CM Punk’s return to WWE video games came as part of the most recent WWE 2K24 DLC pack. WWE decided to use Punk to celebrate the history of ECW, since he was the most memorable ECW Champion during the revival under WWE’s leadership. Other ECW originals in the pack included The Sandman, Terry Funk, and the Dudley Boyz for fans willing to pay the extra ten bucks.

However, there is no debate that Punk is by far the biggest reason for this pack’s popularity. Until this downloadable content, WWE fans couldn't play as Punk in WWE games for almost a decade after his last appearance in WWE 2K15. Punk’s current overall rating makes it worth delving deeper into the past. WWE’s video game history with CM Punk will be explored to see all the changes throughout the years in all WWE games leading to WWE 2K24.

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CM Punk Had Humble Beginnings In Smackdown Vs Raw Years

WWE first introduced CM Punk in WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008, back when he was getting started on the ECW brand. Punk was wrestling on the smaller ECW brand, but he was the ECW World Champion and the top overall superstar. WWE rewarded him with a strong rating of 92 to represent his status as a respected world champion. Some longtime fans who followed Punk’s career in Ring of Honor and smaller promotions viewed this as a massive landmark for the underground hero.

Game

CM Punk's Overall Rating

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008

92

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009

87

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010

90

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011

93

The next game of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 featured Punk in his own story mode. WWE used to come up with elaborate “Road to WrestleMania” storylines for a handful of top stars on the roster. Each name would have its unique story lasting a few months that culminated at the biggest annual show of the year. Punk was rated a lower 87 rating overall, but it felt like another positive step into getting his own story.

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 was when Punk started to feel like a constant in the annual WWE video games. Punk received a strong rating of 90 overall, but his infamous “it’s clobbering time” entrance was perhaps the biggest takeaway. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 was the final year of that series to include Punk. The main event rise of Punk gave him a new high 93 rating to mirror his career's rise.

Becoming One Of The Faces Of WWE Boosted Ranking

A screenshot of CM Punk's WWE 2K24 entrance.

2011 was the year that CM Punk took the big step from being a partial main eventer to the second most important talent in the company behind John Cena. WWE All-Stars was an experimental game using more arcade features with the top present and past stars of 2011. Punk had a bigger presence in WWE 12 as one of the biggest stars in the company. An incredible 94 overall rating made Punk one of the strongest wrestlers on the roster.

Game

CM Punk's Overall Rating

WWE All-Stars

N/A

WWE 12

94

WWE 13

95

WWE 2K14

94

Punk achieved one of his greatest accolades by being the cover star of WWE 13. The franchise continued, and Punk was able to show his presence at the top of WWE with his presence on the cover. WWE gave attention to detail, with Punk wearing his popular “best in the world” shirt and coming out to his beloved WWE “Cult of Personality” theme song for the first time. Many fans view this as the best version of Punk in any game, with a 95 overall rating representing that.

The switch was made to WWE 2K14 the following year to make some major changes, working with the established sports video game brand. Punk was playing a villain character on WWE television, so his character’s look and entrance played more into that side of him. The rating was still towards the top, dropping just one point to 94 overall. Punk felt like he would be a force in the game for many more years.

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Leaving Wrestling Complicated CM Punk's WWE Video Game History

wwe 2k24 40 years of wrestlemania cover art

WWE 2K15 was the final year that CM Punk appeared in a WWE video game before recent changes. Punk had a 92 overall rating to show his status in the company had regressed, putting him behind names like Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar, and others. The game still represented him well, especially since he was unhappy with WWE in real life before his controversial walkout leaving the promotion for almost a full decade.

Game

CM Punk's Overall Rating

WWE 2K15

92

AEW Fight Forever

N/A

WWE 2K24

90

Punk leaving WWE led to him departing the wrestling industry until his major AEW return. The first chapter of Punk’s AEW tenure saw things going well before he ran into more drama, shades of his WWE past. AEW’s Fight Forever game is the first non-WWE console game by a top tier wrestling promotion in fifteen years, going back to when TNA had its big game release. The AEW game doesn’t have traditional overall ratings, but Punk has among the highest skill sets in the game.

WWE 2K24 adding Punk as a downloadable character provides a huge boost to the game alongside various ECW legends in his pack. Punk made headlines by returning to WWE after vowing he’d never be back to give fans something that seemed impossible. WWE 2K24 did a great job making Punk look accurate to his current form and even added his new popular t-shirt to his entrance.

The overall rating of 90 shows proper respect to Punk, especially since he’s yet to have a singles match on television since returning. WWE added some fun, whether by intention or not, to have Punk rated one point higher than his current rival Drew McIntyre. Social media reaction proves that this adds some fun to an on-screen feud. Punk’s history in wrestling video games should continue; the only question is where he ranks in the next WWE 2K game after a full year back in WWE.