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 upcoming WWE 2K22, thinning out that game's playable characters. However, it seems that worries about the WWE 2K22 roster are a bit premature, as it's possible these cut wrestlers could still appear in the new game.
A report by Forbes indicates that the WWE 2K22 roster may very well include wrestlers 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.
Forbes suggests that wrestlers who were under WWE contract when WWE 2K22 was revealed will likely make the final cut, specifically pointing out wrestlers 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 in WWE 2K22 is 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 of Bray Wyatt's release from WWE aren'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 the WWE 2K22 roster.
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 the WWE 2K22 roster as possible.
After all, having a larger roster may result in fans enjoying WWE 2K22 more, which is important since WWE 2K20 was so poorly received. WWE 2K22 has 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 2K22 is in development.
Source: Forbes