2K Games is keeping its momentum strong, as WWE 2K23 has made many improvements to the yearly wrestling series while also bringing back a ton of fan-favorite features. The cover athlete for this year’s game is none other than John Cena, who is perhaps one of the most recognizable WWE wrestlers of all time. Cena’s popularity extends far past the world of wrestling, especially given his movie and television roles, including in the DCEU as Peacemaker. Like many other celebrities, this popularity has led to a ton of memes being created around him.
WWE 2K23 features a Showcase mode that lets fans play through some of John Cena’s biggest in-ring losses, all while emphasizing his catchphrase of “Never Give Up.” As a reward for making it to the end of the Showcase mode, players will unlock a special fantasy matchup that brings one of the most iconic John Cena memes to life. Using one of the many superstars that Cena has lost to over the years, players will be challenged by none other than a Super Cena, a version of the iconic wrestler that you can’t see.
WWE 2K23’s Showcase Mode Embraces the Memes
Not only is Super Cena already a meme in the pro-wrestling fandom, but WWE 2K23 takes the joke one step further by making this version of John Cena almost completely invisible. The only part of him that players can see during a match is his clothes. This is a play on one of John Cena’s other catchphrases, “You Can’t See Me,” which has also spawned a fair share of memes where people take this catchphrase literally, acting as if they can’t see Cena in pictures and videos he’s prominently featured in.
Even the name Super Cena comes from an in-joke within the wrestling fandom, poking fun at how there was a period of time when John Cena rarely lost matches. Various WWE mobile games have referenced the Super Cena meme in the past, though WWE 2K23 is the first major wrestling game to do so. Right before the Super Cena match, players will actually be tricked into a match against regular Cena where they almost instantly lose in a cutscene. After this, the game makes one more meme reference by mentioning “LOLCENAWINS,” a meme in a similar vein to Super Cena.
Unlocking Super Cena Is a Real Challenge
Super Cena is no easy opponent. His stats are maxed out at 100 overall, the highest possible in WWE 2K23. His AI also seems to be quite a bit more brutal than normal, especially when it comes to Super Cena’s ability to reverse finishers. Simply beating Super Cena is a challenge enough in its own right, but players who go the extra mile can actually unlock this overpowered version of John Cena. Completing all the optional objectives — which include winning the match — will reward players will this invisible John Cena.
There’s more to Super Cena than just maxed-out stats and a few memes. There are actually some unique commentary lines that can play during Super Cena’s entrance, where the commentators will discuss the difficulty of fighting an invisible opponent. Super Cena is by far one of the best secret characters in the WWE 2K series to date, especially given how much the character leans into the internet memes surrounding the real John Cena.
