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| (Image Source: PR Newswire/NBA Take-Two Media) |
NBA Take-Two Media (NBAT2), the next chapter in the long-standing partnership between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO), recently announced the arrival of the newly re-launched NBA 2K League (2KL), an innovative entertainment property where competition meets culture, bringing everyone from fans to NBA players and creators together to play, compete, and build community — no matter their NBA® 2K skill level. Featuring original content that showcases NBA players and creators competing against each other in unexpected settings, the season includes online and in-person tournaments as well as a first-of-its-kind open-ladder competition that places fans directly in the action.
“With the new 2KL, we're building an entirely new type of entertainment universe that blends competition with content. Filled with wild, wacky, unpredictable and emotionally resonant moments, we're extending the immensely popular world of NBA2K beyond competitive gaming and will show fans who their favorite athletes and creators are off the court,” said NBAT2 CEO Andrew Perlmutter. “[We are] celebrating every level of gameplay: from casual gamers who log on with friends at night, to NBA players who love the game enough to take it on the road, to basketball fans discovering NBA 2K for the first time. [We are] creating a dynamic and interactive character universe that audiences can engage with and be a part of themselves,” says NBAT2 Executive Vice President for Creative and Strategy Alex Addison. The league launch is accompanied by a multi-year partnership agreement with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). Through the said partnership, NBAT2 can now work directly with NBA players to unlock greater opportunities to participate in the 2KL, giving NBAT2 the ability to develop stories around specific players. The 2KL breaks boundaries by inviting everyone to participate and features six teams: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. Each team is represented by a unique duo of creators and NBA players including Zach 2K, BEARDABEAST, Kofie Yeboah, Gradey Dick, Alex Sarr and Duncan Robinson, as well as a select number of fans who have risen through the ranks of 2K gameplay. Throughout the season, they will face off in a series of challenges — on the virtual court and in live events — for one-of-a-kind experiences that showcase the unfiltered personalities of each player. Every NBA 2KL tournament this season is a multi-week event which can be seen via livestreaming on NBA 2KL's YouTube and Twitch channels and highlights on the league's social media accounts with ESL FACEIT Group as its official broadcast partner. “Because we focus first and foremost on entertainment, our content is designed to meet fans where they are. Our social- and YouTube-first formats are made to be enjoyed on their own: short, snackable moments that keep audiences engaged all season long. Then our livestreams bring it all together with marquee moments of competitive 2K gameplay, featuring league teams and celebrity guests. For those following from the start, the full 2KL season unfolds as a collective narrative across social, YouTube, and livestreams,” says Addison.
At the center of the 2KL is Jesser, its Honorary Commissioner. Having built a community of more than 35 million YouTube subscribers, Jesser is known for his basketball-centric videos, collaborations with athletes, and long-time love for NBA 2K. Alongside a board of celebrity guests including Suni Lee and Demetrius Johnson, Jesser and his team will serve as the guiding force behind the league – working together to draft players, issue rulings and keep everyone on their toes. The inaugural season tipped off last November 2025 with "MyPLAYER Mayhem" – a creator and player-led 2KL competitive reality series that brings their personalities, fanbases, and rivalries into play – and will run until April 2026. The new 2K League will then continue to produce a mix of competitive programming for each tournament and evergreen formats featuring NBA players and other talent in which NBA 2K gameplay is incorporated into engaging high-concept formats and all non-live tournament programming is developed for each competition and integrated into the weekly Twitch livestreams. These formats include “Nice D” where an NBA player has to call a competitor and give a compliment each time they are scored on and “The Masked Player”, a livestreamed format in which a mystery celebrity plays people in the park in 2K while they try to guess the hidden identity of the player, among others. “Each piece of the season fits together to build a cohesive story that can still be experienced organically across social platforms. The heart of our new brand and the throughline of all our content — whether it’s social, YouTube, a livestream, or simply engaging on Twitch and Discord — is to connect players and fans in new and unprecedented ways,” says Addison. Blending competition with entertainment, the new 2KL, as an “always-on entertainment engine”, creates storylines and moments that are as unique and unexpected as the culture around the game. Meanwhile, fans can sign up for “Next Fan Up”, the groundbreaking new open 2K ladder that gives any player, anywhere, the chance to compete alongside their favorite creators, NBA players and teams. Once registered, fans can choose to compete for their favorite NBA team and rise through the ranks in a series of gameplay and social media challenges. “We turn people into players by giving them a chance to be a part of this league and even get the chance to be drafted to play 2K alongside their favorite NBA players. And we turn players into people by highlighting who they are off the court in fun and irreverent programming that lets their personalities shine. Regardless of the platform or format, we are always striving to bring fans closer to the game they love,” says Addison.
For people who love basketball on and off the court, 2KL is an entertainment property where fans and players come together. For more information and to stay updated throughout the season, please visit nba2kleague.com and follow @nba2kleague on Instagram, Twitch and YouTube.
