WWE 2K22 is still a few months out, but development has taken another hit as several more superstars likely intended for the title have been released.
We're taking a closer look at everyone that's now out of the WWE 2K22 roster and how these continued releases could affect development.
WWE 2K22 roster continues to shrink after more superstar releases
Months ago, we heard reports that a large batch of WWE releases had significantly hindered development plans for WWE 2K22.
While it's not believed to have been the only factor, entire DLC packs had to be scrapped as at least one was expected to feature Bronson Reed, who was released by WWE around that time.
Unfortunately, that story is becoming an all too familiar one, as yet another group of surprising WWE releases has rolled in, and there's no shortage of names that could've been in WWE 2K22.
In total, 17 different WWE superstars were released, including the following:
- B-Fab
- Scarlett
- Franky Monet
- Ember Moon
- Jessi Kamea
- Trey Baxter
- Oney Lorcan
- Jeet Rama
- Katrina Cortez
- Zayda Ramier
- Mia Yim
- Keith Lee
- Eva Marie
- Nia Jax
- Gran Metalik
- Lince Dorado
- Karrion Kross
All seven in bold were a part of the WWE 2K20 roster, but it now looks like they'll be missing from WWE 2K22.
Over 60 from WWE 2K20 likely to be missing
With the latest group coming into account, the number of wrestlers included as part of the WWE 2K20 roster that won't be in WWE 2K22 has become staggering.
A full 61 superstars from WWE 2K20 are now expected to be missing from WWE 2K22, which remains four months away from a release date.
While she wasn't in WWE 2K20, Eva Marie was actually last in a WWE game as part of the WWE 2K17 roster, and she likely would've been in WWE 2K22 had she not just been released by the company.
While some things, particularly the addition of new stars, can take time to get into the game and will often get missed if things are made official long enough before launch, the same isn't necessarily true for removal.
It takes significantly less work to remove a character from the game than it does to build a new one, and as WWE seems content to cry "budget cuts" every time they announce record profits and fire more people, they likely don't want to pay any of those released royalties for this game.
While someone released closer to the launch of WWE 2K22 might have a chance to remain in the game by the time the release date arrives, it's unlikely anyone who just got released will be able to join this year's in-game roster.
Roster Updates vs DLC Packs
While news about the development of WWE 2K22 has been relatively scarce, a few tidbits of information have leaked out.
One of the primary WWE 2K22 leaks in recent months included discussion about whether to do DLC packs or a proper roster update system in the upcoming release.
While WWE 2K20 followed the pattern of their previous titles by adding new superstars to the game via DLC packs bundling a half dozen together, they may be ready to change things.
Most sports games offer a free roster update periodically as part of keeping the game current, and this is the standard in titles like MLB The Show 21, Madden 22, NBA 2K22, and UFC 4.
UFC 4 was released over a year ago, and they've continued to add new fighters to the existing game as recently as this week.
WWE 2K22 could build a lot of much-needed goodwill with the player community by committing to post-launch roster updates being a free service included with the title rather than using a DLC-based moneygrab instead.
While we likely won't know until at least January, the potential shift to roster updates remains one of the more positive pieces of news relating to the eventual release of WWE 2K22.