Paul Heyman says WWE 2K26's goal isn't just to appeal to wrestling fans - it's to steal players from gaming giants like Fortnite and Call of Duty.
In an interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Heyman explained WWE's ambitious vision for the upcoming video game and why he avoids letting his own nostalgia influence the product.
I would like to steal people from other video game franchises. I'd like to entice people to not play Fortnite, but to play WWE 2K26. I would like to entice people not to play Call of Duty, but to play WWE 2K26. So, it's not just a matter of, ooh, what would happen if I put Lou Thesz and Bruno Sammartino and Brock Lesnar in a triple threat match together? It's more of what can appeal to today's gamer audience.
Heyman Avoids Personal Fantasy Booking
The WWE creative leader acknowledged the generational gap between himself and the typical gamer, which is why he focuses on what appeals to the gaming audience rather than his own preferences.
If I were to do that, then I'm living out my own fantasies within the video game and I am maybe a couple of weeks, months, maybe even a year or two older than the typical gamer that's out there today. So, because of that, I try not to play to my own fantasy booking. I tried to play to the audience's fantasy booking and not just the WWE audience, but the video game audience itself.
'The Last Thing a Video Game Wants to Be Is Back in the Day'
Heyman emphasized that modern gaming demands a forward-thinking approach rather than dwelling on nostalgia.
The last thing a video game wants to be is back in the day. Video games want to be this is the future. This is what gets people to stay at home and never leave. And if they do leave, they're playing it on their phone 24/7. That's the thing - 24/7, 365 engagement and interaction and immersive experience into a video game like no other.
He compared the gaming industry to fashion, where being a "throwback" is a death sentence.
It's like the fashion business. You don't want to be a throwback. You want to be fashion forward.
WWE 2K26 launches March 13 with CM Punk as the cover star.
