2K Sports has announced that NBA 2K21 will release September 4 on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. We also now know that the standard edition of NBA 2K21 will cost $70 on next-gen consoles, making it the first game for PS5 and Xbox One X to cost more than the usual $60 price for new games. Additionally, you won’t be able to upgrade NBA 2K21 from current generation consoles to next-gen consoles for free unless you purchase the just-announced Mamba Forever edition for $100. Pre-orders are starting to go live for all platforms.
The Mamba Forever edition commemorates the late Kobe Bryant and rounds out the trio of cover athletes for NBA 2K21. We learned earlier this week that Portland Trailblazers star Damian Lillard would be the cover athlete for current generation consoles, while young phenom Zion Williamson will fittingly be on the cover of the PS5 and Xbox One X standard edition.
While other next-gen crossover games such as Madden NFL 21 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have announced free upgrades from current to next-gen, NBA 2K21 is incentivizing purchasing the expensive Mamba Forever edition instead. If you plan on wanting the game at its initial launch and on your new PS5 or Xbox One X, you’ll save $30 by grabbing the Mamba Forever edition as opposed to purchasing the standard edition twice. It’s worth noting that the upgrade to next-gen is the standard edition of the game, so you won’t double-up on the digital goodies that come with the Mamba Forever edition.
The next-gen version of 2K21 is more than a simple upgrade, though. 2K Sports claims to be building the PS5 and Xbox One X version from the ground up. Thankfully, progress in some key areas will transfer from current to next-gen (Xbox One to Series X and PS4 to PS5). MyTeam, the card-collecting online mode, will share progress along with your Virtual Currency wallet.
If you’re interested in pre-ordering NBA 2K21, we’ll be rounding up all of the details you need to know below ahead of its September 4 launch on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. NBA 2K21 will be a launch title for PS5 and Xbox One Series X.
Pre-order NBA 2K21 standard edition | $60-$70
NBA 2K21’s standard edition for all platforms is currently available to pre-order directly from 2K. Anyone who pre-orders the standard edition on current generation or next-gen platforms will get the following bonuses:
- 5,000 Virtual Currency
- 5,000 MyTeam Points
- 10 MyTeam Promo packs (one per week)
- 6 MyCareer Skill Boosts
- 5 pair MyCareer Shoe Collection
- Damian Lillard Digital Collection
- 3 MyCareer Gatorade Boosts
Pre-order NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever edition | $100
NBA 2K21’s $100 Mamba Forever edition comes with a ton of digital goodies to use in game:
- 100,000 Virtual Currency
- 10,000 MyTeam Points
- 10 MyTeam Tokens
- 60 MyCareer Skill Boosts
- 30 MyCareer Gatorade Boosts
- 40 MyTeam Promo Packs (10 at launch, then three per week)
- Sapphire Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson MyTeam cards
- MyPlayer Shoe Collection
- MyPlayer backpack
- Kobe Bryant Digital Collection
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.