The official WWE 2K26 Showcase trailer starring CM Punk premiered Monday night, spotlighting the game's ambitious mode centered on the "Best in the World" and his storied career.
The reveal was framed as a social media-style "takeover" by CM Punk, with the post captioned: "It's only fitting for the Best in the World to share the #WWE2K26 Showcase Trailer. - CM Punk."
The nearly two-minute trailer showcases CM Punk across multiple career eras, highlighting the evolution from his early straight-edge persona through his prime "Best in the World" years with full tattoo sleeves, and into his modern look.
Gameplay footage emphasizes the Showcase mode's variety, featuring signature CM Punk moments including GTS finishers, aerial offense, ringside brawls, and dramatic sequences such as cage climbs and bloody rivalries.
The trailer also highlights a special, neutral Punk-themed arena designed for dream match and fantasy warfare scenarios.
2K Showcase: Punked – CM Punk's Personal Journey
The Showcase mode carries the official title "2K Showcase: Punked – CM Punk's Personal Journey," with narration provided by Punk himself. The mode allows players to experience his professional wrestling journey, charting his rise, rebellious peak, and long-awaited return, including key moments such as the legendary 2011 "Pipe Bomb" promo and his comeback years.
The mode introduces several headline features for the WWE 2K26 franchise:
Fantasy Warfare enables players to pit CM Punk against WWE Legends and stars in dream "What If?" scenarios that go beyond his real-life match history.
Showcase Gauntlet offers endurance-style challenge runs for players seeking extended, high-difficulty Showcase experiences.
Structurally, the Showcase blends recreations of Punk's real matches with alternate-timeline and fantasy bouts, effectively giving players multiple ways to revisit or rewrite his legacy.
Relive History focuses on CM Punk's actual matches and rivalries from his career, allowing players to play through authentic moments drawn from his WWE run.
Change History explores alternate versions of Punk's story through "What If?" scenarios, reimagining how key chapters could have unfolded.
Create History leans into completely fictional dream matches against legends and contemporary stars, using Punk as the centerpiece of fantasy booking-style encounters.
Progression through the Showcase mode rewards players with unlockable content including alternate attires, special arenas, and additional playable characters, consistent with prior WWE 2K Showcase structures.
Matches and Moments Teased in the Trailer
Wrestling fans and gaming outlets quickly began analyzing the trailer frame by frame to identify the matches and story beats featured, with around a dozen Punk matches and segments seemingly represented in the footage.
Relive History-style matches that appear to be included, based on the trailer footage, include Rey Mysterio at Armageddon 2008, The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2013, multiple John Cena encounters, a RAW match against JBL, and a recent Hell in a Cell bout with Drew McIntyre. (These are teased in the trailer but not yet fully, officially match-listed.)
Change History scenarios teased in the trailer include a mixed tag team bout pairing Punk and AJ Lee against The Miz and Maryse, presented as a clear “What If?” alternate-timeline matchup rather than a recreation of a real event.
Create History dream matches showcased in the trailer include fantasy encounters with Stone Cold Steve Austin in a themed arena and Eddie Guerrero, along with brief teases suggesting additional clashes with names like The Rock and potential tag combinations. These are presented as fantasy warfare scenarios rather than confirmed historical recreations.
The full, official Showcase match list has not yet been published, but 2K has indicated that full details will be revealed ahead of launch, with all Showcase content unlocked progressively through mode completion.
WWE 2K26 Release Details
WWE 2K26 is scheduled to launch worldwide on March 13, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Premium editions — including the King of Kings Edition, Attitude Era Edition, and Monday Night Wars Edition — grant early access starting March 6, 2026.
The game features a roster of more than 400 wrestlers, with WWE Legends such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eddie Guerrero among those confirmed via promotional materials and the Punk Showcase. New match types for this year include the Inferno Match, I Quit Match, Three Stages of Hell, and Dumpster Match, alongside expanded support for intergender wrestling across select modes.
Revamped and returning modes include MyRISE, Universe Mode, MyGM, The Island, and MyFACTION, with the Create-A-Superstar system expanded to support up to 200 custom character slots for user-created wrestlers.
