In events I would never have previously expected, I have interviewed WWE Superstar and NXT Champion Joe Hendry, at the big WWE 2K26 creator event in Stamford, Connecticut!
Joe Hendry is a Scottish WWE wrestler known for his tenure at TNA and various other promotions. As a professional musician, Hendry also penned his own theme music, whose infectious charm immediately saw it become a fan favorite. Hendry debuted unexpectedly in the WWE as TNA Champion at Wrestlemania 41, accepting an open challenge from industry legend Randy Orton. Fast forward a year, and he's now the pre-order bonus character for those ready to jump into WWE 2K26.
WWE 2K26 is the latest entry in the storied wrestling franchise, set to launch on March 13, 2026 across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5. New features include a MyRise campaign story mode, new match types like the notorious Inferno fire match, and much more.
As part of the festivities, we spoke to Joe Hendry to learn more about what it's like to be included in the game, his favorite PC games to play in his downtime, and much more.
On the surreal notion of going from playing games, to being in a game
I asked Joe Hendry what it's like being in a video game, and he volunteered a piece of his history: it was actually video games that got Joe inspired to work his way towards the WWE back in the day, namely via Smackdown on the PS1. What was it like being revealed as a playable character in WWE 2K26?
"It was a wonderful, wonderful surprise," Joe Hendry tells me. "I'd filmed some stuff that was obviously for the video game, but I didn't know it at the time. To actually go on my Xbox and see screenshots of myself in the game ... it was an amazing moment. The video games are what got me into pro wrestling, so it has been a real full-circle moment."
"The first WWE wrestling video game I played was Warzone ... I believe that was the first WWE game that had a create-a-wrestler option. I used to use that. I'd make my favorite movie characters and putting them in the game. Then I got into Smackdown ... but when Smackdown 2 came out, that's when I was obsessed. I'd make wrestlers, make my own storylines ... you know when school was stressful you know, it was just a great escape for me. I've always enjoyed the video games so to actually be in one is pretty incredible."
Hendry famously penned his own entrance music, which since went hyper-viral and helped Joe Hendry's brand become as unmissable as it was unforgettable. Seeing that represented and immortalized in WWE 2K26 was as surreal for Joe Hendry as you might expect.
"I remember writing that song seven years ago. I had faith in it, I knew it was good. I knew I was a good writer ... I knew if I sat down and put my mind to it 100%, committed, in a couple of weeks I could write a theme song that could make a difference. I'm proud of myself for having the confidence to do it. I recorded a demo at my house, then recorded the vocals out a studio, and the rest at my friend Neil's house. To go from there, all the way to being in this game, to be heard and seen billions of times is quite unbelievable."
Beyond Smackdown and WWE 2K26, I wondered what other games Joe Hendry finds himself reaching for in those rare moments of downtime WWE wrestlers get.
How does a WWE champ spend his gaming downtime?
Joe Hendry noted that, as you might expect, wrestling games are among his favorite picks, but conceded that a full schedule on the road isn't exactly amenable to heavy gaming. He is armed with a trusty Steam Deck, though, for brief stints of gaming downtime.
"I have a Steam Deck. I have a PC, I have an Xbox, I have a PS5. I have all the stuff ... it's right what you said, I don't have a whole lot of time to do it. I am putting time into [WWE 2K26], I want to truly experience it. For me, how the video games are are such a key factor for I consumed pro wrestling."
"When I was a kid, I would watch RAW and Smackdown, I'd probably spend six hours a week watching wrestling, then 20 hours a week playing the games. I'm thinking about the amount of time the next generation of fans are going to be putting into this game. I want to fully experience WWE 2K26 as well, and hey it's work now ... so I can play the game as much as I want."
I was curious what Joe might find himself playing beyond WWE 2K wrestling games, and I was surprised that we share a common affinity for a a cult RTS subgenre, alongside the big Blizzard classics.
"So for me, if I'm just by myself I like city building games. If I've got a spare 20 minutes I'll just build a village in Kingdoms and Castles or something like that. I love indie games like that. They are Billions. That's the game I've put the most time into. It can be super frustrating ... one zombie gets through and the whole thing's gone. But yes, amazing game. I was a big Warcraft 3 guy, a big StarCraft guy ... Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid series. Honestly, primarily it's been wrestling games I've put the most time into."
WWE 2K26 is another explosive entry in the storied WWE gaming canon
I concede that WWE 2K26 is the first wrestling game I've played since Joe Hendry's aforementioned Smackdown 2 on the PlayStation 1. For some reason, I bounced off wrestling in my late teens as friends and family grew up and moved away. The weekly Friday ritual of watching RAW on UK Sky Sports faded away with adulthood ... but in my thirties I reconnected with the WWE, particularly so since it arrived on Netflix, and find myself enjoying the product again overall.
As such, I have incredibly little frame of reference when it comes to how well 2K26 compares to 2K25 and other predecessors, but I do know that I enjoyed my time with it immensely so far. The MyRise story campaign quite cleverly blends kayfabe and a real-world inspired career trajectories, while still remaining grounded as a video game. The in-ring combat feels heavy and tight, more N64's No Mercy than PS1's Warzone, and there seems to be a ton of competitive depth I hadn't really anticipated. The game has Killer Instinct-like combo breakers, and extremely tight reversal windows that reward practice and repeat play.
The visuals also impressed me. The Inferno Match in particular, with its fiery apron, actually makes the in-ring combatants visibly sweat over the course of the match. The flames dynamically rise as the tempo of the match increases and reaches its apex, and a variety of unique manoeuvres to move your opponent into the flames present themselves at the right moment.
I'm excited to play more of the game when it launches on March 13, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. I'm even more excited to fix some of HHH's booking decisions when I build my own campaign storylines too. 😎
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