2K shows off WWE 2K26 gameplay, plus cover star CM Punk

The official (standard edition) cover star for WWE 2K26 debuted over the weekend, along with the first look at gameplay.

WWE 2K26 officially gets a first look

Just the other day, we told you about the first cover reveals for this year’s WWE title from 2K and developer Visual Concepts. Those were the special editions of WWE 2K26, which respectively look to feature the Monday Night Wars, the Attitude Era, and HHH. But of course, there was a big empty slot in those unveilings.

That missing piece was the first look at the game’s ‘standard edition’ artwork. Of course, tied in with that too, is just who’d be making an appearance on said cover. Thanks to a big update over Royal Rumble weekend though, we’ve got not only that info, but also the first look at the title in action.

For the former, the cover star will be none other than CM Punk. The somewhat controversial athlete has made a massive return to the WWE after years away, and has since been on a tear. A series of high-profile feuds have culminated in a World Title reign, as Punk has once again made himself a commanding force in the promotion. And now he’s back on the cover of the official game, for the first time since WWE ’13.

It wasn’t just Punk that was featured in what was to be a first look at the game’s play though. Right along with the champ was a mighty spread of both current and legacy talent. Those names included Triple H of course, along with “Rhea Ripley, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Stephanie Vaquer, Undertaker, Kane, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Eddie Guerrero, Logan Paul, Iyo Sky, and many more”.

Check ’em the trailer below.

Superstars yes, but also match types and pre-orders

So yeah, it certainly look like WWE 2K26 is going to be packed with talent. 2K says that the game will star a whopping 400+ playable characters, spread out across the history of the WWE. The publisher adds that that’ll be the biggest roster in history, and we aren’t going to argue that point.

Along with the wrestlers though, half the fun of these games are the match types. WWE 2K26 will have what we assume will be the standards, but some new ones as well. Inferno and Dumpster matches will both make their appearance in the title, but that’s not all. Two more will be revealed in the weeks to come, though right now we don’t have any info on what they might be.

What 2K has told us is that there will be “expansive new brawl environments, core gameplay advancements, including barricade combat, and new offensive tools”. In with that last lot will be “shopping carts, stacked tables and thumbtacks” too. So if you’re a ‘hardcore’ fan, you’ll have some new toys to play with.

As for the editions, and along with the newly revealed standard edition, fans can look for those three that we mentioned. Those will, officially, be the King of Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition, and Monday Night War Edition. All of the above should be up for pre-order now, as WWE 2K26 makes its way towards launch.

Speaking of, there’s nothing to report just yet on that end. If history is a guide though, we should be looking at news about that release sometime very soon.