Take-Two CEO thinks WWE 2K could be two or three times bigger than it is now

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes the WWE 2K franchise is leaving serious money on the table. Speaking to IGN, he said the series could be \"double or triple the size that it is\" — provided Visual Concepts keeps delivering for fans and brings something genuinely new to the table. The comments come off the back of WWE 2K26, which IGN scored 7/10, noting the game is built on a strong foundation that's starting to show its age.\n\nTake-Two's latest financial report shows WWE 2K26 recurrent consumer spending is up 20% year-over-year, with more than 85 million matches played — a 7% increase over WWE 2K25. Zelnick praised the partnership with TKO and Nick Khan but was clear that complacency isn't on the agenda: \"We're never in the business of patting ourselves on the back. We believe that arrogance is the enemy of continued success.\" WWE 2K27 is already confirmed, with a likely March 2027 release window.\n\nGetting there won't be straightforward, though. Monetization has been a flashpoint with the community — the new Ringside Pass system in WWE 2K26 replaced the traditional six DLC packs, and players were furious that even premium-tier buyers had to grind through all 40 tiers to unlock wrestlers they'd already paid for, rather than getting instant access. After sustained backlash, 2K changed course: from Season 2 onward, all four characters in the Premium track unlock immediately at Tier 1, and the XP required per tier dropped from 800 to 625 — a number 2K says won't go back up. Each Ringside Pass runs $9.99/£8.99 per season, with an annual pass at $49.99/£44.99.\n\nAll of that sets up WWE 2K27 as a pivotal release. The WWE franchise still sits well behind 2K's NBA series in terms of revenue for Take-Two, and Zelnick's comments make clear he thinks the gap shouldn't be that wide. Whether Visual Concepts can close it depends on what changes they bring next year.