NBA 2K

Gameplay

Each installment in the NBA 2K series emulates the National Basketball Association, and present slight improvements over the previous installments. As such, gameplay simulates a typical game of basketball, with the player controlling an entire team or a select player; objectives coincide with the rules of basketball and presentation resembles actual televised NBA games. Various game modes have been featured in the series, allowing for gameplay variety. Numerous elements of the games feature customizable options. Each game features the teams and players from the current NBA season; historic NBA teams and players have also been featured, as have EuroLeague teams and (starting with NBA 2K20) WNBA teams. NBA 2K21 expanded WNBA integration with The W, a dedicated career mode allowing players to create a WNBA My PLAYER and compete across all 12 teams. Fictional players and teams can also be created and compiled.

A staple of the series is its career mode, which has been described as a sports-themed role-playing game. ESPN NBA Basketball was the first game in the series to feature such a mode, but it wasn't until NBA 2K10 and its successors that the mode became a more integral part of the series. The mode was initially titled 24/7, before being changed to MyPlayer, and settling on MyCareer. The modes center on the basketball career of the player's created player; the player customizes several aspects of their player and plays through their career in the NBA. Key events in the player's career are depicted, such as the draft and their retirement ceremony. A storyline is often present in the modes, and high school- and college-level basketball has also been depicted. The player upgrades their player's attributes as they play, and can participate in off-court activities.

Another mainstay of the series is a mode allowing the player to assume control of an NBA franchise, acting as a general manager. The mode has been featured in numerous NBA 2K games and is often titled Association; the most recent games in the series feature the MyGM and MyLeague modes. In the modes, the player controls virtually all aspects of a team, rather than just playing games with the team. As the player simulates through seasons, they must satisfy the needs of the team's personnel and the owner.

MyTeam mode, which was introduced in NBA 2K13, focuses on building a team of players and competing against other players' teams online. The player's primary venue for acquiring players for their team is card packs; the player purchases a card pack, which features random items the player can use in the mode, including players. In addition to compiling a select group of players, the player can also customize their team's jerseys and court, among other things. The game mode progressed even further on NBA 2K19, with a MyTeam tournament between the best Xbox and PS4 players for a prize of $250,000 occurring. Other online-focused modes have also been featured in the series, such as Pro-Am, which focuses on players building a team together with their custom players.

Games

All twenty-four of the series main installments have been developed by Visual Concepts. The first six games were published by Sega Sports, before the company sold Visual Concepts to Take Two Interactive, thus forming 2K Sports.

1990s

The original NBA 2K game was initially released in November 1999 for the Dreamcast, featuring Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers as the cover athlete. The first four games in the NBA 2K series feature commentary from fictional announcers Bob Steele and Rod West, portrayed by Bob Fitzgerald and Rod Brooks, respectively.

2000s

NBA 2K1 was initially released in October 2000 for the Dreamcast. Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers returns as the cover athlete. NBA 2K1, among other things, introduces a mode which focuses on street basketball, and a mode which allows the player to act as the general manager of a team; most of the game's successors feature variations of the two modes. This was also the first game in the series to allow for online play, allowing for 8 people to play together online.

NBA 2K2 was released in late 2001 and early 2002 for Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Allen Iverson again returned as the cover athlete. In addition to the regular players and teams from the 2001–02 NBA season, NBA 2K2 features several past players and their respective teams, including Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. NBA 2K2 is the first game in the series to be released for multiple platforms, and the last to be released for Dreamcast.

NBA 2K3 was initially released in October 2002 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. It is the second and final time of the game in the series to be released for the GameCube. Allen Iverson of the 76ers made his fourth appearance as the cover athlete.

ESPN NBA Basketball was released in October and November 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. Allen Iverson made his fifth and final appearance as the cover athlete. The game introduces a 24/7 mode, a career mode in which the player can create a customizable character and use them to compete in basketball tournaments and other competitions. Online game modes are also present, and each player has a unique facial design, also a first. The game features a commentary team consisting of Bob Fitzgerald and Tom Tolbert; Kevin Frazier hosts pre-game shows. It is the only game in the series to not feature "2K" in the title.

ESPN NBA 2K5 was first released in September 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the last game in the series to be published by Sega Sports before the company sold Visual Concepts to Take Two Interactive, forming 2K Sports. Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons replaced Iverson as the cover athlete. It is the third and final in the series to feature ESPN branding. The game features Stuart Scott as a presenter, Bob Fitzgerald as a play-by-play commentator, Bill Walton as a second commentator, Michele Tafoya as a sideline reporter.

2010s

NBA 2K11 was released in October 2010 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Microsoft Windows. Michael Jordan is the game's cover athlete, and the game features several modes focusing on Jordan. One such mode is "The Jordan Challenge", a mode in which the player must recreate ten of Jordan's most memorable career achievements, such as scoring 69 points in a game. NBA 2K11 also introduces historic NBA teams and players. The game features the same presenters as NBA 2K10. The soundtrack consists of 27 licensed songs.

NBA 2K12 was released in October 2011 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Windows, and, for the first time, iOS. This was the final game to be released for the PlayStation 2. With three different covers, NBA 2K12 is the first game in the series to feature multiple cover athletes. The cover athletes are Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan (for the second straight year). The game introduces the "NBA's Greatest" mode, where players use a wide range of historic players and teams. Steve Kerr joins Harlan and Kellogg in the commentary booth, and Burke returns as sideline reporter. The same team is present in the next three games in the series. A demo of NBA 2K12 was released prior to the release of the main game. The soundtrack consists of 28 licensed songs. Regarding the soundtrack, a contest was held, the winners of which would contribute to the soundtrack with an original song.

NBA 2K13 was initially released in September/October 2012 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows. It was the final game to be released on the PlayStation Portable and Wii. A version for Wii U was released as a launch title in November 2012 and in PAL regions the following month. The game's cover features Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose. MyTeam makes its debut in NBA 2K13, the mode focuses on building your very own fantasy team and compete against other people. Jay Z is credited as executive producer of the game; among other things, he curated the soundtrack, which consists of 24 songs.

NBA 2K14 was initially released in October and November 2013 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, iOS, and Android. LeBron James serves as cover athlete; he also curated the soundtrack, which features 20 licensed songs. NBA 2K14 introduces EuroLeague teams. NBA 2K14 was also the first year they introduced "The Park" as an additional mode to take your MyPlayer to the streets along with other users and play with them on a variety of courts.

2020s

NBA 2K21 was released on September 4, 2020. The cover athlete for the standard edition on the current console generation is Damian Lillard. Zion Williamson is the cover athlete for the standard version of the next console generation, and Kobe Bryant is the cover athlete for the Legend Edition cover for both console generations. The Arcade Edition was released for Apple Arcade on April 2, 2021.

NBA 2K22 was released on September 10, 2021. The cover athlete for the standard edition is Luka Dončić. with Candace Parker featured on the WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant on the NBA 75th Anniversary Edition. The Arcade Edition was released for Apple Arcade on October 19, 2021.

NBA 2K23 was released on September 9, 2022. The primary cover athlete for the standard and Digital Deluxe Edition is Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, while the cover athlete for the Michael Jordan Edition and Championship Edition is Michael Jordan. The game reintroduces the "Jordan Challenges" from NBA 2K11. The Arcade Edition was released for Apple Arcade on October 18, 2022.

NBA 2K24 was released on September 8, 2023. You can participate in games, upgrade your player's skills, and make decisions that shape their journey. The game introduces the "Mamba Moments". This was also the first game in the series to offer crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation. The Arcade Edition was released for Apple Arcade on October 24, 2023.

NBA 2K24 MyTEAM Mobile

NBA 2K24 MyTEAM Mobile was released in December 2023.

NBA 2K25 was released on September 4, 2024. The cover athletes are Jayson Tatum and A'ja Wilson.

NBA 2K25 MyTEAM Mobile

NBA 2K25 MyTEAM Mobile was released on November 29, 2024.

NBA 2K All Star is a mobile game developed by 2K Sports and published by Tencent, primarily targeting the Chinese market. The game is basically the mobile version of NBA 2K Online 2, it was released on March 25, 2025.

Reception

The NBA 2K series has achieved consistent critical and commercial success. Elements of the series that are frequently praised include its presentation, specifically its commentary, attention to detail, and soundtrack, its abundance of content, its overall gameplay, and its consistency in terms of yearly releases without any drastic dips in quality. In recent years, the series has been seen by some critics as superior to other basketball games, specifically in comparison with EA Sports' NBA Live series.

Conversely, later installments have been criticized for their technical issues, particularly in regards to the online components; the introduction of microtransactions; and the quality of some of the more story-focused incarnations of the MyCareer mode. The series has also been criticized for the lack of innovations in several installments.

Specifically concerning sales, the NBA 2K series has established itself as one of the better-selling video game franchises. A May 2014 earnings call reported that games in the series have sold over 17 million copies worldwide. A report in February 2017, however, suggested that games in the franchise have sold in excess of 68 million copies. According to one analyst, the most recent entries in the series average at least four million copies sold. The best-selling game in the series is NBA 2K14, which sold over seven million copies; it is also Take-Two Interactive's best-selling sports game. NBA 2K16 is the fastest-selling title in the series, shipping over four million copies within its first week of release. NBA 2K16 sold over 10 million units in 2017. As of December 2018, the series has sold over 90 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling NBA video game series.

Games in the NBA 2K series have been nominated for multiple awards, from events such as the Spike Video Game Awards, The Game Awards, and the D.I.C.E. Awards, usually related to being the best sports game of the year.

NBA 2K League

In February 2017, the National Basketball Association, in conjunction with Take-Two Interactive, announced the creation of an esports league centering on the NBA 2K franchise. Known as the NBA 2K League, it commence competition in 2018. It was the first esports league to be operated by a North American professional sports league. The league is structured similarly to the NBA; teams are operated by NBA franchises and feature five professional esports players. The teams compete against each other in the current year's NBA 2K game, and each member of a team only uses their in-game MyPlayer. The league features a regular season, as well as the playoffs and finals.

Legal issues

Two separate lawsuits have been filed against Take-Two related to their recreation of tattoos on NBA players recreated in the series. The first suit was filed by Solid Oak Sketches, filed in January 2016, after trying to seek a US$1.1 million licensing agreement to use the registered copyrighted tattoos with Take-Two. LeBron James had submitted a statement supporting Take-Two, in that he asserted he has given the company the license use his image in their cases, which included his tattoos from Solid Oak Sketches, but this conclusion was thrown out by the judge. In March 2020, a federal District Court judge ruled that while the tattoos were copyrighted elements their use in the games were small enough to meet de minimis considerations, and that further, due to the nature of tattooing, an implicit license to use the tattoos was granted by the license granted for using the players' likeness. The judge summarily dismissed the case, as well as asserting that broadly, video games using licensed likenesses of players with their tattoos will be using the tattoo art within fair use. The defense of fair use was applicable to the defendants as the purpose of the tattoos in the game (to create a realistic depiction of the players) was satisfactorily transformative in comparison to their original purpose (as a form of self-expression through body art).

A separate lawsuit was filed by tattoo artist James Hayden in December 2017; Hayden asserted that Take-Two's recreation of his tattoos designed for NBA players like LeBron James within NBA 2K16 and onward were copyright infringements. Take-Two sought a summary judgement to close the case, but by March 2019, the preceding judge gave partial summary to Take-Two, but left the main question of copyright infringement open. Hayden has failed to register the copyrights until after NBA 2K16 was released, leaving 2K17 and onward potentially liable to be determined in a court trial. One question raised by the judge was whether the NBA 2K series was an ongoing game with annual updates, or if each release was considered a substantial new work, meaning that any copyright violation would apply repeatedly to all three post-2016 games in the series or as a singular violation.