WWE 2K26’s New Cover Star Returns After 14 Year Absence

The WWE 2K series has featured some truly legendary superstars on the cover over the course of the past decade, with a list of cover stars that includes stars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, AJ Styles, Rey Mysterio, and more, just to name a few. WWE 2K26 will follow that tradition once more with another iconic superstar, and this will be that superstar’s return to the cover for the first time in 14 years.

The cover star of WWE 2K26 will be the Second City Saint and WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, and it couldn’t be a more perfect time for Punk to grace the cover. The last time he appeared on the cover of a WWE game was WWE 13, which was back before the series got branded as WWE 2K. Punk left WWE in 2014, and he made his return to WWE in 2023. Now he’s once again on the cover, and you can check it out in the image below.

“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.”

CM Punk Is More Than Just The Cover Star of WWE 2K26

While gracing the cover of WWE 2K26 is a big enough deal, Punk is far more than just the cover star, as the franchise’s marquee Showcase mode will be fully based on Punk’s historic career. The 2K Showcase will jump through time to bring a selection of incredible moments to life from his WWE career, though there will be a welcome twist.

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While the 2K Showcase mode will feature a number of iconic matches and moments from Punk’s previous time in WWE, it will also likely feature moments from his latest era in WWE, which got started when he made his surprise return at Survivor Series. The mode will also feature fantasy matches that never had the chance to happen, and though we are waiting for the actual match list, the possibilities are endless.

One moment we definitely hope to see is Punk’s win over John Cena at SummerSlam in 2011, which unified the two WWE Championships, and another great moment is Punk’s huge cash-in on Edge for the Championship at Money in the Bank in 2008. One moment that everyone wants to see recreated is the infamous Pipe Bomb, but I’m not sure how that would exactly work in Showcase.

As for moments since his return, the match against John Cena would be a great addition, and obviously, Punk’s matches against Drew McIntyre, especially their Hell in a Cell match, would be great to experience. Another big match would be Punk’s victory over Gunther, and it also might be fun to have the mixed-Tag Match that he had alongside his wife AJ Lee against Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins at WrestlePalooza.

The Standard Edition of WWE 2K26 will retail for $69.99, and those who pre-order the game will receive the Joe Hendry Pack, which will feature playable Superstar Joe Hendry, a Joe Hendry shirt cosmetic item, a Joe Hendry MyFACTION EVO card, and a Joe Hendry Spin Island Emote.

WWE 2K26 will release on March 13, 2026.

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