I know Visual Concepts is on this type of time since developing 2K22WWE 2K22 dev team probably seeing the news of the latest roster cuts like
To be serious, I actually do feel bad for them because that has to be hell on earth to put all that work in on the game, just to get hit with this news and AFTER you drop an trailer. I honestly don't see Take Two sticking with this franchise once it expires considering WWE is moving all kinds of crazy since last year with these cuts, plus with them getting the NFL license last year, PGA Tour 2K and FIFA ending their exclusivity deal with EA thus allowing anyone to use their license, they might not stick with them for long.
Yeah, I've seen Murphy in the trailer, however, he's signed to New Japan not too long ago, so WWE might ask for his removal. At the end of the day, WWE do have the final saying on who get to be in the game and who don't, because normally with released wrestlers they're usually removed from the game, but even then, they had people who were in an game removed like Lio for example (iirc, he was listed in 2K20, but was quickly removed for unknown reason as some people like Ciampa asked for his removal in 2K19, however, no one knows about Lio's case, except WWE and 2K).Pretty sure some released people are still gonna be in the game.
Buddy Murphy was in the recent trailer.