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CM Punk Officially Announced As WWE 2K26 Cover Star

"Best in the World….. STILL"
Jeff Scott|
WWE 2K26 Cover Star CM Punkj
WWE 2K26 Cover Star CM Punkj | 2K Games

A couple of weeks ago, rumors began to emerge that CM Punk would be the WWE 2K26 cover star. It turns out the rumors were true, as WWE and 2K Games have officially revealed this year's cover with Punk front and center.

The announcement comes with little more than a day until the 2026 Royal Rumble kicks off. For the past week, WWE and 2K have been revealing more and more about this year's version of the game, including teasers for new modes and various special editions.

But the duo had yet to show off what the main version of the wrestling sim would look like this year. Until today.

Has CM Punk been on the WWE 2K cover before?

This isn't the first time that Punk has been crowned the cover star of WWE's flagship wrestling series. He did so 13 years ago when he donned the cover of WWE 2K13 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii.

He was also poised to be the frontman for the 2022/2023 edition of AEW: Fight Forever. However, his falling out with the company led to his being removed from cover duties before the game was officially released.

WWE 2K13 Cover Star CM Punk
WWE 2K13 Cover Star CM Punk | 2K Games

The current WWE World Heavyweight Champion and self-proclaimed "Best in the World" will also likely be the focal point of WWE 2K26's Showcase mode. Last year's WWE 2K25 featured Roman Reigns as its cover athlete, with the game's Showcase mode taking players through various portions of The Bloodline's history.

What is the WWE 2K26 Showcase mode?

Punk's Showcase mode is rumored to differ a bit from the norm. Commonly, the series' Showcase mode is a trip down memory lane of sorts, highlighting some of the biggest matches in WWE history. This year, 2K is reportedly still doing that with Punk's extensive catalogue of historic matches, but there's also said to be an "alternative history" take of what could have happened if Punk never left the WWE in 2014.

And then another portion of the Showcase mode may feature a fantasy match aspect, placing players in matches Punk wishes he could have competed in if her were to wrestle in another era.

CM Punk
CM Punk | Netflix

WWE 2K26 news has been coming in hot as of late. The 2K26 website is continually dropping teasers for new features coming to the game. Announcements for Attitude Era, Monday Night Wars, and King of Kings editions have come out.

That said, we've yet to see a proper trailer for the game's rumored March 13th release. Perhaps that trailer is imminent, with the Royal Rumble just a day away.

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Jeff Scott
JEFF SCOTT

Jeff Scott has been covering sports for over a decade now, with bylines featured at Heavy.com and SI.com. He's been fascinated with sports since a young age, which helped to lead him toward his current role as an SI contributor in the wrestling, boxing, and soccer spaces. His teenage years were molded by the WWE Attitude Era and he fondly remembers the spectacle that was Mike Tyson biting Holyfield’s ear off on live TV.

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