13 years since he last graced the cover of a WWE video game, the controversial "Best In The World" is back on top, with World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk lending both his face to the box, and story to WWE 2K26's Showcase mode.

Accompanied by video from the man himself, players are once again immersed in a playable documentary, exploring his fiercest rivalries, biggest "what if" matchups, and humble origins. This mode rarely misses, with the presentation alone deserving of praise.

Also impressing is 2K26's MyRISE, which sees players create their own wrestler in 2K's peerless creation suite before embarking on a redemption-themed career mode centred around the men's or women's division.

At pivotal moments, you'll have to choose whether you'll pursue the virtuous path or lean into your villainous side, and the journey is certainly a fun one. Performances from the real-life wrestlers are a bit mixed, but it does little to diminish the overall product.

Additions and changes have been made to the daunting ensemble of other modes too. Card game MyFaction now supports intergender groups for example, and MyGM has seen various tweaks as well.

In addition, further refinements have been made to Universe Mode.

While budding wrestlers can battle their way through the calendar year, we're thrilled to see some love shown to those who simply want to spectate their custom wrestling promotion, with the new broadcast camera option displaying the match from angles and perspectives you'd see on TV. Similarly, the opportunity to watch a show from start to finish is welcome, with little load time in sight.

Diehard fans will still identify issues that need resolving of course, but these are the kind of meaningful additions that make new entries in this series essential.

The Island makes its return this year, and seeks to persuade sceptical players to hop into its multiplayer world, joining one of three, Superstar-lead factions for wrestling dominance. While it's to be commended that voice acting, the bonkers Scrapyard match, and additional character customisation options have been added, we experienced several crashes throughout, plus it still smacks of money grubbing to us, so your mileage may vary.

Equally, the Battle Pass-style changes to DLC and general unlocks could prove divisive, and not all wrestler likenesses are created equally. In spite of these shortcomings, however, WWE 2K26 is another strong effort from 2K and Visual Concepts, and one not to be missed by wrestling fans.