WWE 2K23: 8 Gameplay Details You Need To Know
2. Playing AGAINST John Cena In Showcase Mode
A jump from the seventh to eighth-generation of home video game consoles meant 2K could implement new modes into the WWE games series; Showcase Mode was one of them, first popularised in the 2014-released WWE 2K15 with Showcases centred around the legendary John Cena vs. CM Punk and Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels rivalries. Subsequent Showcases have seen the likes of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Rey Mysterio, and Daniel Bryan features, as well as specific eras, such as the Women's Evolution.
John Cena will be the next Showcase star. Confirmed to feature fourteen of Cena's matches from his twenty-year career, his Showcase will take on a slightly different format in that all of the matches will be encounters he lost. Utilising his 'Never Give Up' mantra, the Showcase will see Cena attempt to get his wins back, while the player's aim is to keep history intact.
Dino Zucconi, the Showcase Lead Designer, discussed the team's desire to take a different avenue with this year's Showcase. He told Screen Rant:-
"So we wanted to focus on the times where he didn't win the match, he came up short. If he lost the championship, lost an opportunity to the championship, like, these are the moments that "never give up" actually means something. It's easy to tell other people that are down, "Oh, don't give up." But like, when you see the actual human being preaching this and he follows that same thing, it just hits a little bit harder. So I think that the fans are really gonna enjoy the showcase this year."
Dino also teased a few surprises for this year's Showcase:-
"We've got some really cool matches in there. We go from his debut on a Hot Summer Night in 2002, all the way until SummerSlam 2021. A lot of great opponents, and we have a few other surprises hidden in there as well. Really excited about the Showcase."
Confirmed Showcase matches currently include his WWE debut vs. Kurt Angle, his acclaimed One Night Stand encounter with Rob Van Dam, and his infamously quick WrestleMania 34 showdown vs. the Undertaker.