WWE 2K26 Dev Confirms Maryse Update After Online Backlash

WWE 2K26 is right around the corner, but we can’t have the buildup to a massive game like this one without some controversy. After the Showcase reveal trailer, many fans were quick to point out that Maryse’s character model looked the same as it did back in WWE 2K19, which was seven years ago and entirely too long for a company to be using a character model/attire set.

The backlash hit hard on social media, but it appears that it was effective. WWE 2K developer Bryan Williams jumped in on the conversation on X/Twitter and promised an updated model for Maryse. She will have a fresh look and a new alt attire, unlockable by playing the Showcase mode. 

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WWE 2K26 Devs Are Responding To Feedback

Developer Bryan William goes further on to say that he wasn’t planning to reveal this and wanted it to be a surprise. However, he wanted to set the record straight after seeing “a few angry posts” from the community. Sadly, some people do take stuff like this too far. Some users even allegedly sent death threats to the dev team, and Gameplay and Ringside Pass designer Cornell Gunter was quick to shut this down.

It’s good to see that the update is confirmed, but the trolling and hate that individual developers get online isn’t. Fan pressure did get us results in this situation, but the name-calling and threats are always uncalled for.

Last week, SmackDown Women’s Champion Jade Cargill also called out 2K for using an outdated character model for her. There’s no confirmation of an update on that front, but if the Maryse model was updated with a new look, there’s a good chance the development team will also get around to Cargill’s design soon.

WWE 2K26 is set to release on March 13, and we’re highly excited about all the Showcase matches confirmed so far. CM Punk’s entire career will be the focus of the Showcase, and it will cover everything from his match with JBL at Summerslam 2008 to his most recent match against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 41.