Leaked WWE 2K26 CM Punk Showcase Would Have Big Hurdles to Overcome
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 that’s the case, it’s going to have to reckon with the ongoing Vince McMahon scandal. WWE 2K26 has yet to be officially revealed, but a logo has popped up early courtesy of a Logan Paul video, and all signs are pointing to an unveiling taking place in a matter of days.
WWE 2K26 leaks have been trickling out, suggesting that the new game will have four new match types that weren’t 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 highly-decorated wrestlers in WWE history and easily one of the top stars on the roster, so it makes a great deal of sense to make him the star of WWE 2K26‘s Showcase. The problem is one of CM Punk’s most iconic and memorable moments featured multiple people that, if they were to appear in the new game, would likely cause significant controversy.
WWE 2K26 Could Be Going Back to the Attitude Era, if Logan Paul Video is Any Indication
WWE 2K26 may put the focus on the wrestling organization’s beloved Attitude Era, hinted at through a recent video from Logan Paul.
Showcase Mode in WWE 2K games usually takes a look back at the biggest moments of any 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 2011 in his hometown of Chicago. The end of the match featured the involvement of Vince McMahon and John Lauranitis, with Alberto Del Rio failing to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase right after the match was over. Since the days of Money in the Bank 2011, Vince McMahon and John Lauranitis have been hit with a lawsuit 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 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 Money in the Bank 2011 match in Showcase, but it won’t be a fully accurate representation of what happened unless you include McMahon, Lauranitis, and Del Rio. Perhaps these people will be shown in video packages explaining the match, or maybe WWE 2K26 will ignore their involvement. In any case, whether WWE 2K26 ignores or acknowledges the elephant in the room, it will be making a statement.
This Wouldn’t Be the First Time the McMahon Lawsuit Impacted WWE 2K
When the McMahon lawsuit and its associated allegations first came to light, it caused major problems for WWE 2K24, forcing the developers to alter that game’s Showcase Mode and remove Brock Lesnar from the roster of playable wrestlers. Lesnar is not a defendant in Grant’s lawsuit, but he is mentioned in it. According to Grant’s lawsuit, McMahon allegedly attempted to arrange a sexual encounter between her and Lesnar, but it never actually took place.
While Lesnar was removed from multiple WWE video games and taken off television, he made his return in 2025 and was added to WWE 2K25 as DLC. Chances are Lesnar will be a part of the WWE 2K26 roster from the jump. Vince McMahon was also featured on WWE TV recently during John Cena’s last match in a video package, so it seems WWE is slightly easing up on featuring people mentioned in the lawsuit.
CM Punk vs. John Cena Should Have Been a Major Part of WWE 2K23
In the past, WWE 2K Showcase missed opportunities have typically stemmed from wrestlers being under contract to other companies. In fact, this is exactly what happened with the WWE 2K23 Showcase, which was all about John Cena and the greatest losses of his career. It was wild to have such a Showcase mode and not include CM Punk vs. John Cena, but Punk was working for AEW at the time and had yet to make his return to WWE.
At this juncture, we have no idea what matches will be featured in the WWE 2K26 Showcase Mode, but it’s likely we will find out a lot more about the game and its content in the near future.