For the second time in his professional wrestling career, CM Punk is the cover star of a WWE video game. During the Royal Rumble Kickoff show in Saudi Arabia today, a first look at the Best in the World on the WWE 2K26 cover was revealed.
A gameplay trailer is set to be revealed during the Rumble tomorrow, and it's presumably then that we'll learn more about the game.
What we do know is that WWE 2K26 will be released on March 13 on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. It's also been revealed that the game is skipping the previous generation of consoles this time, including PlayStation 4 and, more surprisingly, the Nintendo Switch.
Punk previously appeared on the cover of WWE '13 during his first run with the company. After walking away from WWE in 2014, he returned at the end of Survivor Series: WarGames in 2023 and is now World Heavyweight Champion.
"It is my pleasure and my honor," Punk said of being named WWE 2K26 cover star. "When I was a little kid, I could only dream of being on the cover of a video game."
"And now I am joining some esteemed dignitaries that have been on the cover twice. It’s amazing, it’s pretty special we got to do the reveal here today in front of all you wonderful fans. I missed you guys, I love you," he added.
It's also been confirmed that Punk will be the focus of WWE 2K26's Showcase mode, where players will be able to experience many of his past matches and even a few dream match scenarios (we have to believe WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin will factor into that).
Three more editions of WWE 2K26 are on the way, including "King of Kings," "Attitude Era," and "Monday Night War." They'll be priced higher than the standard edition, and one features Triple H on the cover.
Punk is in Saudi Arabia, but not booked to defend his title at the Royal Rumble. Drew McIntyre, however, will be putting the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Sami Zayn.