Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has praised the success of WWE 2K26 while insisting there is still plenty of room for the franchise to grow.
Since moving under the Visual Concepts and Take-Two banner, the WWE 2K series has enjoyed a strong turnaround following the widely criticised release of WWE 2K20. The franchise rebounded with WWE 2K22 and has continued to receive positive reviews in the years since, with WWE 2K26 proving to be another critical and commercial success.
Speaking with IGN, Zelnick expressed satisfaction with the latest game’s performance and highlighted the company’s relationship with WWE and TKO.
“We’re very proud of the Metacritic score, we’re proud of how the title performed,” Zelnick said. “We have great partners at TKO led by Nick Khan, and of course, everything related to WWE continues to grow. The team over there is just crushing it. So we’re thrilled to be in business with TKO and WWE.”
Despite the positive reception, Zelnick made it clear that neither he nor the development team is satisfied with standing still. According to the Take-Two executive, Visual Concepts is constantly looking for ways to improve the series and provide players with new experiences.
“I do think there are ongoing opportunities to improve the quality of the game,” he said. “I do think that we can give consumers more of what they want, and I know our team at Visual Concepts always wants to do better.”
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick Believes That Despite WWE 2K26’s Success, The Series Can “Double Or Triple” In Size
Strauss Zelnick added that complacency is one of the biggest dangers facing any successful franchise and believes WWE 2K still has significant growth potential.
“We’re never in the business of patting ourselves on the back. We believe that arrogance is the enemy of continued success,” he said. “I think that title could be double or triple the size that it is as long as we delight consumers, and as long as we give them something new and not expected that’s consistent with the brand that they love.”
With WWE 2K26 continuing the franchise’s recent momentum, attention will soon turn to WWE 2K27, expected to be released in early 2027.
