WWE 2K22 Has 36 Fighters Who Were Let Go By WWE

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The upcoming WWE 2K22 will launch with 36 wrestlers who are no longer employed by the WWE, thanks to a number of budget cuts leading to wrestlers being let go, and talent walking out of their own accord. WWE 2K22 will also feature other wrestlers who aren't on the roster, including classic talent (some of whom are deceased), and Machine Gun Kelly will be a WWE 2K22 DLC character.

The WWE has been on a firing spree over the past year, leading to speculation that the company is cutting talent to save costs ahead of a sale to a larger media conglomerate. This has resulted in some of the bigger names being snapped up by AEW. The problem is that the WWE produces annual video games and each character requires a lot of work to develop. If a wrestler is no longer with the company, then that means the WWE video game is going to have characters who aren't with the company anymore, and may even be part of a competitor's roster.

Related: WWE 2K22 Video Reveals First Look At MyRISE & 2K Showcase Modes

Now available online, WWE 2K22's game roster has lots of names that are no longer with the company. According to VGC, these total 36 fighters, and include Alexander Wolfe, Ariya Daivari, Billie Kay, Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Danny Burch, Ember Moon, Fandango, Great Metalik, Isaiah «Swerve» Scott, Jeff Hardy, John Morrison, Johnny Gargano, Kalisto, Karrion Kross, Keith Lee, Kyle O'Reilly, Lana, Lince Dorado, Mia Yim, Mickie James, Murphy, Nia Jax, Oney Lorcan, Peyton Royce, Samoa Joe, Shane McMahon, SLAPJACK, Tegan Nox, Brian Kendrick, Timothy Thatcher, Toni Storm, Tucker, Tyler Breeze, and William Regal. Wrestlers like Keith Lee are already part of AEW, which meansWWE 2K22 will feature wrestlers that are part of their biggest competitor.