The latest leaks and rumors suggest that the upcoming WWE 2K26 will feature a Showcase Mode themed entirely around current World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, but if so, it will have to factor in the ongoing Vince McMahon scandal. WWE 2K26 has yet to be officially revealed, but a logo has surfaced early thanks to a Logan Paul video, and all signs point to an unveiling within days.
WWE 2K26 leaks have trickled out, suggesting that the new game will feature four new match types not featured in its predecessor, as well as the return of Showcase Mode, with this year's iteration focusing on CM Punk. CM Punk is one of the most decorated wrestlers in WWE history and easily one of the top stars on the roster, so it makes a lot of sense to make him the star of WWE 2K26s Showcase. The issue is one of CM Punk's most iconic and memorable multi-person moments that, if they were to appear in the new game, would likely cause significant controversy.
WWE 2K26 may be going back to the Attitude Era, if the Logan Paul video is any indication
WWE 2K26 may put the spotlight on the wrestling organization's beloved Attitude Era, hinted at by a new video from Logan Paul.
Showcase Mode i WWE 2K game usually takes a look back at the biggest moments in a given wrestler's career. In the case of CM Punk, one of the defining moments was when he won the WWE Championship for the first time by beating John Cena at Money in the Bank in 2011 in his hometown of Chicago. The end of the match involved interference from Vince McMahon and John Lauranitis, with Alberto Del Rio failing to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase immediately after the match ended. Since the days of Money in the Bank in 2011, Vince McMahon and John Lauranitis have been hit with a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, who accused McMahon and Lauranitis of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Alberto Del Rio, meanwhile, has many controversies of his own that have made it highly unlikely that he will ever return to WWE. In fact, Del Rio left the Mexican wrestling company AAA not long after it was acquired by WWE.
CM Punk vs. John Cena Money in the Bank 2011 Match
You can still have a CM Punk vs. John Cena's Money in the Bank 2011 match at the Showcase, but it won't be a completely accurate representation of what happened if you don't include McMahon, Lauranitis and Del Rio. Maybe these people will appear in video packages explaining the match, or maybe WWE 2K26 will ignore their interference. In any case, whether WWE 2K26 ignore or acknowledge the elephant in the room, it will make a statement.
This wouldn't be the first time the McMahon lawsuit affected WWE 2K
When the McMahon trial and its associated allegations first came to light, it caused great trouble for WWE 2K24forcing the developers to change the game's Showcase Mode and remove Brock Lesnar from the list of playable wrestlers. Lesnar is not a defendant in Grant's lawsuit, but he is named in it. According to Grant's lawsuit, McMahon allegedly tried to arrange a sexual encounter between her and Lesnar, but it never took place.
While Lesnar was removed from several WWE video games and removed from television, he returned in 2025 and was added WWE 2K25 as DLC. Chances are Lesnar will be a part of WWE 2K26 rust from the jump. Vince McMahon was also on WWE TV recently during John Cena's last match in a video package, so it seems WWE is easy makes it easy to introduce people named in the lawsuit.
CM Punk vs. John Cena should have been a big part of WWE 2K23
Previous, WWE 2K Show missed opportunities have usually stemmed from wrestlers being contracted to other companies. In fact, that's exactly what happened WWE 2K23 Showcase, which was about John Cena and the biggest losses of his career. It was wild to have a Showcase mode like that and not include CM Punk vs. John Cena, but Punk was working for AEW at the time and had yet to return to WWE.
At this time we have no idea which matches will be featured in WWE 2K26 Showcase Mode, but it's likely that we'll find out a lot more about the game and its content in the near future.
