Every year, fans of sports video games anticipate the NBA 2K franchise releasing any information regarding the next year’s game. Today, the first major announcement for NBA 2K23 became public. Chicago Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan will grace the cover of his own Michael Jordan Edition and the Championship Edition. This comes as a surprise considering Jordan was already on the main cover of NBA 2K11, one of three covers for 2K12, and the special edition for NBA 2K16.
But the 2023 edition offers the “23” connection. 2K can’t go wrong paying homage to the greatest of all time. Plus, Jordan’s name is still generating buzz for the Emmy Award winning The Last Dance Documentary. Outside of that connection, 2K said his spirit matches the theme of this year’s MyPlayer campaign mode: Answer the Call.
“After making 23 the most recognizable number in sports, it was only fitting that for NBA 2K23 we introduce the Michael Jordan Edition,” said Alfie Brody, vice president of global marketing strategy for NBA 2K.
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The Championship Edition
The Championship Edition is a new tier of NBA 2K. Typically, the company produces a standard edition and a special edition. The Championship Edition will include a year’s subscription to NBA League Pass, which allows viewers to watch every NBA game live on TV.
While prices haven’t been set yet, fans should expect the Championship Edition to come at a pretty penny. The standard and special editions have previously retailed at $69.99 and $99.99, respectively. An NBA League Pass subscription previously was $50. Due to those factors, expect the 2K23 Championship Edition to be the most expensive NBA 2K release yet.
Jordan Challenges
Regarding the gameplay, 2K said it is bringing back the treasured Jordan Challenge from NBA 2K11. That game featured 10 challenges that recreated moments of Jordan’s career.
The 2K23 edition will have 15 different challenges, featuring moments from his time with the Chicago Bulls and Team USA. All 10 original challenges from 2K11 will be rebuilt from the ground up and feature alongside the remaining five in their own game mode.
Pre-orders for NBA 2K23 begin on July 7. The game’s game official release date is Sept. 9.
