While Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K26 was properly announced and dated last Friday, the first-ever gameplay debuted during the recent Royal Rumble. You can check it out below, but spoiler warning: There’s a lot of CM Punk.
As the cover star for the title – nearly 13 years since WWE ’13 – this year’s showcase revolves primarily around his career, from important matches to Fantasy Warfare against Legends. That’s probably why you’re seeing three different iterations of Punk, from the blonde look during the independent days to the black hair that he debuted in WWE with. Who wants to bet that bald, mask-wearing Punk is also present somewhere?
Of course, with a roster of 400+ wrestlers, there’s a hefty amount of variety, from the likes of Joe Hendry and El Grande Americano to Stephanie Vaquer (who was previously DLC in WWE 2K25). Intergender matches return alongside mechanics like table stacking, in case you want to make a Hell in a Cell match even more violent.
WWE 2K26 launches on March 13th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 for $69.99. Those who pick up the King of Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition and Monday Night War Edition will receive seven days of early access.

