If there is no reconciliation between the Legend and WWE, which seems unlikely, then it is likely that WWE 2K26 will be the last game in the franchise featuring the iconic Three Faces of Foley. Mick Foley (including his Personas-Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind) is currently scheduled to appear in WWE 2K26 as a playable superstar and as a general manager in MyGM.
The Three Faces of Foley have appeared in a significant number of WWE matches over the years. His early appearances as Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love date back to WWF war zone on the Nintendo 64, where his characters are playable in most mainline WWE games since then. Conservative estimates suggest that he has appeared in roughly 30 video games in total, spanning main releases, spin-offs, mobile titles, and so on over two+ decades.
IN WWE 2K26Mick Foley is slated to appear as the General Manager in MyGM Mode, as well as a playable character in Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind. Mankind has a respectable overall rating of 86, likely due to the incredible bumps he's taken over the years, and Dude Love comes in at 81. Cactus Jack's overall rating has not been revealed as of this writing. Overall, it's clear that The Three Faces of Foley has a long history in WWE video games and continues to have a solid presence, but WWE 2K26 will likely be the last game with these legendary names.
Why WWE 2K26 marks the final appearance of The Three Faces of Foley
In December 2025, Mick Foley announced to his 600,000+ Instagram followers that he would be “parting ways with WWE.” Foley was a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during the election season and voiced his support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and beyond. He prefaced this announcement by saying that he has been “concerned about WWE's close relationship with Donald Trump for several months,” particularly amid the president's ongoing “cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants (and pretty much anyone who 'looks like an immigrant').” The final straw from Foley was President Trump commenting, mocking and otherwise belittling the death of Hollywood director Rob Reiner.
Rob Reiner was a critic of President Trump, a fact likely no different from the president's comments. Trump said Reiner's death “is said to be due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” Trump also said he was a “tortured and struggling, but once very talented film director and comedy star.”
In the aftermath of those comments, Foley said he “no longer wishes[es] to represent a company that celebrates a man who seemingly lacks compassion as he marches our country toward autocracy.” He informed WWE talent relations that he would not make any appearances for the company as long as President Trump remains in office and that he would not sign a new Legends deal in June. “I love the WWE, will always cherish my time with them, and I am deeply grateful for all the opportunities they gave me. But, in the words of Popeye the sailor man, 'I stand all I can stand, and I can't take it anymore.'
Mick Foley's departure timeline
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Foley announces his separation from WWE
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WWE 2K26 will be released in March 2026
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Foley's Legends contract expires in June 2026
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WWE 2K26 is likely to be released in March 2027
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Start
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Mick Foley will not sign a new Legends contract
Foley's Legends contract, which expires in June, is the key player here for WWE 2K26s list. Since it has not yet expired, he may appear in this year's game. Everything changes after that. In WWE, contracts and deals between superstars and legends involve a licensing agreement that, while incredibly complicated, can be summed up as the legal right to use a wrestler's name, likeness, and likeness in games, merchandise, promotions, and so on. For fans of the product, these promotions and their associated work often include the pseudonyms of superstars, which is why those from other wrestling products have to change their names. That's why, for example, Powerhouse Hobbs became Royce Keys and Mariah May became Blake Monroe. Few superstars own their own “brands,” so to speak, with AJ Styles being a notable exception.
When those agreements/contracts expire, WWE generally loses the legal right to use that person's likeness in new products (although it obviously doesn't affect older products). Simply put, Foley's Legends contract is likely tied to his licensing agreement, and without it, he can't appear in future games. The simplest result is that WWE 2K27 will not feature Mick Foley or any of his faces, ending a streak and an era for the legend.
It is worth noting that there is theoretically speaking ways to avoid this outcome. Without a Legends contract, WWE could (in theory) negotiate a new, separate licensing deal with Foley. It is possible that the Legends contract, or previous deals, extend the right to his likeness for a remaining period of time. Both of these are highly, highly unlikely, either due to their nature, Foley's stance towards WWE, or the development pipeline for WWE 2K26/WWE 2K27.
This will have a profound impact on WWE 2K gameplay
With Foley's contract expiring and WWE unable to secure any rights, Foley's Three Faces will be unusable for future WWE matches. Foley stated in his announcement that he would not make any appearances for the company as long as Trump remains president, so reconciliation could happen at some point in the future. However, it is uncertain.
And while small in the grand scheme of things, Foley's removal from the roster could have a profound impact on the direction of the game. Think back on WWE 2K23 when John Cena was the cover star. Since WWE didn't have the rights to CM Punk at the time, his loss-focused Showcase Mode suffered from missing out on one of the biggest moments of his career: his loss to CM Punk at Money in the Bank in 2011. Fingers crossed for that WWE 2K26s CM Punk Showcase mode includes this match.
Mick Foley has had a storied career competing in great matches against The Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin, among so many more. He has also tagged with several popular WWE Superstars over the years, and without a contract, all of those moments would have to be skipped, like John Cena vs. CM Punk at MITB 2011. WWE games have done it in the past with controversial figures or figures they didn't have rights to, but it was always noticed by the fans. And with one of WWE 2K26s special editions is the Monday Night War edition, the irony shouldn't be lost on fans.
