WWE 2K26 puts CM Punk front and center in its single-player Showcase mode, titled "Punked." The mode follows Punk's wrestling career through playable recreations of his most significant matches, narrated by Punk himself. Beyond historical bouts, the Showcase introduces "What If?" scenarios that reimagine how his career might have unfolded had he never left WWE in 2014.
Quick answer: The 2K Showcase in WWE 2K26 is called "Punked" and features CM Punk narrating his own career through iconic matches, dream matchups against legends, and alternate-history scenarios.
What the Punked Showcase includes
Players will step through key moments from Punk's WWE tenure, recreating memorable spots as they happened in real life. The mode is structured around match objectives tied to actual career milestones, with unlockable wrestlers, arenas, and cosmetic items awarded for completing specific goals. Narrative segments featuring Punk's commentary connect the matches and provide context for each chapter of his journey.
The confirmed match list includes CM Punk vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29. Additional matches likely to appear include his 2011 Money in the Bank bout against John Cena and his SummerSlam 2013 showdown with Brock Lesnar, though the full match list has not been officially revealed.
Fantasy Warfare and alternate history
The Showcase goes beyond historical recreation. A "What If?" section explores hypothetical scenarios, letting players experience matches that never happened during Punk's original WWE run. One example involves imagining what his career would have looked like if he had stayed with the company after 2014. This could potentially include matchups against Seth Rollins during his "Architect" era or Roman Reigns as "The Big Dog."
Dream matches pit Punk against legends from different generations. A matchup against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is a strong candidate, given that both wrestlers have publicly discussed the possibility of facing each other. These fantasy bouts are designed to test players while offering scenarios fans have long speculated about.
Showcase Gauntlet challenge
For players looking for additional difficulty, the Showcase Gauntlet presents a survival-style challenge that pushes beyond traditional match objectives. This mode is designed to test player skill and endurance, though specific details on its structure and rewards remain limited.
Unlockable content
Completing Showcase matches unlocks wrestlers who appear in the mode, adding them to the WWE 2K26 roster. Arenas and cosmetic items are also tied to meeting specific in-match goals. The mode serves as a primary way to expand the playable roster beyond the base game's 400-plus characters.
The Punked Showcase represents one of the more personal entries in the 2K Showcase series, combining career retrospective with creative reimagining. Punk previously headlined the Showcase in WWE 2K15 alongside John Cena, but this time he carries the mode solo. Premium editions of WWE 2K26 launch March 6, 2026, with the Standard Edition following on March 13.
