Edited to add details:
Word going around is that they were asked to restructure their deals with TKO instead of WWE, and said restructuring involved a substantial pay cut. They declined to do so, and asked for their release instead, which was granted.
What the fuck is going on at WWE?
Sounds similar to the UFC buyout, there were complaints and lawsuits that Endeavor was underpaying talent and releasing people that didn’t want the lower payouts. They took away their sponsorships for like Reebok, and some talent were cut to make room for cheaper ones. Led to some anti-trust lawsuits that I think got settled, or maybe those were in the Zuffa era. Either way, it’s looking like what happened with UFC, let big contracts and older, higher paid talent go to bring in cheaper talent.
I have no doubt Kofi & Creed will be in high demand, I hope they get a good run somewhere.