The final cover athlete for the upcoming NBA 2K21 will feature the late great Kobe Bryant, as many had previously expected. The Mamba Forever Edition was unveiled this morning on Twitter and will join standard edition covers featuring Damian Lillard and the up and coming New Orleans Pelicans’ star Zion Williamson. Along with the announcement of the new Mamba Edition — which is set to replace the previous generations’ Legendary Edition — we now have a much better idea of pricing on all versions including Xbox Series X and PS5, but don’t expect any free upgrades here. All the details are down below.
NBA 2K21 Next-Generation Upgrade?
Some developers have been announcing free next-generation upgrades for titles launching at the tail end of the PS4/Xbox One era. But that doesn’t appear to be the case with NBA 2K21. Both Cyberpunk 2077 and the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers have announced as much, but it looks like it’s going to cost you if you want to play this year’s version of the world’s greatest basketball simulation cross-generationally.
The standard edition version of NBA 2K21 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Stadia will sell for the usual $59.99 when it releases in September. However, there will be no free upgrade here by the looks of it. The $60 current generation version will not work on next-generation consoles. You’ll have to purchase either the $100 Mamba Edition or opt for the up-charged next-generation version.
Did the NBA 2K21 MSRP just jump to $70?
While some gamers will just wait for the high-resolution version on PS5 and Series X, things have changed there as well. 2K is one of the first developers out of the gate to offer up official pricing on next generation-only titles and has now announced the standard edition of the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at $69.99. While it’s hard to say if this is a new normal for next-gen. games, 2K seems to think this is a fair deal when it comes NBA 2K21:
While we are confident that NBA 2K21 will be a monumental leap forward for the franchise and a standout visual showcase on next-generation consoles, we recognize that it’s our responsibility to prove this value to our fans and NBA 2K players. We’re looking forward to doing so and can’t wait to show more in the upcoming months to launch.
Here’s a break down from 2K on the various versions, pricing details, and add-on content:
And just in case you were wondering, it doesn’t look like PS4/Xbox One players will able to drop the $10 difference for an upgrade here. You’ll need to buy the $70 next-generation version or opt for the $100 Mamba package, which includes free PS5/Series X access, the special Kobe cover, loads of in-game goodies, and more.
NBA 2K21 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and Stadia is set for release on September 4, 2020. The next-generation version will release this holiday season with the new consoles and is expected to be a launch title. Pre-orders for both the standard version and the Mamba Forever edition are now live at Amazon.
9to5Toys’ Take:
As beautiful as the new Kobe painting covers are, this is a tough pill to swallow. The is a big release for many gaming sports fans that pick it up every year and is widely regarded as the best basketball simulation out there. With the last remaining games of this generation bumping up against the next one, 2K really isn’t making things easy on gamers here. If you want to play NBA 2K21 on your current system and the new consoles, you’ll have to fork over at least $100 for the Mamba version. The $70 price tag on the PS5/Series X version is already disappointing enough, and hopefully not a trend we see throughout the industry, but having to put up a minimum of $100 to play the game across both generations is not going to go over very well.
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