SNME on November 1 Feels Like a Preview of WWE 2K26

Saturday Night's Main Event has two World Title matches set up: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Jey Uso vs. CM Punk for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Both matches are pretty exciting on paper, but they should also be pretty good in the ring, in action, and in-game too. It's hard for me to see these match-ups without thinking each of these men deserves the cover of WWE 2K26. Of the four, there are several clear reasons that CM Punk should grace WWE 2K26's cover.

Of course, 2K and Visual Concepts have not properly revealed WWE 2K26 quite yet, but it's right up there with death and taxes. 2K did confirm, though, that WWE 2K26 is in development and will be released by April 2026. History tells us that the proper reveal will come sometime around the Royal Rumble, although it's hard to say if the event taking place in Saudi Arabia will cause any changes, and it will likely release on the second Tuesday or Friday of March, as every game since WWE 2K's hiatus has. Regardless, when it arrives, it should do so with the best wrestler in the world on the cover.

WWE 2K26 is in development
WWE 2K26 reveal likely around the Royal Rumble
WWE 2K26 release date likely the second Tuesday or Friday of March (March 10/March 13)

Why WWE 2K26 Can't Use Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, or Jey Uso

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When I say all four deserve the cover, I mean it. Cody Rhodes is the quarterback, and I am a big-time American Nightmare fan. I would lose it for another game with him on the cover (the "but" is coming in a second). Drew is still a dominant, social media-savvy wrestler who can make the most out of anything given to him, with his feud with CM Punk still being a highlight of the latter's return. Jey Uso also clearly has a strong relationship with the audience, ongoing storylines in the main event picture, and incredible merch sales. Any of these men could draw folks to WWE 2K26, but there are some caveats.

That said, Cody Rhodes was the cover star for WWE 2K24. It's probably not the best move to bring him back so soon, although he will no doubt do it again one day. The Showcase Modes are often related to the careers of the cover stars, with WWE 2K22 exploring Rey Mysterio's history, WWE 2K23 exploring John Cena's history, and WWE 2K25 exploring the entire Bloodline. But WWE 2K24 did not focus on Cody Rhodes' career, instead exploring the history of WrestleMania. Rhodes deserves his own Showcase Mode one day, but this soon is probably too soon.

Similar logic can apply to Jey Uso. It's true he's never graced a cover alone, but he did appear alongside his family in WWE 2K25's Bloodline Edition. I think he's a contender for some day, if nothing else than to remind fans he tapped out Gunther, but I don't think the timing is right. And for the most part, that logic also applies to Drew McIntyre. It just doesn't feel like the time for him yet, but maybe he beats Rhodes (writing that has me so conflicted), goes on an absolute legendary title run, and graces the cover in a few years. It feels like it's coming; it just doesn't feel like it's there yet.

And that leaves CM Punk. Whether he or Jey Uso walks out with the title, CM Punk is the perfect WWE 2K26 cover star. He can draw sales, he has an elaborate history to pull from for varied matches, and he has the mic skills and presence to narrate his story himself. Otherwise, no one could compare to Paul Heyman's narration of the Bloodline Showcase. He hasn't appeared on the cover since WWE '13, and his return to WWE and its games have been well-received. The timing feels right for him, win or lose at SNME, because it's clear that CM Punk is here to stay.

Best in the World Showcase

Even more, I think a "Best in the World Showcase" is exactly what WWE 2K26 would market it as, and there are really two directions with it. It could, and should, focus on CM Punk's full career.

CM Punk is The Best in the World

The first approach is the straightforward expectation: highlight the past and present with some of his best matches. WWE 2K23's John Cena Showcase suffered from its lack of Cena vs. CM Punk, but now there's a chance to make it right. Jeff Hardy is currently NXT Tag Team Champion alongside his brother, thanks to WWE and TNA's partnership, meaning it's likely he can even be brought back. And the best of his return era would easily include his Hell in a Cell match against Drew McIntyre (even getting him in there). While he has a long history to pull from, it wouldn't be complete without the following:

CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (SummerSlam 2009)
CM Punk vs. John Cena (Money in the Bank 2011)
CM Punk vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 29)
CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2013)
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre (Bad Blood 2024)
CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 41)
At Least 1 of his MITB Matches

A Daniel Bryan match would be fantastic, but very, very unlikely.

WWE 2K25 Players Are Finding Weird Typos in the Game

There are plenty more that could easily fill an entire Showcase mode, and CM Punk has changed a lot over the years, which may help with the variety of the Showcase. Undoubtedly, WWE 2K has tried to be creative with the mode in every release to avoid it becoming too stale, but CM Punk does deserve the entire focus. If that's still the angle, there's a whole other approach.

CM Punk Talks About The Best in the World

CM Punk has a knack with younger talent, and it would be interesting to see a "Best in the World" showcase where CM Punk talked about what he expected from younger talent in NXT, highlighting their matches alongside the best of his own. Given Punk's role in WWE 2K25's MyRise mode, this just seems logical. Fans would come for and stay for CM Punk, no doubt, but also get a look at those who will be the best in the world when he eventually hangs up his boots. It's thematically fitting, fixes the potential repetition of only using CM Punk, and can still hit high notes of the past and present.

WWE 2K26 is CM Punk's Time

CM Punk's return to WWE hasn't been perfect, but it has been a lot of fun. 2K and Visual Concepts have capitalized on that by including him in MyGM Mode, as a DLC character, and so forth in past installments, but with Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns unlikely to appear on the cover, it's CM Punk's time.

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