Here’s how many superstars you can play as in WWE 2K22

The last two years have been wild for WWE video games, and it’s not just because of how disastrous WWE 2K20 was. Now, WWE 2K22 was forced into the unenviable position of building a roster despite many superstars being cut.

Dozens upon dozens of wrestlers were cut over 2020 and 2021. Some of these releases weren’t surprising. Acts that struggled to get TV time such as Primo and Epico, Curtis Axel, and Curt Hawkins were given the axe in the game as well. Wrestlers like Rusev, Kallisto, and Ethan Carter III were handed the pink slips they were publicly begging for. Problematic figures like Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan had the thin ice they were walking on crack underneath them.

However, there were also plenty of releases that were downright shocking. Main eventers such as Braun Strowman, hot up-and-comers like Keith Lee, steady mid-carders like Nia Jax, and even presumptive lifers like the Big Show wound up hitting the road.

WWE 2K22 still boasts many superstars to choose from, but the roster is smaller than in previous years. So how many are there to choose from now?

How many superstars are in WWE 2K22?

There are still 164 different superstars available in WWE 2K22.

That tally counts DLC character Eric Bischoff and doesn’t include alternate versions of characters available in the game. Counting alternate versions of characters, there are 171 in total. That number will grow over the coming months.

There are 27 confirmed DLC wrestlers, though that may be pruned down by one after a recent release. Even combining those numbers, this falls well short of the rosters from past WWE games.

It’s unclear whether the developers might branch that out further beyond established DLC plans. WWE 2K22 is the last game of the WWE-Take Two Interactive partnership. Negotiations over a renewal are likely ongoing and the game could be actively supported for either a longer or shorter period as a result.

WWE 2K22’s roster is quite strange. The game boasts a number of wrestlers that were released from the WWE roster in 2021, but there seems to be little rhyme or reason to who stayed aboard.

On top of this, a number of notable names from the main roster are absent and there’s little support for wrestlers attached to NXT 2.0. There are also several notable omissions from the legends lineup, with Kurt Angle, Lita, and several others missing.