Tag Archives: Pre-Order Bonus

The NBA 2K27 preview season is officially underway, as the covers were revealed this week, along with some first-look screenshots and pre-order details. This year’s cover players are Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, and Derrick Rose. Furthermore, we have confirmation that NBA 2K27 will not be available for Gen 8 consoles (i.e. PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch). It will be coming out on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 on September 4th, 2026.

Victor Wembanyama appears on the cover of the Standard Edition of NBA 2K27, which will have a physical release. Caitlin Clark and Derrick Rose appear on the covers of the Deluxe and Ultra Editions of NBA 2K27 respectively, though both are digital-only releases. The Deluxe and Ultra Editions aren’t available in some regions, as they contain pre-order bonuses related to the game’s recurrent revenue and gambling mechanics.

NBA 2K27 is already available to pre-order. As for the pre-order bonuses, it’s the usual assortment of VC, MyTEAM cards, and boosts for MyCAREER; at least in the two more expensive editions. The Standard Edition only includes 10,000 VC, not counting any bonuses that may be offered by local retailers. Up to seven days of Early Access is available when pre-ordering the Deluxe and Ultra Editions of NBA 2K27. Additional bonuses for both NBA 2K26 and NBA 2K27 are available if you pre-order the premium editions of the latter before August 17th.

The first-look screenshots show off the three cover players, as well as Cooper Flagg. We’ve also gotten a glimpse of the “2K Mart”, an in-game shop. No other details are available at this time, but we’ll soon be getting a roadmap for the rest of the NBA 2K27 preview season. Based on previous years, I’d expect weekly developer insights through August, a gameplay trailer, and a few other snippets here and there. As always, we’ll be aggregating the news and previews, while highlighting the key information.

In the meantime, you can check out the artwork for the NBA2K27 covers below, along with the first-look screenshots and a breakdown of the pre-order bonuses. Got any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion in the newly-launched NBA 2K27 section in our Forum! I’ll also be adding a portal for NBA 2K27 here on the main site shortly, so stay tuned for that and more details on the game as they’re released.

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We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on how bonus content is much better than live service content.

Live service content is an inescapable part of so many Triple-A games these days. While the idea didn’t exactly begin with mobile gaming – expansion packs and the like have been available for decades – modern Triple-A titles definitely take their cues from games with freemium economies. The concept succeeds because there is merit to it. Live service content can keep games fresh for as long as they’re supported, giving us something to look forward to. Of course, it can also be predatory, not to mention a crutch for games that are incomplete at launch.

To that end, in my opinion, bonus content that’s in the game from the very beginning is much better than live service content. I realise what an “old head” opinion that must sound like, but I stand by it. There’s a joy to bonus content that I just don’t believe live service content can replicate, because of its underlying concept and aims. It’s not that I haven’t ever enjoyed the live service content in recent basketball games, or for that matter, been underwhelmed by the bonus content found in old ones. However, as I’ve revisited more and more old games for Wayback Wednesday and explored their bonus content, the more soulless and dull that live service content has become in my eyes.

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This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the Dream Team in NBA 2K17.

They’ve often been cited as the greatest basketball team ever assembled. They swept their way to the gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, famously winning by an average of 44 points per game while never calling timeout. Eleven of its players are enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame for their individual accomplishments, and the team itself was collectively inducted in 2009. Eight years later, the team would also be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Simply put, the Dream Team was a squad for the ages.

As far as the virtual hardwood is concerned, the Dream Team has made a handful of official appearances in video games. They were the cover stars of EA Sports’ Team USA Basketball, and were included in NBA 2K13; appearances that I’ve previously covered here in Wayback Wednesday. The most recent game to officially feature the Dream Team was NBA 2K17, an appearance that stands out as somewhat different – and indeed slightly controversial – compared to previous releases. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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Pre-orders for NBA 2K24 are now open, and the pre-order bonuses have subsequently been revealed. As usual, they consist of VC, MT, MyTEAM packs and cards, boosts for MyCAREER, and MyPLAYER gear. All of the pre-order bonuses for each edition of NBA 2K24 can be found below.

Speaking of editions, two more have been announced, and their covers revealed. There will be a 25th Anniversary Edition of NBA 2K24, with a cover featuring a custom championship ring. It’s the premium edition of NBA 2K24, and once again includes a one-year NBA League Pass subscription, as well as additional bonuses if you pre-order by July 25th. This year’s WNBA edition features Sabrina Ionescu on its cover, and is once again exclusive to GameStop and North America. A first look screenshot of Ionescu has also been posted.

Following up on the leak from the 2K Intel account, crossplay has also officially been announced. It is a Next Gen/New Gen exclusive however, but it does mean that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S gamers will finally be able to meet up in cooperative and competitive play in NBA 2K24. A trailer touting crossplay has also been posted, which you can check out below along with the latest covers, Sabrina Ionescu screenshot, and details on the NBA 2K24 pre-order bonuses.

Got any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion in our NBA 2K24 Forum!

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We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some reflections on whether some of my complaints about basketball video games are on me, or the games themselves.

I’ve been playing basketball video games since the 90s, becoming a part of the online community – then largely centred on NBA Live – towards the end of the decade. As you may or may not know, I started out with my own NBA Live fansite – the NBA Live Domain – not long after I discovered the NLSC and modding, and decided to get involved with the scene. I took over the NLSC in August of 2001, a couple of months before turning 17. At times it’s somewhat overwhelming to reflect on the passage of time, but it has indeed been more than two decades since I started this journey!

What does this mean? Well, I’m sure that some people would have unflattering things to say about me still being a content creator for basketball video games in my thirties, but we needn’t concern ourselves with mean-spirited remarks from small minds with an axe to grind. With that being said, it is true that after all these years and all the different games I’ve played, I am now in the upper end of the demographic. As an Elder Millennial, I’m in a weird place where I’m simultaneously a terrible young person and a bitter old head, depending on your generation relative to mine. I may be a little of both, and so sometimes I wonder where the problem lies when I have gripes.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #445 of the NLSC Podcast!

The greediness and pushiness of microtransactions in NBA 2K23 is under fire this past week, as the honeymoon period with the game appears to be drawing to a close. We’re certainly inclined to agree with that critique, though it’s disheartening to see people shilling and shouting down valid criticism. While we’re still enjoying NBA 2K23, there are concerning issues from gameplay balance online, to the expense of MyTEAM packs and upgrades in MyCAREER. Meanwhile, the quickness in patching a happy accident with MyNBA Eras rosters while leaving other issues untouched highlights a continued lack of goodwill. We also recall a cool feature in the Japanese-exclusive NBA Starting Five 2005, and open up the mailbag to get the community’s thoughts on the approach to VC in NBA 2K23, as well as find out what they’ve been playing so far.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:25:35 — 59.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

It won’t be long now before NBA 2K23 is in our hands. In case you weren’t aware, the game is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on September 9th. That means there’s still time to pre-order NBA 2K23 if you haven’t done so already.

Obviously, pre-ordering the game will grant you a variety of bonuses, depending on the version that you opt for. As previously announced, there are five editions of NBA 2K23: Standard, Digital Deluxe, Michael Jordan, Championship, and WNBA, the last of which is exclusive to GameStop in the United States and Canada. Each has its own cover art, price point, and again, pre-order bonuses. Today, I’m providing a guide as to which version of NBA 2K23 to pre-order, if indeed you have the need and desire to pre-purchase a copy of this year’s game.

To that point, this isn’t intended to instruct anyone to pre-order NBA 2K23, or shill for the expensive special editions. In fact, I’ll also be laying out why you don’t need to pre-order NBA 2K23 at all, and why the Standard Edition may be sufficient if you are intent on pre-ordering. Depending on the mode you play, whether you’re a collector and/or content creator, and your general enthusiasm for the series and forthcoming game, the value of reserving a copy and receiving the individual pre-order bonuses will vary. You should always aim to be a savvy consumer, and it’s my aim to help my fellow basketball gamers to make an informed decision in that regard.

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Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five things – namely saves or other data and content – that I carelessly lost in various games.

You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. It’s an old adage that’s been lamented in the music of Joni Mitchell and the band Cinderella alike. The sentiment usually refers to more important things in life than video games, but since that’s what we cover around these parts, I’ll appropriate it for this occasion. After all, while I think we can and should acknowledge that other losses are far more significant in the grand scheme of things, it’s still a bummer when we lose save files, data, and other content in video games. Life goes on, but it sucks to have all that progress go up in smoke.

It’s bad enough when it occurs due to a glitch in a game, but at least you can turn your anger and frustration outwards towards the developers and publisher. When you’ve carelessly done something that’s resulted in your progress being lost, it’s tougher to shift the blame onto somebody else! Even if there’s something clunky in the game that’s partly to blame, you’re stuck with the knowledge that it could’ve been avoided if you were just the teeniest bit more careful. The times when I’ve been careless with my save files are undoubtedly among my biggest regrets as far as basketball gaming is concerned. Here are five things that I’ve lost due to a lack of care and foresight.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #434 of the NLSC Podcast!

How much would you pay for a sealed copy of Lakers vs. Celtics? Here’s a hint: it’ll set you back more than the Championship Edition of NBA 2K23! Speaking of which, in the wake of the NBA 2K23 preview season tipping off, we discuss the cover reveals, pre-order bonuses, and the return of the Jordan Challenge. With the news that the PC version will be Current Gen once again, we consider the possible reasons for the decision, and the future of the series on the platform. We also talk about some interesting NBA Live rumours, and the underrated NBA Inside Drive series. In this week’s mailbag, the community reacts to the news about NBA 2K23 PC, and suggests new games for the Jordan Challenge.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:43:36 — 71.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

Shams Charania leaked it last week, but 2K have now officially announced that Devin Booker is the cover player for the standard edition of NBA 2K23. If you’ve missed the previous announcements, the special and championship editions feature Michael Jordan/his signed jersey on the cover, while the WNBA edition cover players are Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

As with the previous announcements, 2K has posted a teaser trailer featuring Devin Booker, as well as a first look screenshot and behind-the-scenes video of the cover shoot. You can check them out below, along with the full cover art.

NBA 2K23 is now available to pre-order, and will be released on September 9th, 2022. The pre-order bonuses have been revealed, and include the usual assortment of VC, MT, MyTEAM cards, and cosmetic items. Notably, as originally reported by IGN, the Championship Edition also includes a year’s subscription to NBA League Pass. Special editions include the same pre-order bonuses as the standard edition, in addition to their own bonuses.

Further information on the different editions and their pre-order bonuses can be found below. What are your thoughts on this year’s bonuses, and Devin Booker being one of the NBA 2K23 cover players? Have your say in the comments, and join in the discussion here in the Forum!

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Episode #384 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

The cover players, release date, and pre-order bonuses for NBA 2K22 have been revealed, confirming leaks and speculation, and drawing some boorish comments about one player in particular. Unfortunately, the PC version will be a prior gen port once again this year, and we have some thoughts to share on that. Despite the remarks of one wannabe content creator, PC gamers have a right to be dismayed…and to play NBA 2K, for that matter. The lack of a demo on all platforms is likewise disappointing. Elsewhere, a Tweet mentioning a partnership between LeBron James and EA has people talking, though we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves (again). We also touch on Steam Deck, and some listener responses to last week’s mailbag topics.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:15:29 — 52.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

The preview season for NBA 2K22 has officially tipped off with the reveal of the covers, and it turns out the leaks were accurate! Luka Doncic will appear on the standard edition cover of NBA 2K22, while the NBA 75th Anniversary cover will feature Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant. Additionally, a cover featuring Candace Parker will be a GameStop exclusive.

NBA 2K22 will be coming out September 10th, 2021. The game is already available to pre-order, and this year’s bonuses have been revealed. As in previous years, the pre-order bonuses include VC, MT, MyTEAM packs, and boosts and gear for your MyPLAYER. See below for the full breakdown of the bonuses for each edition.

Unfortunately, it’s been confirmed that the PC version of NBA 2K22 will be a Prior Gen port (i.e. identical to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), and will not include any Next Gen features. On a more positive note, while there won’t be any cross-platform play, MyTEAM progression will carry across on the same console family, as was the case in NBA 2K21.

Check out the NBA 2K22 covers below, leave your thoughts in the comments, and join in the discussion taking place here in the Forum! I’ve also created an article for NBA 2K22 here in our Wiki, and as always, your help in keeping it up to date would be appreciated. Let the preview season begin!

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Episode #341 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this week’s show.

The first big patch has been released for NBA 2K21, though PC gamers are still waiting for it. We run through the patch notes and discuss some other pressing issues that still need to be fixed, including corrupted MyCAREER saves and missing VC payouts. This leads us to once again note the discrepancy between fixing issues that affect 2K’s recurrent revenue, and issues that affect the user experience. We’re also troubled by continued roster inaccuracies, and shallow reviews that gloss over problems. On a brighter note, PBA Basketball Slam has received an update and looks to be on the right path. We also reflect on some other games currently in our rotation and the fun we’ve been having with them, as well as our adventures in pre-ordering the Next Gen consoles.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:13:16 — 91.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

What’s your take on this week’s conversation? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as suggestions for topics that you’d like to hear us discuss in future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.