If you've ever wanted to throw down with a gaming industry CEO, now's your chance. Take-Two Interactive's Strauss Zelnick has been added as a playable character in WWE 2K26, letting you step into the ring as him or face off against him. The addition came quietly in a new update today with no official announcement. The 68-year-old executive holds a modest in-game rating of 77, meaning he won't be winning any championships, but Zelnick is reportedly in excellent shape in real life.
He claims to work out 10 to 12 times a week (nearly twice a day for the math-challenged) and runs his own private fitness club called The Program. He's even authored a wellness book, 'Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets To Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever.' So despite being nearly 70, he's quite fit and could likely hold his own in a WWE ring better than most.
Why was Zelnick added to WWE 2K26? Your guess is as good as anyone's. He's admitted he's not a gamer, so it's unlikely he requested the cameo for personal enjoyment. But he seems like a good sport—he previously promoted the franchise's character creator with a silly video. This marks his first appearance as an official character, complete with exclusive entrance music: Frank Sinatra's 'My Way,' licensed solely for his use and unavailable for other characters.
As the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar Games, 2K, and other major studios, Zelnick has overseen some of the biggest games ever. He's best known as the only reliable source of GTA 6 info outside Rockstar, with fans tuning into investor calls just for his occasional breadcrumbs.
Zelnick recently highlighted the potential to grow the WWE 2K franchise, suggesting it could 'double or triple' in size. 'I do think there's ongoing opportunities to improve the quality of the game,' he said. 'We can give consumers more of what they want. Our team at Visual Concepts always wants to do better. We're never in the business of patting ourselves on the back. Arrogance is the enemy of continued success. That title could be double or triple the size as long as we delight consumers and give them something new and unexpected that's consistent with the brand they love. That's our job.'
