Making numerous gameplay improvements to the 2k21 version, the next installment of the yearly NBA video game series, NBA 2K22, is set to arrive later this year, and both anniversary and special editions will be available. In the lead up to 2K22's September 10 release date, prospective players have a chance to pre-order one (or more, if so inclined) of four editions of the game, including the standard 2K22 with cover athlete Luka Dončić. This high number of editions comes from a confluence of multiple notable occurrences in both the professional basketball and video games industries.
Having been founded in 1946, 2021 marks the National Basketball Association's 75th anniversary. 2K is celebrating with an NBA 75th Anniversary Edition, with featuring some of the league's most notable players from past and present eras. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the WNBA, which is likewise receiving a celebratory 2K edition, with Candace Parker adorning the cover - the first ever woman to be featured on a 2K box.
Four different editions of NBA 2K22 make purchasing the game a little less than straightforward. The many versions of the game are also partly due to the release of Sony and Microsoft's new consoles late last year. Many franchises are still supporting the older consoles, and 2K has followed suit with a Cross-Gen Bundle. A breakdown of the three non-standard editions, excluding all the 2K22 pre-order bonuses, is below.
NBA 2K22 Cross-Gen Bundle Explained
The NBA 2K22 Cross-Gen Bundle is a digital-only offering for those who are optimistic about their chances of securing a new console. This only works within the same console eco-system, though, since the Cross-Gen Bundle is sold on Sony and Microsoft's marketplaces. This means buying a Cross-Gen Bundle for the PS4 comes with the PS5 version, and there appears to be no way to swap it for a Series X/S version. The Cross-Gen Bundle comes with an additional up-charge to $80 - even higher that the next-gen-only version of the standard edition.
NBA 2K22 NBA 75th Anniversary Edition Explained
Such a monumental celebration of the league, 2K had to put NBA in the title twice. The NBA 2K22 NBA 75th Anniversary Edition has another Dallas Mavericks legend, Dirk Nowitzki, front and center. On the cover's left is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, most known for his years on the Los Angeles Lakers. On the other side of Nowitzki is Kevin Durant, current All-Star playing for the Brooklyn Nets. Between the three of them they've won eight NBA Most Valuable Player awards and nine NBA Championships - although six of each belong to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition is available on all platforms for which 2K22 is priced at $100. In addition to the unique cover, the Anniversary Edition has much more pre-order content than the others. For example, the Standard Edition comes with 5,000 Virtual Currency, while the Anniversary Edition has 100,000.
NBA 2K22 WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition Explained
Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky gets her own spot on the NBA 2K22 WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition cover, marking a shift from previous issues that NBA 2K1 ran into with the WNBA. Parker had a long stint with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she won her only WNBA Championship. She has been the WNBA MVP twice, is a six-time WNBA All-Star, and has won multiple championships overseas during the WNBA offseason. In addition to her many 0n-court accomplishments, Parker is now the first woman to grace the cover of NBA 2K.
The WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition of 2K22 is a GameStop physical edition exclusive. If this weren't limiting enough, it is also only purchasable for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for $70, making Parker an exclusively next-gen cover athlete like Zion Williamson's appearance for NBA 2K21. Parker's appearance on a cover of NBA 2K22 is a milestone for women's professional basketball, so it's unfortunate that this is also the most exclusive version of the game.