WWE 2K23's Showcase mode is all about John Cena, with players taking control of the various big name opponents that have defeated Cena over the years, but one of his biggest rivals will be missing from the lineup. The WWE 2K games have utilized Showcase modes to highlight the careers of specific wrestlers, with WWE 2K22 focusing on Rey Mysterio. Typically, these Showcase modes put players in control of the wrestler that they're based on, which makes WWE 2K23 stand out.
While some fans may have preferred to play as John Cena, others will appreciate the variety that the WWE 2K23 Showcase mode will offer by putting players in control of Cena's opponents instead. A recent trailer for the WWE 2K23 Showcase mode highlighted some of the wrestlers that will be featured, including Batista, The Undertaker, The Rock, AJ Styles, Roman Reigns, and Rob Van Dam. Randy Orton and Edge were strangely absent, but there's still a good chance that they will be featured in the mode come launch. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for one of Cena's biggest rivalries, and the wrestler who handed him one of the most significant losses in his entire career: CM Punk.
CM Punk is not going to be in WWE 2K23. Besides the fact that Punk has been on the outs with WWE for a decade at this point, he is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. Punk hasn't been seen on AEW TV since he won the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley at All Out last year. He suffered an injury during the match and was then part of a legitimate backstage confrontation with AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Punk is not expected to return to AEW television, but he remains under contract with the company.
CM Punk will be in the AEW: Fight Forever video game, but he will not be in WWE 2K23, which means the John Cena Showcase will be missing out one of his greatest rivalries and biggest losses. John Cena and CM Punk battled numerous times over the years, but their most notable encounter came at Money in the Bank 2011 in Punk's hometown Chicago, Illinois. CM Punk cut his historic "pipe bomb" promo in the lead-up to the big match, which elevated him to the next level and kickstarted one of WWE's most popular storylines of the time.
Punk fought John Cena for the WWE Championship at the event, with the added stipulation that if Cena lost, he would be fired from the company. Following a critically-acclaimed fight in front of a red-hot Chicago crowd, Punk defeated Cena and left WWE with the WWE Championship in tow. Since the Showcase mode is all about Cena's biggest rivalries and losses, it's a shame that the CM Punk match won't be part of the equation.
Of course, this is completely out of the hands of the developers. It's quite possible CM Punk will never appear in a WWE video game again, but hopefully other big opponents missing in the trailer end up appearing in the WWE 2K23 Showcase mode, like Edge and Randy Orton.
WWE 2K23 launches March 17 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.