WWE has not been shy about releasing talent this year, letting some of its most high profile superstars go like Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Jeff Hardy, and others. Many have assumed that these roster cuts would have an adverse effect on the upcomingWWE 2K22, thinning out that game’s playable characters. However, it seems that worries about theWWE 2K22roster are a bit premature, as it’s possible these cut wrestlers could still appear in the new game.
A report by Forbes indicates that theWWE 2K22roster may very well includewrestlers who are no longer with WWE, and may even feature stars who have since jumped ship to WWE’s main competition, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). According to the Forbes report, whether or not someone is included in a sports game boils down to the terms of their contract, their relationship with the company, and the deadline for the roster to be submitted.
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Forbes suggests that wrestlers who were under WWE contract whenWWE 2K22was revealed will likely make the final cut, specifically pointing outwrestlers like Adam Cole, Bray Wyatt, Jeff Hardy, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Kyle O’Reilly, and Ruby Riott as possibilities for the roster. This would be significant as Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Ruby Riott are now in AEW as three of the program’s most-featured stars.
The thing that may keep some WWE stars from appearing inWWE 2K22is the “relationship” with the company bit, as it seems those who left on bad terms may still be excluded from the final roster. It’s possible this could very well apply to someone like Bray Wyatt. Exact details ofBray Wyatt’s release from WWEaren’t widely known, but it’s believed his release came as a shock to Wyatt and other talent at the company. It created a bit of controversy that WWE may want to avoid bringing back up by featuring Wyatt on theWWE 2K22roster.
It stands to reason that WWE may also want to avoid featuring its former wrestlers that are now appearing in AEW. After all, it makes sense that WWE would want to avoid putting the spotlight on wrestlers that are in the other company. On the other hand, WWE may not care about that angle and will just want to have as many wrestlers on theWWE 2K22rosteras possible.
After all, having a larger roster may result in fans enjoyingWWE 2K22more, which is important sinceWWE 2K20was so poorly received.WWE 2K22has been given extra development time in an effort to get the series back on track, but whether or not it’s successful remains to be seen.
WWE 2K22is in development.
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