These days, Dave Bautista is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Drax in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but that hasn't always been the case. Prior to his switch to acting, he spent the better part of a decade at the WWE, during which time he wrestled under the name Batista and participated in some of the most memorable matches from the Ruthless Aggression era.
Despite no longer being a WWE regular, Batista remains popular with fans to this day and still makes sporadic guest appearances from time to time. He's often included as an unlockable superstar in WWE 2K games too, and this is once again the case in WWE 2K22. Rather than unlocking him using in-game currency like in previous games though, players will this time need to best Batista in the ring. Here's how.
How to Unlock Batista in WWE 2K22
In order to unlock Batista in WWE 2K22, players will need to defeat him in Showcase mode while also completing all 13 of the optional objectives. As is the case with other Showcase mode matches, most of these objectives are relatively straightforward, but there are one or two which could cause players a little bit of bother. Thankfully, pausing the game will usually provide more detailed instructions on how to complete the active objective, which can make life a little easier for players who are having trouble.
Once players have completed the final objective, they'll unlock Batista as well as an alternate attire from the match they just completed. They'll also unlock a new version of Rey Mysterio, as well as the SmackDown 2009 Arena. Completing every objective in this match is also one of the requirements for unlocking the special bonus Showcase mode match, with players also needing to fully complete the other ten matches in order to do so.
Showcase Match 7 Objectives: WWE SmackDown 2009 (Rey Mysterio vs. Batista)
# | Objective | How to Complete |
|---|---|---|
1 | The Animal is angry! Avoid Batista's fury and get him with a Light Combo in the ring! | Perform any light combo while in the ring (pressing Square / X four times will do the job). |
2 | Now perform a Front Running Attack to Batista in the ring to keep him on his toes! | Run towards Batista using L2 / LT and then press Square or X (PlayStation) or X or A (Xbox). |
3 | Now soften Batista up with a Front Light Attack in the ring! | Press Square / X while facing Batista in the ring. |
4 | Let's dial it up a bit! Get Batista out of the ring and do some damage ringside! | Attack Batista while outside the ring until the bar fills up. |
5 | Dish out a little something extra to Batista and use a Heavy Combo while you're ringside! | Perform any heavy combo while outside the ring (pressing Square, X, X, X / X, A, A, A will do the job). |
6 | Okay, now perform a Front Running Grapple to Batista anywhere! You've got him worried! | Run towards Batista using L2 / LT and then press Circle / B. |
7 | Get Batista back in the ring and use a Grab Combo to keep the momentum! | Perform any grab combo while in the ring (pressing Square, Square, Circle / X, X, B will do the job). |
8 | Get Batista seated on the top turnbuckle and connect with a Light Attack to wake him up a bit! | Irish whip Batista into one of the corners and then flick the right analog stick up to lift him up. Once he's sat on the turnbuckle, press the Square / X button. |
9 | You're down, but not out! You can make a Comeback against Batista if you try! | While Batista is standing dazed in the ring, climb onto the top turnbuckle and, with a full special meter, hold R2 and press Triangle (PlayStation) or RT and Y (Xbox). After Rey jumps from the turnbuckle, players will then need to complete two random QTEs to finish the objective. |
10 | Stay on him! Perform a Springboard Attack from the apron to Batista while he's down in the ring! | Knock Batista down and then use R2 / RT to climb onto the apron. From there, hold L1 / LB and then press Square / X. |
11 | Time to go big! Perform a Front Heavy Grapple Attack to Batista in the ring! | While in the ring, press Circle / B to initiate a grapple and then press X / A together with any direction on the left analog stick. |
12 | Hit him with all you got and perform the 619 to Batista! | While Batista is standing dazed in the ring and with a full special meter, hold R2 / RT and then press Square / X. |
13 | What will it take to beat Batista? Try another Front Heavy Grapple Attack in the ring! | While in the ring, press Circle / B to initiate a grapple and then press X / A together with any direction on the left analog stick. |
WWE 2K22 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.