
- Victory Motion
You may adjust all of those to make your superstars how you wish them.
Rivalries
By pressing on the ‘Rivalries’ tile, you’ll be able to take a look at the assorted rivalries in your shows.
You can even create rivalries from here. If you happen to’re doing that, you’ll want to select three things:
- Rivalry Type – Select between a one-on-one rivalry and a tag team rivalry.
- Select Rivals – Pick the superstars who’re going to be involved within the rivalry.
- Intensity – The extent of intensity determines the sort of rivalry actions you will notice on this feud. For instance, on the ‘Low’ setting, you are more likely to see distractions and bits of disrespect, while on ‘Very High,’ you are going to see attacks and brawls.
Once you’ve rivalries arrange, you’ll begin to see matches and segments featuring those involved robotically booked in your shows. And rivalry actions are more likely to occur.
Teams
Within the Tag Teams menu, you get to see the assorted teams in your Universe Mode. You may edit, delete, or create teams from this menu.
Once you’re creating them, you get to select their name, in the event that they’re affiliated with every other group, the gang response they receive, the members of the team, their entrance motions, and their victory motions.
It’s all quite easy to grasp.
Drafts
Something latest that WWE 2K26 has added to the series is Drafts. These are events where general managers of two brands can draft superstars for his or her shows.
To establish a draft, first click on the ‘Drafts’ tile on the principal Universe menu. From here, you’ll be able to select a brand new draft or edit an old one.
These are all the choices you’ve and what they mean:
Fundamental Tab
- Draft Name – Select what you wish to call the draft.
- Draft Logo – You may give the draft a singular image that appears on the calendar.
- Week – Select the week it’s going down. It occurs across each the competing shows.
- Participating Shows – Select the 2 shows that you wish to feature within the draft.
- Complement Shows – You may select other brands that do not compete within the draft, but their superstars can be found for the others to draft.
- Draft Rounds – Select what number of draft segments you get during draft week.
- Max Draft Picks – Pick what number of draft picks each GM could make.
- Draft Picks Per Round – Dictates what number of individuals are drafted per segment.
Draft Picks Tab
- Pre-Pick Reserves – If you happen to turn this on, each GMs can select people from their rosters, so the opposite GM cannot draft them.
- Reserve Picks – This determines how lots of these reserve picks they each get, from one to 10.
- Champion Picks – Select what number of current titleholders might be drafted, from none to unlimited.
- Team Picks – Select what number of full teams might be drafted (full teams count as multiple draft picks).
- Team Splitting – Determine whether a GM can pick singular members of teams.
- Free Agent Picks – Select whether GMs can select people who find themselves currently free agents, and what number of they’ll pick. You may select every thing from none to unlimited.
- Legend Picks – Select whether GMs can select people who find themselves considered legends, and what number of they’ll pick. You may select every thing from none to unlimited.
- Draft Pick Splash – Determine whether you wish a splash screen to pop up after a draft pick.
Once you have chosen all those options and saved them, your draft is scheduled.
Once you get to draft week, you’ll notice draft segments in your shows. The variety of them depends upon what number of draft rounds you have set.
When you reach these segments, you have to first select whether you or the CPU will handle the drafting. You get to make a decision per brand. So, you’ll be able to potentially control one GM, while the CPU controls the opposite. Alternatively, you or the CPU can control each. You may even have multiple human players involved.
Regardless of the setup, you then start picking people based on the principles you set out once you created the draft. When all draft segments are complete for the week, the roster changes take effect.
Editing And Playing Shows (Classic Mode)
You may play Universe Mode in a way where you just allow the sport to make matches and arrange rivalry actions for you. Alternatively, you’ll be able to do all this yourself.
Editing Matches
By choosing the ‘Tonight’s Show’ tile, you’ll be able to have a take a look at the cardboard that the CPU has arrange. If you wish to do something different, click on ‘Edit Matches.’
This takes you to the list of matches on the cardboard. Hover over any that you wish to change, and hit the button labeled ‘edit match.’ From there, you’ll be able to change every thing from the participants to the match type.
At the underside of the screen, it’s also possible to discover a button labeled ‘Rivalry actions.’ Click this if you wish to add a scene before, during, or after a match.
By default, you’ll be able to only add actions that fit the present intensity of the feud. Nevertheless, if you happen to press the ‘Free Mode’ button, you’ve many more possible actions.
If there are two actions assigned to a match, the sport will robotically select one to occur. The selection is partially affected by the present momentum of the rivalry.
Within the rivalry actions menu, it’s also possible to change the match to a promo segment if you happen to desire.
A number of other things to notice while editing matches:
- You may press the button assigned to ‘Mystery Opponent’ to make one in every of the competitors a mystery.
- Press the ‘move’ button to maneuver matches up or down on the cardboard.
- There’s also a button to delete a match if you happen to just want it gone.
Once you have edited all of your matches, you’ll be able to save them to return to the Tonight’s Show screen.
Playing The Show
Once the show is about as much as your liking, you can play it, watch it, or simulate it.
There’s a button on the bottom of the screen labeled ‘Watch.’ Press this to look at the whole show. There’s also a ‘Simulate all matches’ tile on the Tonight’s Show screen.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to select ‘Start Show’ to decide on whether you wish to play, watch, or simulate each individual match.
Once you’ve finished playing a match, you’ve to pick ‘Exit’ on the post-match screen as an alternative of ‘Next Match’ if you happen to also wish to play the following one. If you happen to go for ‘Next Match,’ you’ll just be watching it. It’s unclear if that is an intended feature or something that may eventually be fixed.
Superstar Mode
Once you select Superstar Mode, the very first thing you’ll want to do after organising your Universe is select the superstar you wish to control. You may select anyone you’ve unlocked.
If they don’t seem to be a current participant in any of your lively shows, you have to pick which show you wish them added to.
Manage Superstar
Go into the ‘Manage Superstar’ tile to perform big actions that may impact your superstar’s profession. These are your options:
- Start a Rivalry – Start a rivalry with someone.
- End Rivalry – End the present rivalry you are in.
- Create A Match – Select your next match type.
- Championship Match – Trigger a championship match. You may either go for another person’s title or defend your individual if you’ve one.
- Change Shows – Jump to a different brand.
- Create A Team – Create a team along with your superstar.
- Disband Team – End a team that you just’re an element of.
- Royal Rumble Match – Once you’re near the Royal Rumble PLE, you need to use this to secure your spot within the Royal Rumble match.
- Money In Money In The Bank – If you happen to’re holding the Money within the Bank, you need to use this feature to money within the briefcase to get a shot at a title.
You may use only one in every of these actions per week, so don’t waste them.
Edit Superstar
From the principal menu in Superstar Mode, you’ll be able to go into ‘Edit Superstar.’
In here, you’ll be able to change things like your personality traits, your alignment (heel or babyface), your crowd response, whether you appear on minor shows, and your relationships.
Playing Matches
To get into the motion, click on the ‘Play’ tile from the principal Universe menu.
This can take you to the show and your segment. It could be a match or a promo. Unlike in Classic Mode, you cannot edit the matches. That said, you’ll be able to change your rivalry motion, but not the opponents.
So, you just have the choice to play or simulate the match. Beware you can’t simulate every match on this mode. You simply get just a few possibilities to simulate per 30 days. So, use them correctly.