WWE 2K26 — AI Tattoo Texture Pipeline

WWE 2K26 launched on Steam on March 12, 2026. Its modding ecosystem uses the same CAK archive format as prior 2K titles, but the toolchain has evolved significantly. Here is the current end-to-end picture.

Default Steam installation path — this is what you point CakeView at:

...\Steam\steamapps\common\WWE 2K26\

CakeView reads .cak files directly from this root. New mod CAKs baked by CakeView are placed in:

...\Steam\steamapps\common\WWE 2K26\Mods\

CakeView loads the entire game folder at once — you do not need to know which individual .cak file contains what. Point it at your game root and it presents everything in a unified tree.

1. Open CakeView — set your game exe path in Settings if not already done
2. Use File → Open Game Directory to load all .cak files at once
3. Use CTRL+F to search for the files you need (e.g. body_l_arm, body_chest) across the entire game — no manual hunting through individual CAKs

Always extract to a separate folder outside the game directory — keeps originals clean and gives you a clear working space.

Two options:

• Extract everything — right-click the game root in the tree → Export Folders (including subfolders) → point to your extracts folder. Gives you the full game file set to browse locally.
• Extract just what you need — navigate the tree to the specific folder (e.g. character body textures), right-click → Export Folders (including subfolders) → export only that section. Faster for targeted texture work.

You will get: .dds texture files, design.mskinfo, and material entries in your chosen output location.

Look for files named like:

body_l_arm_01.dds
body_chest_01.dds
body_back_01.dds

Open each DDS in Photoshop. Tattoo present = usable slot. Blank skin = skip.

1. Replace the target DDS with a solid primary color (bright red or green)
2. Repack the CAK (see Step 12)
3. Load in-game

• ✔Only the intended region changes → correct slot
• ✘Full body changes color → wrong slot, test a different file

• Size: 4096 × 4096 px
• Optional: place extracted body diffuse as bottom reference layer at 30–40% opacity (lock it)

Keep all visible pixels inside these boxes. Everything outside must be fully transparent.

• Tattoo Base — black/grey linework
• Red Accents — low opacity, non-neon
• Depth Layer — Blend: Multiply, Opacity: 10–15%
• Skin Blend — subtle fade at borders

• ✔Slight fade on all borders (20–40 px feather)
• ✔No hard-cut edges
• ✘No pure black solid blocks at the boundary

1. Open the Channels panel
2. Create a new Alpha Channel
3. Fill with pure black
4. Paint the tattoo region white

• ✔White = visible tattoo
• ✔Black = transparent (skin shows through)
• ✔Grey = soft blend transition

Use this value for red accents:

RGB: 175 / 28 / 28

• ✘Avoid pure #FF0000 — glows under arena lights
• ✘Avoid any neon tones
• ✔Optional: reduce saturation ~10% and slightly darken

1. Duplicate the tattoo layer
2. Set Blend Mode: Multiply, Opacity: 10–14%
3. Add Noise: 2%
4. Add Blur: 0.3 px

This makes ink look embedded in skin rather than pasted on top.

In your extracted folder, replace the original DDS with your file. Keep the filename identical.

• ✘Do NOT edit design.mskinfo

1. In CakeView, use CTRL+B to open the Bake prompt
2. Configure bake settings in Settings → Configuration (multithreading, custom compression ratio)
3. Select your working folder and bake — the home page will list it for quick rebaking next time

Tribute 26 — BakeMe layout (standard character & attire mods):

Drop your mod into the Tribute BakeMe folder structure and let Tribute handle baking:

CakeView manual bake (tattoo / texture mods without Tribute):

• ✔Idle stance — alignment and transparency
• ✔Arm movement — check for stretching
• ✔Entrance lighting — check for shininess or glow
• ✔Close-up camera — check edge quality

1. In CakeView, search (CTRL+F) for body_diffuse and export the body diffuse DDS to your extracts folder
2. Open it in Photoshop
3. Boost contrast so island borders are clearly visible
4. Save a copy as uv_ref_4096.png — this is your alignment layer

1. New document: 4096 × 4096 px
2. Bottom layer: uv_ref_4096.png at 30–40% opacity — lock it
3. All tattoo layers go above it

• ✔Vertical flow — shoulder (top) to wrist (bottom)
• ✔Fill background with lighter grey elements — no bare canvas inside the region
• ✔Taper composition 15–20% narrower at the bottom
• ✘Never hard-edge the boundary — feather 30–40 px

• ✔Strongest contrast at the central focal element
• ✔Fade toward collarbone (top) and sternum (inner edge)
• ✘Do not bleed past the sternum seam — it will mirror visibly

• ✔Keep composition left of the spine seam
• ✔Simpler than chest — back lighting reduces fine detail visibility
• ✔Rotate inward +3° to follow the scapula curve
• ✘Avoid overcrowding — back designs should breathe

1. Add a layer mask to the tattoo group
2. Soft round brush at 10–20% opacity
3. Fade all edges 20–40 px inward from the UV boundary
4. Fade extra (50–60 px) at seams: sternum, spine, wrist

• ✔Pure black outside the tattoo region
• ✔Pure white inside the main design
• ✔Gentle grey transition at borders
• ✔Contract 1 px → Feather 0.3–0.5 px after selection
• ✘No grey noise or haze outside the design boundary

File naming:

body_l_arm_01.dds   ← clean version
body_l_arm_02.dds   ← damaged version

1. Extract a CAK with a working tattoo slot
2. Duplicate the DDS and rename as above
3. Use the same design.mskinfo style for both
4. Repack and test each slot independently via CakeView bake

• ✔Reduce overall opacity: 80–85%
• ✔Add a grunge mask — erase edges irregularly with a scatter brush
• ✔Desaturate reds: –10 to –15
• ✔Add tiny cracks or scratches with a fine hard brush
• ✔Export identically: BC7, Mipmaps ON, Alpha ON

Concept: two material entries both point to the same body region — one for clean base, one for damage overlay.

1. Duplicate a tattoo material entry inside the CAK
2. Point entry 1 → body_l_arm_01.dds (clean base)
3. Point entry 2 → body_l_arm_02.dds (damage overlay)
4. Duplicate design.mskinfo for each entry

• ✔Never stack pure black on pure black — top layer must be visually lighter
• ✔Bake reduced opacity into the DDS itself, do not rely on material opacity
• ✔Keep alpha softer on the overlay — harder alpha = more z-fighting risk

This is how you add a new tattoo on top of existing ones without replacing anything.

CakeView loads the entire game folder at once — you do not need to know which individual .cak file contains what. Point it at your game root and it presents everything in a unified tree.

1. Open CakeView — set your game exe path in Settings if not already done
2. Use File → Open Game Directory to load all .cak files at once
3. Use CTRL+F to search for the files you need (e.g. body_l_arm, body_chest) across the entire game — no manual hunting through individual CAKs

Always extract to a separate folder outside the game directory — keeps originals clean and gives you a clear working space.

Two options:

• Extract everything — right-click the game root in the tree → Export Folders (including subfolders) → point to your extracts folder. Gives you the full game file set to browse locally.
• Extract just what you need — navigate the tree to the specific folder (e.g. character body textures), right-click → Export Folders (including subfolders) → export only that section. Faster for targeted texture work.

You will get: .dds texture files, design.mskinfo, and material entries in your chosen output location.

Find a material entry referencing: a DDS texture file, a design.mskinfo, and a shader / material type.

Copy the complete working block. This gives you a proven configuration — do not start from scratch.

body_custom_01.dds
design_custom_01.mskinfo    ← copy of a known-good mask

• ✔Change texture reference → body_custom_01.dds
• ✔Change mask reference → design_custom_01.mskinfo
• ✘Do NOT change: shader, blend mode, or material type

• ✔Tattoo shows in correct region → success
• ✘Tattoo appears on entire body → wrong source block, try a different one

For best results, use the AI Tattoo System at the top of this page. The prompts below are kept as quick legacy examples, but the master prompt and request builder now produce better WWE 2K-ready results.

- Fully transparent background (no white, no glow, no halo)
- Clean, sharp alpha edges suitable for DDS conversion
- Black and grey tattoo style with subtle dark red accents (non-glowing)
- High contrast: dark foreground, lighter background fill elements
- No empty space inside the design (fully filled composition)
- No blur, no soft haze, no background artifacts
- Designed as a flat texture, NOT on a body
- 4096x4096 resolution
- Bold linework, no overly fine details

UV target: X 2600–3400, Y 900–3300 · Vertical composition, shoulder to wrist

Create a 4096x4096 high-resolution tattoo texture with a fully transparent
background (clean alpha, no white edges, no glow).

Design a full left arm sleeve tattoo in a dark gothic style.

Composition:
- Vertical layout flowing from shoulder (top) to wrist (bottom)
- A large detailed skull in the upper third (shoulder / deltoid area)
- Surrounding gothic tribal patterns, chains, and dark ornamental shapes
- Background fully filled with lighter grey elements (skulls, runes,
  filigree) — no empty space

Style:
- Black and grey realism tattoo
- Bold, thick lines with high contrast
- Subtle dark red accents in cracks, eyes, or symbols (non-glowing)

Technical:
- Clean edges with proper transparency
- No soft blur or haze
- Optimized for UV wrapping on a cylindrical arm surface
- Design tapers slightly toward the bottom

UV target: X 1800–2550, Y 900–1600 · Wide horizontal composition

Create a 4096x4096 high-resolution tattoo texture with a fully transparent
background (clean alpha, no white edges, no glow).

Design a full upper chest tattoo spanning shoulder to shoulder.

Composition:
- Wide horizontal layout
- Large central gothic cross with intricate detail and a dark red gemstone
  in the centre
- Symmetrical extension outward across both sides
- Supporting elements: skulls, gothic architecture, chains, ornamental
  patterns — no empty areas

Style:
- Black and grey tattoo realism
- Strong central focal point, supporting elements lighter in tone
- Dark red accents only in the gemstone and minor details

Technical:
- Clean alpha edges, no background artifacts
- Slight inward curvature to match chest anatomy

UV target: X 1900–2600, Y 300–900 · Slight vertical orientation

Create a 4096x4096 high-resolution tattoo texture with a fully transparent
background (clean alpha, no white edges, no glow).

Design a left upper back tattoo extending from the shoulder to mid-back.

Composition:
- Slight vertical orientation
- Main focal element near upper shoulder (gothic symbol, skull, or shield)
- Flowing downward with chains, runic patterns, dark ornamental elements
- Background filled with lighter grey Viking / gothic textures (skulls,
  swords, runes)

Style:
- Black and grey realism, slightly darker and simpler than the chest tattoo
- Subtle dark red accents used sparingly
- Strong silhouette for visibility under arena lighting

Technical:
- Clean transparency, no blur or haze
- Designed to sit on left scapula area
- Balanced density — not overcrowded

1. Select Subject → Contract 1 px → Feather 0.3–0.5 px
2. Open Channels panel → verify Alpha: pure black outside, pure white inside
3. Check for grey noise outside the design boundary — erase if found
4. Export: DDS → BC7 → Mipmaps ON → Alpha ON → sRGB ON