NBA 2K League Returns With New Format Featuring NBA Players, Creators, and Fans

Season will include online tournaments, in-person events, and open-ladder fan competition

The NBA 2K League is back. Today, NBA Take-Two Media (NBAT2), the recently launched venture from NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, announced the esports league’s re-launch as “an innovative entertainment property where competition meets culture.” The new 2KL league will feature original content that showcases NBA players and creators competing against each other in unexpected settings. In addition to online and in-person tournaments, the season – which kicks off this week – will feature a first-of-its-kind open-ladder competition open to fans.

“With the new 2KL, we’re building an entirely new type of entertainment universe that blends competition with content,” says Andrew Perlmutter, CEO of NBAT2. “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.”

The league launch is accompanied by a multi-year partnership agreement with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). 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 will launch with 6 teams: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. Each team will be 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—in an effort to showcase the unfiltered personalities of each player.

At the center of the 2KL is Jesser, its Honorary Commissioner. Having built a community of more than 35M 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 tips off with “MyPLAYER Mayhem” – a creator and player-led 2KL competitive reality series that brings their personalities, fanbases, and rivalries into play. The debut episode will launch Wednesday, Nov. 5 on the 2K League YouTube channel and culminate in two, livestreamed tournaments on Twitch Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16. This action-packed season opener will be followed by ongoing episodes dropping throughout the week and additional tournaments throughout the season.

Beginning Sunday, November 16, fans can sign up for “Next Fan Up,” the 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.

The original incarnation of the NBA 2K League launched back in 2018, marking the first major U.S. sports league to form its own esports property. The league remained active through the end of the 2024 season, competing in several different venues and under multiple formats, before taking an extended hiatus last summer in order to revamping its operations to focus on influencer-based content.