Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has unexpectedly become a playable fighter in WWE 2K26, giving players the chance to step into the ring as (or against) the 68-year-old gaming executive. He showed up without any formal announcement, slipping into the roster through a quiet update on June 4, 2026. Zelnick carries a 77 overall rating, which puts him well below championship contention, though those familiar with his real-world regimen know the man is hardly a typical near-septuagenarian.
No one knows exactly why he was added. Zelnick has openly acknowledged he does not play video games, so personal vanity seems an unlikely motive. He has demonstrated a willingness to play along with the franchise before, to promote the custom character creator. This marks his first official inclusion as a preset character, complete with personalized entrance music. His walkout track is Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” which appears to have been licensed specifically for Zelnick since no other wrestler in the game can use it.
As head of Take-Two Interactive, Zelnick oversees Rockstar Games, 2K, and several other major studios. His portfolio includes some of the most commercially successful titles ever released. GTA 6 is set for a November 2026 launch, and Zelnick has become the only credible information source outside Rockstar itself for updates on the project. The anticipation surrounding that release has driven fans to pore over investor calls and dense business interviews, hanging on whatever hints he might offer. Take-Two executives remain confident that the appeal of the upcoming title will endure despite rising console prices.
Zelnick also weighed in on the publisher’s broader track record, recently discussing how former Rockstar developers attempted to compete with GTA and came up short. He singled out one particular failure in that era. He recently discussed how former Rockstar developers attempted to compete with GTA and came up short, singling out one particular failure.
On the WWE 2K front, he sees substantial room for expansion. He believes the franchise could “double or triple” its current scale. He also noted that the company’s past projects, such as Red Dead Online, were never missed opportunities but strategic decisions based on market conditions.
“I do think there’s 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. We’re never in the business of patting ourselves on the back. We believe that arrogance is the enemy of continued success. And 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. That’s our job.”
