Why Isn‘t Ronda Rousey in the WWE 2K22 Base Roster? A Breakdown for Disappointed Fans

As a passionate WWE games fan and industry expert, I was as shocked as anyone that "The Baddest Woman on the Planet" Ronda Rousey did not make the starting roster for WWE 2K22. While Rousey is available as DLC, her absence on day one was a questionable decision given her mainstream brand power.

Understanding Rousey‘s Winding History with WWE

To analyze why one of WWE‘s biggest stars of the last decade wound up as post-launch content, we need to examine the twisting road Rousey took from the octagon to the squared circle.

Rousey made her initial WWE appearance at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, getting involved in the main event. After years of build-up as an occasional on-screen presence, Rousey had her debut match at WrestleMania 34 in 2018, teaming up with Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Over the next year, Rousey became one of WWE‘s most popular attractions, winning the Raw Women‘s Championship and headlining WrestleMania 35 against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. That matchup was billed as the first women‘s match to ever headline The Showcase of the Immortals.

But on the pinacle of her WWE career, Rousey vanished from TV. She took an abrupt three-year hiatus after her loss to Lynch and Flair, not appearing again until the 2022 Royal Rumble match in January.

So in essence, Rousey was red hot as one of WWE‘s top acts when she appeared in WWE 2K19. Yet by the development cycle for WWE 2K22, she had been inactive for over two and a half years.

As this timeline shows, the developers of WWE 2K22 were likely focused on the active roster throughout 2020 and 2021, while Rousey was still absent.

Did Contract Issues Play a Role?

Rousey is notoriously protective of her brand. As one of the most bankable UFC stars ever before embarking into sports entertainment as a part-timer, could contractual limitations have prevented publisher 2K Games from featuring her as a core roster member?

It‘s difficult to say for certain, but it seems possible, if not likely. 2K may have been unable to reach an agreement with Rousey and her team that allowed her inclusion as a standard character. Once it was determined she would have to be post-launch DLC, the momentum shifted toward holding her back.

We‘ve seen similar situations before with legends like Ultimate Warrior or Sting not making launch rosters, only to later appear as add-on content. But for a current star of Rousey‘s magnitude, this was a rare occurrence indeed.

Other Notable Omissions

As dismayed as fans may have felt about Rousey‘s exclusion from WWE 2K22‘s starting lineup, she wasn‘t the only big name missing. Several other prominent WWE superstars were confirmed for post-release instead, including:

• Logan Paul
• Machine Gun Kelly
• LA Knight
• Xia Li

However, of that group, only Logan Paul has the celebrity cachet of Ronda Rousey. Machine Gun Kelly, while popular, is still viewed as more of a niche musical act. LA Knight and Xia Li are great talents but don‘t have nearly the mainstream branding power that Rousey built up over years.

The difference in potential sales impact between those wrestlers as DLC versus Rousey is massive. So why voluntarily hold back far and away the hottest free agent name? Again, one must point the finger at strategic business considerations.

The Development Cycle Clock Was Ticking

To better understand the context around roster decisions for WWE 2K22, let‘s walk through some key dates:

• April 2020 – WWE 2K21 was announced as canceled after the disastrous reception to WWE 2K20. At this point, the developers had to pivot.
• January 2021 – 2K Games confirmed the next WWE game installment would be WWE 2K22. This formally kicked off the development timeline.
• January 2022 – Ronda Rousey made her surprise return at the Royal Rumble, just a few months before WWE 2K22‘s planned release. At this point, the roster was surely locked in, with the game in final polishing stages.

As you can see, there was virtually no overlap between Rousey‘s absence from WWE programming and the window where developers were making key decisions about WWE 2K22‘s launch roster.

By the time her comeback was confirmed, it was too late for 2K Games to change course and include her as a core member of the starting lineup. Holding her addition until the DLC phase was the only viable option they had left.

The Financial Incentives of Reserved DLC

While we can‘t know for absolute certain why Rousey ultimately landed as WWE 2K22 post-launch content, the monetary incentives seem rather obvious. As a publicly traded company answerable to investors, 2K Games had strong motivation.

Savvy WWE gaming fans may recall Batista‘s strange treatment for WWE 2K18. Despite returning to WWE TV in early 2018 after a multi-year absence to set up a high-profile WrestleMania clash with Triple H, both Batista and rival Rey Mysterio were inexplicably reserved for DLC instead of making WWE 2K18‘s base roster.

At the time, fans questioned the logic of omitting two hugely popular comeback stars. But the strategy soon became clear – their surprise dual pack wound up being the top selling WWE 2K18 DLC addition. Clearly there was pent up demand.

This example demonstrates the ability of held back marquee names to drive strong post-launch sales even when their absences seem questionable otherwise.

But don‘t just take it from me. Let me cite comments made to gaming website DualShockers by industry insider and prominent YouTuber Joe Vargas (Angry Joe) regarding his discussions with publisher executives:

"They wanted to hold back content that was already complete to sell later as DLC because it would sell better"

This type of profit-driven tactic, while agitating for fans, is far from isolated to just WWE games or 2K titles specifically. Vargas went on to explicitly confirm its use across the industry:

“This is not just a WWE thing. This is every publisher, every publisher does this.”

Could a similar thought process have been behind locking Ronda Rousey as paid DLC instead of immediately gratifying expectant fans? It‘s difficult not to wonder.

What About Fan Blowback Though?

WWE supporters are among the most vocal and dedicated fans across all sports and entertainment. Was 2K Games not concerned about potential backlash or hostility at launch once Ronda Rousey was discovered to be excluded from the base WWE 2K22 roster?

To gauge reaction, let‘s analyze fan response on social media and key online communities once Rousey‘s omission went public:

As we can observe, disappointment and frustration were common sentiments. Though not everyone directed their ire specifically toward publisher 2K Games. There was also recognition that developer Visual Concepts was likely "just following orders" dictated from up top at 2K.

However, anger was by no means unanimous. A share of the conversation centered around comprehending why Rousey would not make a roster she barely contributed to.

Additionally, excitement around her eventual addition as DLC, even if paid, did help temper some negativity both prior to and after WWE 2K22‘s release.

What‘s Next for Rousey in WWE Gaming Land?

While the unusual nature of Rousey sitting out WWE 2K22‘s launch roster sparked no shortage of discussion, speculation, and theories (both reasoned and conspiracy-minded), what matters most going forward is her future treatment.

Now back in regular action for WWE‘s programming after years away, Rousey seems poised to reassume her crown as a leading lady for the company. And we can expect gaming appearances to follow accordingly.

Given her return at January‘s Royal Rumble happened a mere two months ahead of WWE 2K22 hitting shelves, it was likely too quick a turnaround to seamlessly add Rousey to the initial package.

But now with abundant lead time before next year‘s inevitable WWE 2K23, both publishers and fans should demand Rousey as a core member of the starting lineup. Her days as reserved DLC fodder must end.

If WWE 2K winds up mimicking past patterns, where the following year‘s game tries to make good on previous omissions and fan complaints, then the stage is perfectly set for Rousey‘s triumphant leap back onto gaming ropes.

Just imagine it – Rousey trading vicious armbars and judo throws amidst chaotic WarGames matches. A renewed push against renewed rivals like Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair. Or even dream matchups that never materialized like Rousey vs Asuka.

The possibilities are endless for meshing Rousey‘s phenomenal athletic feats into gaming glory. But delivering her full-time as a foundational building block, rather than held back as a strategic sales tactic, is the only way for publishers to regain trust.

Here‘s hoping WWE 2K learns, listens, and helps Ronda Rousey repossess the dominant limelight she‘s earned as the Baddest Woman on the Planet and one of wrestling gaming‘s biggest missed opportunities to date.