Not long ago on Twitter, Ron “R-Truth” Killings announced his departure fromWWE, leaving many fans and even the locker room stunned. He had just main-evented Saturday Night’s Main Event against his childhood hero John Cena, so the timing really couldn’t have been worse, and he’s easily been one of the most consistent and best comedy acts within the company. There was an outpouring of support for Killings, including “We Want Truth” chants from TV crowds. Then, to the shock of everyone, he returned at Money in the Bank to attack Cena and help Cody Rhodes and then-World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso cinch the victory over Cena and Logan Paul. This shift in storytelling, a pivot so to speak, is something thatWWE 2K26would be wise to utilize, even if it’s something that WWE and TKO don’t really enjoy.
WWE 2K26 has not been revealed, but its development was confirmed in a recent 2K Financial Report alongside WWE 2K Mobile.
Does WWE Dislike Fans Hijacking Company Decisions?
According to sources likeFightfuland Killings himself, none of this was a work. WWE cut him, realized it was a bad decision, and brought him back, with R-Truth negotiating the use of his real name Ron Killings for this seemingly final run. Reports indicate that WWE President Nick Khan had to get involved to get a response from Killings, but there have been no official company statements on this series of events. During theMoney in the BankPress Conference, Triple H dismissed a question about it by saying that “it’s all part of the show.” According to sources like Dave Meltzer, which should be taken with a grain of salt, WWE and TKO do not like it when the fans hijack the company and the show, particularly the creative process.
Past comments would seemingly support this. Triple H’s dismissal of the question and previous comments that he doesn’t like whenfans say they “pivot"all suggest some truth to this, although it’s worth noting the similarities between the We Want Truth chants and the We Want Cody movement from WrestleMania 40. Either way, historically, a massive company hating fans “hijacking” the story makes some sense. Regardless of the exact feelings of Triple H and other WWW higher-ups, it’s clear they’re not quick to say, “Yes, we made a mistake and we fixed it because fans wanted us to,” but it would make a great addition to thegameplay ofWWE 2K26.
WWE 2K26 Should Give Fans Their Voice
A crowd can make or break a show of Raw, SmackDown, or any PLE. It’s the strong reaction that WWE gets overseas that has no doubt led to some PLEs moving over there in recent years. It’s hard to ignore how France reacted to superstars like AJ Styles or even began the trend of singing Randy Orton’s theme song, and that shows just how important they are to the product. Perhaps the simplest way would be to use crowd reaction inWWE 2K’s gameplay, such as rewarding players who perform actions the crowds are calling for. It could really be as simple as giving players a finisher for getting a table and using it if the crowd chants that. There could be some kind of mini-game worked into taunts and moves similar to themini-game around Trading Blows. But, really, it would be effective across the board.
WWE 2K26’s Showcase Mode Could Put the Spotlight on Crowds
Crowds could work in any game mode inWWE 2K’s library. While Showcase Mode could incorporate crowds into its already task-based gameplay, it would also be cool if moments where crowds determined matches were the focus of a Showcase. Putting light on events like Daniel Bryan’s Yes Movement (as an example since WWE doesn’t have rights to him), the We Want Cody movement, and the We Want Truth movement (depending on how it develops from here) would be a ton of fun and ensure theWWE 2KShowcase matchesare varied. There’s a long history of matches where crowds were major factors and focusing on those for a crowd-driven Showcase would only be fitting. Something like the AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes match from Backlash would also be a good fit just based on the crowd’s reaction.
A Movement Would Be Great for WWE 2K26’s MyRise Story
The same could be said of MyRise; it would be awesome if players were put in a position where they had to make decisions to earn crowd approval, requiring a movement to make them stars. It shouldn’t take away player agency inWWE 2K26, but it would still be an awesome way to either get the crowd behind or against the player. Utilizing the crowd inthe story would helpWWE 2K26stand out from its predecessors, which seems to be a constant goal with its MyRise stories.
Crowds Should Be More Involved in WWE 2K26’s MyGM Mode
As it stands, crowds play a small role in MyGM Mode. Players see some of their reactions and they are important in determining winners, but they’re pretty much an automatic guarantee as long as players utilize MyGM Mode’s core features. Making players have to earn them more, listen to them effectively, and book more in accordance with what fans want, at least as an optional feature, would be fun. If players consistently don’t book to keep them somewhat appeased, it would be interesting if “fan hijacking” was more common. InWWE 2K25’s MyGM Mode, Triple H occasionally suggests a match-up based on fan demand, but seeing more prominent fan demand and those playing a bigger role in booking could go a long way in fleshing out the mode. Something like how Drew McIntyre and Chelsea Green utilize social media could also serve as an inspiration.
These are just a couple of ideas, but they could go a long way across all ofWWE 2K26’s game modes. Crowd reactions should always play a role in booking, alongside the skill of a wrestler, regardless of how WWE higher-ups feel about it. Fans have a voice, and being afraid of that voice and not listening to it results in a poorer product, not better booking. Maybe fans don’t always know best and it’s always good to surprise them, but there are certainly moments where they matter more than corporate decision-making. The We Want Truth movement is proof of that, andWWE 2K26should run away with the fans.
