Wait… what?!
CM Punk, who walked out on the WWE earlier this year and severed all ties with the company, has been announced as a member of WWE 2K15‘s roster.
CM Punk will be one of four WWE Superstars past and present to feature in the upcoming video games’ ‘2K Showcase’ mode, which will highlight two famous rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H, and John Cena vs. CM Punk.
Related: WWE 2K15 to Feature Original Career Mode Lifted Straight from NBA 2K14
Punk’s inclusion in the game was announced during a media conference call with producer Mark Little, who reportedly didn’t mention Punk’s strenuous relationship (or lack thereof) with the WWE and instead pointed to Shawn Michaels’ inclusion in the game. Little said: “Shawn currently isn’t active for the WWE either, but he’s still able to be part of WWE 2K15 because the WWE Universe expands through all of the time in the history of the company.
“One of the great things about being able to do the 2K Showcase and look backwards at some of these previous rivalries is to be able to share with the WWE Universe all the people that might not be on current programming.”
2K Showcase will likely work similarly to the career modes in the previous two WWE games, which focused upon the company’s Attitude Era and WrestleMania PPV’s. Both of these modes delved deep into the WWE archives and highlighted the most popular storylines, complete with video vignettes and matches ripped straight from wrestling’s past.
Despite Mark Little glossing over CM Punk’s inclusion in the mode, it is notable because of the way in which Punk left the company. While Shawn Michaels parted ways with the WWE amicably after a lengthy career, CM Punk instead walked out on the company after the Royal Rumble 2014, with it being rumored that he was unhappy with the direction the company was taking. It was speculated that Punk was scheduled to fight (and possibly lose to) Triple H at WrestleMania 30, something which he allegedly disagreed with. This has neither been confirmed nor denied, but the fact remains that CM Punk abandoned the company, and him being such a prominent figure in WWE 2K15 is a curious decision.
