WWE 2K26, the latest entry in the venerable WWE 2K franchise, has released a new teaser that has raised questions regarding its potential use of generative artificial intelligence. Set to be the 26th entry in the long-running wrestling series, WWE 2K26 arrives right as the franchise has regained its footing after a particular low point. While the quality of the wrestling series had already taken a hit before 2K acquired the license from THQ in 2013, 2019’s WWE 2K20 was one of the year’s worst-reviewed games, quickly becoming notorious for its frequent technical hitches and overall lack of polish.
The poor quality of WWE 2K20 had an impact on 2K itself, which led to the cancellation of WWE 2K21's release in an effort to get the series back on track. Since the release of WWE 2K22, the franchise has been back on a solid run of quality titles, and the struggles of 2019’s game appear to be squarely in the rearview mirror. WWE 2K26 looks to continue that momentum with continued refinements to the gameplay, as well as a roster that currently includes 32 WWE stars, with more...
