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WWE 2K26 'Attitude Era' Edition Cover Revealed On SmackDown

Tonight's episode saw WWE and 2K reveal the cover for the upcoming game in the long-running franchise
Ethan Schlabaugh|
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Over the last week, WWE and 2K have been posting videos of several superstars being asked who they believe should grace the cover of the next installment in the yearly professional wrestling series.

Names such as Cody Rhodes, Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, and several others have been picked by their fellow roster members. And during tonight's episode of SmackDown, WWE and 2K revealed a special edition of the game as well as a first look at one of the covers for the upcoming title.

The Attitude Era edition

The WWE games X account posted a video of multiple SmackDown stars making their predictions for who should be on the cover of WWE 2K26, with a caption urging fans to tune in to SmackDown, saying, "trust us, you won't want to miss it!"

This had many believing that the cover or some sort of hint about the game, such as the release date, would be shown tonight. Luckily for WWE 2K fans, they lived up to the expectations and showed what the cover of the Attitude Era edition of the game would be.

WWE 2K26 Attitude Era version cover
Cover of WWE 2K26's Attitude Era version | WWE/2K Games

The cover features major stars of that era, such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Kane, Undertaker, D-Generation-X, Trish Stratus, and more.

The video shown on SmackDown and posted online also revealed that pre-orders for the game start on January 30th.

If WWE and 2K follow the same formula as last year's game, reveals can be expected for the base game cover star, possible other editions of the game, and the release date in the near future.

The Attitude Era in WWE games

The span from the late 90s to the early 2000s in WWE is one of the promotion's most successful eras, so it makes sense that it has been the focus of more than a few video games.

WWE 13 would start the showcase-style mode that has become a staple of most WWE games in recent years, going through some of the biggest matches and storylines leading up to WrestleMania 15. WWE 2K16 would cover that era a bit, as that game focused on the career of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who many consider the face of the era.

Most recently, WWE 2K24 had some matches from the Attitude Era, like Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 and Austin vs. The Rock at featured matches from the Attitude Era, such as Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 and Austin vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 17, as the game covered a wide selection of matches from WrestleMania's long and storied history.

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Published
Ethan Schlabaugh
ETHAN SCHLABAUGH

Ethan Schlabaugh is a news writer for The Takedown on SI. His journalism experience has seen him cover professional wrestling for outlets such as TheSportster, The Takedown and more. He has been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, dating back to his first experience with the WCW Nintendo 64 games, and that passion for the sport has remained many years later. He also writes feature articles for ResuraMag, where he focuses on mainstream Japanese promotions like Stardom and Marigold.

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