The roster for WWE 2K22 has several confirmed playable superstars, but players can expect more to be announced. The mainline WWE games usually have a large roster of current superstars, legends, and retired wrestlers. WWE 2K22 is likely to continue the series' strong tradition of including stars from years gone by. The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin are superstars who appear in the vast majority of wrestling games, and another WWE legend who stands a strong chance of being included is Hollywood megastar The Rock.
The Rock is perhaps better known as Dwayne Johnson, one of the most popular actors in the world. The Rock wrapped filming on Black Adam this past summer, which could be another huge box office hit for him. While his appearances on WWE television are infrequent these days, The Rock got his start in WWF, as it was known at the time. He has continued to have a positive relationship with WWE, and every time he does appear on the company's broadcasts, it's treated as a big deal. Fans should expect The Rock to be a playable character in WWE 2K22 for several reasons.
The Rock's History in WWE Games
The Rock has appeared in every main series WWE game except for SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. Not only has he appeared in all these games, but The Rock has also often been featured on the covers. Many later entries in the WWE 2K series have included multiple versions of The Rock from various periods throughout his wrestling career. He has appeared in the games consistently and has been treated as the marketing focus for several of them, which makes The Rock a very likely candidate to be a part of WWE 2K22's roster. With WWE 2K22 more so than previous games, it could be important for WWE that The Rock is playable.
WWE's Video Game Competition
All Elite Wrestling has its debut console video game currently in development. This fact alone gives WWE more competition in the gaming industry than it has ever had, but AEW's recent roster additions could put WWE 2K22 at a disadvantage. In the last few months, AEW has made some major signings like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole. These wrestlers used to perform with WWE and have now joined the federation's competition. Now more than ever, WWE 2K22 should leverage as much star power as it can, and that means including big names like The Undertaker and The Rock as playable characters. The Rock's appeal goes far beyond just professional wrestling, and it would be a wise move for WWE, and 2K, to ensure that The Rock is playable in WWE 2K22 for this reason.
Several superstars have been confirmed for WWE 2K22, but legends like The Rock haven't been announced just yet. Still, based on his history and prominence in WWE's video games, it would be surprising if he isn't included in the new game. This could be a pivotal time for WWE to double down on the likes of The Rock to boost interest in WWE 2K22. The Rock has been heavily rumored for a run in WWE in the coming months, which could further strengthen the argument for his inclusion in WWE 2K22. Of all the possible legends who could be playable in the game, The Rock is arguably one of the most likely.
WWE 2K22 is currently in development for release in March 2022.