WWE 2K23 has gone a bit meta thanks to a tough boss that you can’t actually see.
For years, fans, both in and out of professional wrestling, have taken John Cena’s famed taunt, “You can’t see me” and turned it into a meme. Often, you’ll see a picture of a few people with commenters saying something to nature of “it’s nice to see John Cena in the picture,” or something similar.
Well, WWE 2K23 players can unlock an invisible John Cena and what makes it more exciting is he is the strongest wrestler in the game.
Super Cena carries a 100 rating, the highest in the game, six points better than the standard John Cena. At the time of release, many fans thought Roman Reigns (99) would be the best wrestler in the game, but as they played on, they saw (or rather, didn’t see) who was actually the best.
With that high rating comes a big challenge in unlocking him. In short, you need to beat Super Cena, but doing so is no easy task. Despite its difficulty, unlocking him is still possible.
Showcase Mode: A Trip Down Memory Lane
There is so much to do in WWE 2K23 but to get Super Cena, you need to play Showcase Mode.
This mode takes you on a trip down memory lane as you relive some of John Cena’s biggest matches. The catch is you play as Cena’s opponents in high-profile losses from his career.
Each match has a set of objectives you need to hit in a specific order. If you lose without meeting all objectives, you won’t get all the unlockables. Fortunately, that’s OK in our quest for Super Cena.
You just need to defeat Cena in order to advance to the next match. Here are the lists of opponents and matches you will play during Showcase Mode:
- Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006
- Kurt Angle during a 2002 episode of Smackdown (Cena’s debut)
- The Undertaker at Vengeance 2003
- The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 34
- Triple H at Night of Champions 2008
- AJ Styles at SummerSlam 2016
- Edge at SummerSlam 2006
- Edge at New Year’s Revolution 2006
- Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2021
- The Rock at Wrestlemania 28
- Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2014
- Brock Lesnar at Backlash 2003
- Batista at SummerSlam 2008
- Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell 2009
You will need to defeat Cena as all of these opponents to advance to a match when you can pick your character. This 15th match is a troll job because whoever you pick will lose immediately.
It is the 16th match where you can be competitive. This match is called “Didn’t See That Coming,” and it is where you will fight the invisible Super Cena. Beat him and you unlock the character. This is a lot easier said than done.
Selecting Your Wrestler
As with the prior match, you can select your wrestler to grapple with Super Cena. This was a vital choice because it all comes down to how difficult you want the match to be with Super Cena.
Keep in mind you can choose any male opponent to fight Cena. The game steers you toward one of the opponents you played as during the Showcase Mode, but it still gives you the option to pick another one.
If you’re hoping for an easier time, select one of the higher-rated wrestlers like Reigns (99) or Brock Lesnar ’14 (95). You could opt for a tougher challenge and use one of the lower-rated wrestlers such as AJ Styles (89) or Undertaker ’18 (87).
Regardless of who you pick, be sure you are comfortable with their fight style. Characters like Styles or Rey Mysterio use high-flying and quick moves while Reigns and Lesnar are more powerful.
I, personally, went with Reigns so I could get through the match faster, but I did have fun trying my hand with AJ Styles and Edge.
Completing the Objectives
Once you’ve selected your character, you’ll need to complete all your objectives in order to unlock Super Cena. It’s not enough just to beat him this time around.
Fortunately, this match only has four:
- Perform a Heavy Combo: Be sure to check your combo list for options. A heavy combo most include a heavy attack. These attacks include using the X (PlayStation) or A (Xbox) buttons.
- Deal out damage to fill the meter: It doesn’t matter how you do this, you just need to hurt Super Cena. A bevy of attacks and combos work wonders here. Don’t forget to use your counter attacks with the triangle (PlayStation) and Y (Xbox) buttons. My strategy centered on using grapple moves.
- Connect with your finisher: If you’ve been dealing out damage and haven’t used the “instant recovery” option, then you should have a finisher built up. You just need one bar on your finisher meter to initiate this move. Keep in mind that depending on who you use, position will matter. Reigns, for example, can execute a Spear but only by standing in a corner opposite of the opponent.
- Pin Super Cena: A finisher will take an opponent down and likely stun them. This is your chance to pin Super Cena. That said, there’s a decent chance he’s not ready to be pinned. My first time, he kicked out at the two-count. You’ll have to keep fighting him to finally get the pinfall victory.
Keep in mind, you can beat Super Cena at anytime and in any way but without completing the four objectives, you won’t unlock him.
This can be a bit tricky given that he’s invisible. You’ll have to keep a close eye on the armbands and shorts to know exactly where Super Cena is at during the match.
It’s also important to remember that you have to do each one in order. You can’t skip around nor will it count an objective complete if you didn’t complete it when the objective came up.
Final Thoughts
Super Cena was a nice surprise to see at the end of Showcase Mode. The amount of self-awareness from WWE was phenomenal here and this is a fun unlockable to get.
At the end of the day, have fun with this task. Sure, it’s difficult, but you can employ a host of strategies that work for you. Be patient and don’t be afraid to walk away if you’re struggling.
I am new to PlayStation so I was struggling to get the controls right. I found trying out myRise Mode and others helped me better practice. Doing so can help you improve your proficiency when controlling your selected wrestler.
WWE 2K23 is a great pickup for any wrestling fan and may have an appeal to fans of the fighting genre as a whole.
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