WWE 2K26 Official Announcement Marks A HUGE 14-Year First! (WWE News)

With the Royal Rumble now in the rearview mirror, and with us now firmly on the patented Road to WrestleMania, it's that time of the year when wrestling fans and gamers ramp up their excitement for the latest addition to the WWE 2K video game series.

On that front, WWE 2K26 releases on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC from March 6, and this marks the first time in 14 years that CM Punk takes centre-stage as the cover star, in addition to the Second City Saint being the focus of the game's Showcase mode.

Having previously been on the cover of WWE '13 back in 2012, current World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk narrates WWE 2K26's Showcase mode, as players get the chance to revisit some of the Straight-Edge Superstar's greatest matches, and explore various 'what if?' dream matches of Punker's.

While CM Punk is the main cover star of WWE 2K26, the game also has a King of Kings edition that celebrates the career of Triple H, there's an Attitude Era edition that highlights some of the biggest names of that time, and there is also a Monday Night Wars edition where some of the heavy hitters of WCW join their WWE counterparts.

The standard edition of WWE 2K26 releases on March 13, though those purchasing the King of Kings, Attitude Era, or Monday Night Wars editions get access from March 6. Likewise, for anybody pre-ordering WWE 2K26, they'll receive the Joe Hendry Pack, which includes playable Joe Hendry, a Joe Hendry shirt cosmetic, a Joe Hendry MyFACTION EVO card, and a Joe Hendry Spin Island Emote. Pre-orders between now and February 23 will also receive 15,000 VC in WWE 2K26, and 67,500 VC in WWE 2K25.

The full press release for WWE 2K26 reads:

Today, 2K announced WWE® 2K26, the newest installment of theflagship WWE video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts, will be available starting March 6 forPlayStation®5 (PS5®), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch™ 2, and PC via Steam.

The current World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk strikes a defiant pose on the Standard Editioncover, a position befitting a Triple Crown Champion. One of the most celebrated and subversive personasin WWE history, CM Punk previously appeared on the cover of WWE ‘13, and also headlines WWE 2K26’s 2K Showcase.

The King of Kings Edition celebrates the in-ring career and ongoing behind-the-scenes legacy of WWEHall of Famer and current WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

The Attitude Era Edition evokes nostalgia for one of the greatest eras in WWE history, and larger-than-life personalities including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Shawn Michaels,Stephanie McMahon, Undertaker, Kane, Trish Stratus, Lita, Chyna, Kurt Angle, and The DudleyBoyz.

An all-new “super-premium” Monday Night War Edition features content tied to WWE stars of theAttitude Era, as well as a collection of WCW’s biggest names of the era, including “Hollywood” HulkHogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Goldberg, Booker T, and Eric Bischoff.

King of Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition, and Monday Night Wars Edition are scheduled forworldwide release on Friday, March 6, 2026, seven days prior to the Standard Edition, which will beavailable Friday, March 13, 2026.

"As a kid, I could only dream of being on the cover of a video game. Now I join a very exclusive group ofWWE Superstars who have done it twice,” said CM Punk. "I enjoyed the experience of narrating the 2KShowcase, which gave me an opportunity to tell fans the straight, unfiltered story of the moments,matches, and controversies in my career. Players will get to step into my boots, relive some of myproudest WWE moments, and take on challenges I never had the opportunity to face.”

“WWE 2K26 introduces several new community-requested match types and gameplay features,” saidGreg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts. “The team has put a lot of thought into refining the in-ringaction and presentation, while also expanding creative options to allow players more freedom than everbefore.”

WWE 2K26 features several updates and improvements to existing features throughout the game:

● 2K Showcase: Punked - CM Punk’s Personal Journey: CM Punk jumps through time to reliveincredible moments from his career. Narrated by "The Best in the World" himself, players willrelive iconic matches and battle against WWE Legends in Fantasy Warfare. For those who wantto truly prove their mettle, the Showcase Gauntlet looks to push players to their limits! CM Punk’srise, rebellion, and return make this the most personal 2K Showcase yet;

● Best in the World Roster of 400+: WWE 2K26 boasts a roster of over 400 playable characters;The biggest in franchise history. A combination of current Superstars from RAW, SmackDown,and NXT, Legends, and WWE Hall of Famers, the massive roster features John Cena, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Iyo Sky, Andre the Giant, DrewMcIntyre, Bron Breakker, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Seth Rollins, Logan Paul, Stephanie Vaquer,Eddie Guerrero, Liv Morgan, Bret “Hitman” Hart, Penta, Charlotte Flair, Randy Orton, newadditions and returns including Rey Fénix, Rusev, and Blake Monroe, and many more;

● Four New Match Types, Offensive Tools, and Gameplay Upgrades: Four new match types,including I Quit, Inferno, Three Stages of Hell and Dumpster, stackable tables, new usableobjects including shopping carts and thumbtacks, and larger interactive environments offer newbut familiar ways to punish opponents. Intergender Matches are available across core gamemodes. A revamp of the Reversals and Stamina system adds a layer of strategy and upgradedphysics interactions make the action feel more dynamic and dangerous. Interactive entrancesand the addition of Booker T and Wade Barrett to the commentary team further refine theaudiovisual presentation;

● Creation Suite - 2X the CAS and Image Slots, Plus Body Morphing: The best-in-classcustomization mode now offers 200 Create-A-Superstar save slots, doubling the existing count inresponse to community demand. Community Creations now features a doubled image capacity of2,000, deeper body and face morphing tools, and two-tone hair color blending, giving playersunprecedented freedom to craft the Superstars, arenas, and other creations of their dreams;

● MyGM - More Shows, More Superstars Per Match: New Intergender Matches, 5, 6, and 8-manmatches, plus support for more match types than ever before, vastly increase the number ofpossible matches and outcomes. More shows per season pose new management challenges in2K’s strategic brand management simulation mode;

● MyRISE - New Theme, Increased Replay Value: Players define their MySUPERSTAR’s journeythrough two new division-based storylines where villainous or heroic decisions impactMyPLAYERs like never before. Players can now keep playing even after the main stories arecomplete, with more unlockable content and achievements to earn for increased replayability;

● Universe - The Draft is Here!: The WWE Draft comes to WWE 2K’s sandbox mode whereplayers create their own WWE Universe and control match outcomes. Other new introductionsinclude new Universe Creation Wizard, Watch Show mode, improved Money in the Bank cash-ins, and additional Promo types;

● The Island - New Storyline and Environment, Available on All Platforms: 2K’s WWE-themedworld is now bigger and more social than ever, and available for the first time on PC. Players willchoose one of three factions and battle for control with a revamped progression system. The newScrapyard Brawl environment, fresh Towers, new shops and branded gear, an expandedMySUPERSTAR builder with face-photo importing, plus upgraded quests, complete withSuperstar voiceovers, cutscenes and dialogue screens, enhance the immersive experience;● MyFACTION - Chemistry is Key: The collectible card-battle mode is back with new intergenderlineups and Quick Swap matches. Players collect new card designs and boost their performancewith the new Faction Chemistry and run-in support. New themed card packs and goals willcontinue to roll out regularly throughout the year with seasonal content refreshes;

● Ringside Passes - DLC Gets an Upgrade with More Post-Launch Content Than EverBefore: The all-new Ringside Pass offers players additional incentive to play, earning XP acrossall game modes, excluding online lobbies. 60 free tiers and 40 premium tiers will be available toreward gameplay, with players who can reach tier 40 of the Ringside Pass Premium Season ableto unlock Superstars, cosmetic and customization items, VC, MyFACTION and The Islandcontent, and more. The Ringside Pass Premium replaces the previous DLC model, rewardingplayers with all-new playable characters unavailable on the base game roster, including currentSuperstars, Legends, Personas, and some unexpected names. Six Ringside Pass Seasons areplanned to roll out throughout the year, with Ringside Pass Season 1 available at launch andfeaturing unlockable Superstars and Legends, previously available in the WWE 2K Supercharger, on the free tier.

New Motion-Based Nintendo Switch 2 Features
WWE 2K26 on Nintendo Switch 2 will offer several additional features made possible through NintendoSwitch 2's unique hardware, including touchscreen and mouse support, GameShare and GameChat,support for single Joy-Con gameplay, and the ability to use mouse controls in Creation Suite for face andbody painting. The Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game will also now support Image Uploader andcross-platform Community Creations.

WWE 2K26 Editions

WWE 2K26 features four editions of the game: Standard Edition, King of Kings Edition, Attitude EraEdition, and Monday Night War Edition:

● The Standard Edition will be available for $69.99;

○ Pre-Order Bonus Offer: Players who pre-order the WWE 2K26 Standard Edition willreceive the Joe Hendry Pack*, a bonus pack of content containing playable Superstar JoeHendry, a Joe Hendry shirt cosmetic item, Joe Hendry MyFACTION EVO card, and JoeHendry Spin Island Emote. Players who pre-order any edition of WWE 2K26 for PS5, XboxSeries X|S, or PC will also receive the WWE 2K25 base game (digital).** Players who pre-order Attitude Era Edition or Monday Night War Edition on PlayStation or Xbox betweenJanuary 29 and February 23 at 8AM PT will receive 15,000 VC in WWE 2K26 and 67,500 VCin WWE 2K25;***

● King of Kings Edition will be available for $99.99. King of Kings Edition includes the StandardEdition, Joe Hendry Pack, Ringside Pass Premium Season 1, and 32,500 VC, plus the King ofKings Pack which includes playable Superstars Triple H ‘98 and Stephanie McMahon ‘00, and a“Triple H Signature Taunt” Emote for The Island. King of Kings Edition will be available fromMarch 6, 2026 – seven days ahead of Standard Edition;

● Attitude Era Edition will be available for $129.99. In addition to all content included in the Kingof Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition includes access to Ringside Pass Premium Seasons 1-4,plus the Attitude Era Edition Pack, which features playable Superstars The Rock ‘99, Kane ‘98,and Chyna ‘97, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin “Rattlesnake” and The Rock “People’s Champ”MyFACTION EVO cards, the Raw is War ‘98 Arena, and Undertaker “Thumb Across the Neck”and Shawn Michaels “DX Crotch Chop” Emotes for The Island. The Superstar Mega-Boost is alsoincluded, which grants 200 MySUPERSTAR attribute points for MyRISE plus 100,000 VC.Attitude Era Edition will be available from March 6, 2026 – seven days ahead of StandardEdition;

● Monday Night War Edition will be available for $149.99. In addition to all content included in theAttitude Era Edition, Monday Night War Edition includes access to Ringside Pass PremiumSeasons 1-6, plus the Monday Night War Edition Pack, which features playable SuperstarsShawn Michaels DX, Macho Man Randy Savage ‘98, Rowdy Roddy Piper ‘98, the WCW Thunder ‘98 Arena, and a Diamond Dallas Page “Bang!” Emote for The Island. Monday Night WarEdition also grants entitlement for the WrestleMania 42 Pack, which includes the WrestleMania42 Arena and three WrestleMania 42 Superstar Persona Cards to be automatically entitled post-launch.**** Monday Night War Edition will be available from March 6, 2026 – seven days aheadof Standard Edition