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NBA 2K24 release date, cover star, new features, and more details

Find out when the NBA 2K24 release date is arriving for PlayStation and Xbox players and learn more about this year's entry in the popular basketball series.

NBA 2K24 release date: Kobe Byrant looking down with his right arm raised. A calendar icon is tucked behind his other shoulder.

When does NBA 2K24 come out? It’s almost time to kick off the new basketball season with another NBA game, and NBA 2K24 will arrive with some long-requested new features, better visuals, and an all-time great adorning the cover. But, when is this year’s game set to release, what platforms is it on, and when will hear more info about it? Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA 2K24 release date and plenty of other details about the new game.

Like the previous games in the series, predicting the NBA 2K24 release date was quite easy, though official confirmation has now been set in stone. So, check out the NBA 2K24 pre-orders, see how your favorite player ranks in the NBA 2K24 ratings, and get ready to step onto the court. Could this be one of the best sports games of the year? Read on to see how things are shaping up.

NBA 2K24 release date

The official NBA 2K24 release date is Friday, September 8, 2023 at 12 AM midnight in your local timezone on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. There is no early access period, so everyone will be jumping in on the same day. 

NBA 2K24’s release date is hardly surprising – every game since 2K16 has released in September, and the previous five games have launched in either the first or second week of the month.

Previous NBA 2K game release dates:

Game Release Date
NBA 2K23 September 9, 2022
NBA 2K22 September 10, 2021
NBA 2K21 September 4, 2020
NBA 2K20 September 6, 2019
NBA 2K19 September 11, 2018
NBA 2K18 September 19, 2017
NBA 2K17 September 20, 2016
NBA 2K16 September 29, 2015

When the NBA 2K24 release date lands, players will be able to jump into all the game modes and NBA 2K24 Season 1 will begin as well, which is packed with plenty of content for you to enjoy straight away. Season 1 also introduces the first NBA 2K24 battle pass with a premium reward tracks, so while there will be free-to-earn items, there will also be a paid tracks that feature even more goodies.

While it was rumored that NBA 2K24 would skip PS4 and Xbox One for the first time, as the consoles are ten-years-old this year, that isn’t the case. NBA 2K24 will be available on every major platform, even Nintendo Switch. Only PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players will get NBA 2K24 crossplay, however. This is great news for long-time fans of the series who won’t be roadblocked from diving into the action on release, including NBA 2K24 Season 1 which ups the excitement even further.

Perhaps most excitingly though, NBA 2K24 also marks the 25th anniversary of the iconic basketball series. To celebrate the occasion, 2K has revealed a limited Anniversary Edition of NBA 2K24 that comes with tons of great bonuses, including an NBA League Pass.

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NBA 2K24 reveal

NBA 2K24 has now been fully revealed following an announcement of pre-orders going live and the official cover star, Kobe Bryant. This follows on from last year’s reveal which took place around the same time. You can find out more about NBA 2K24 pre-orders here.

First looks at gameplay have also dropped, and you can also expect 2K to go in-depth on the many mode changes that are to come with NBA 2K24 MyTeam, MyCareer and more.

To get an idea of what to expect when that time comes, check out the NBA 2K23 gameplay trailer, as well as the Neighborhood trailer for NBA 2K24 MyCareer.

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We’re yet to learn specific changes in this year’s game, other than MyCareer being more streamlined and taking place in a tropical city, but we’re glad to see these popular modes return, hopefully with some great updates. Evidently, 2K seek to provide lots of mode diversity in this next-generation NBA game, letting us play as iconic players, rise through the ranks as rookies, and even experience the game as a General Manager.

Alongside this, NBA 2K24 takes full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles to introduce ProPLAY technology. According to 2K, this ground-breaking new technology offers animations and movement that are more life-like than ever before. Both on and off the court, this generational leap in authenticity sounds like a great improvement over the previous game on the next-gen consoles. While it’s a shame this technology doesn’t feature on the PC version of the game, ProPLAY technology looks to set a new standard.

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NBA 2K24 cover star

The NBA 2K24 cover star is Kobe Bryant, who will be gracing the cover for the fourth time in the series. As a basketball legend, fans will no doubt be pleased to see Bryant return again.

Most importantly though, the cover star will be integral to the NBA 2K24 Mamba Moments mode. Following on from the Michael Jordan ‘The Jordan Challenge’ mode fans enjoyed from 2K23, NBA 2K24 will feature a mode exploring the historic career of Kobe Bryant. Fans will be able to play as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and experience his best performances like never before. He is on the base version of the game and the Black Mamba edition.

NBA 2K24 Release Date: The base cover, Black Mamba edition cover, and 25th Anniversary cover of NBA 2k24 can be seen

Powered by his technical skillset and iconic performances, this mode focusing on an individual player is sure to please fan’s once more. With other gameplay improves coming in this next-generation basketball such as, ProPLAY, it’s the perfect time for a mode covering Kobe Bryant.

Sabrina Ionescu also starts on the WNBA Edition of the game.

NBA 2K24 Release Date: Sabrina Ionescu can be seen

NBA 2K24 monetization

We know that there are several new and returning modes. Including the new Mamba Moments mode exploring the landmark career of Kobe Bryant, we’ll also get to jump into NBA 2K24 MyTeam where we can build our own team, the NBA 2K24 MyCareer story mode, and even put our manager cap on in MyNBA. All of these will have monetization and cosmetics to buy.

As mentioned earlier, 2K has unveiled that this year NBA 2K24 battle passes are a part of the monetization strategy. These are one of two different options to choose from that will provide you with rewards in MyTeam, MyCareer, and more cosmetics and bonuses like an XP boost. This has been a controversial addition as the price of the more expensive pass is $19.99.

NBA 2K24 Release Date: The Season pass chart can be seen

So there you have it, the NBA 2K24 release date and all the latest news on new gameplay features, modes, and more. While you wait to jump in, why not check out the best Xbox games and the best PS5 games to play on your shiny current-generation consoles?