'NBA 2K17' release date news: league expansion adds new dynamic to the game

NBA 2K17 Standard Edition coverTwitter via NBA 2K17

"NBA 2K17" Senior Producer Erick Boenisch has confirmed that the upcoming title will have a new feature called the MyGM/MyLeague League Expansion.

According to Operation Sports, the new feature lets players expand the current 30-team league to 36, either at the time of league creation or in the off-season of ongoing leagues.

Players can choose the current 30 teams or start over with the modified league including Expansion Teams, Edited/Rebranded NBA Teams, Classic Teams, Euroleague Teams and more. Opting for new teams gives the added flexibility of changing logos, kits and arenas.

Visual Concepts will release NBA 2K17 on the 20th of September 2016. It has three editions- Standard, Legend, and Legend- Edition Gold.

Many predicted that Stephen Curry could be the cover of the latest NBA 2K as he was the first unanimous selection and back-to-back winner of the MVP award.  

As a result, fans were surprised when Paul George of Indiana Pacers was announced to star as the cover of the game's standard edition.

According to Foxsports, Jason Argent, senior vice president of operations at 2K sports, countered that George is an amazing basketball player and is a fan of the brand. USA Today stated that Paul George is 'probably the biggest NBA's biggest 2K video game fan'.

As Kobe Bryant ended his basketball journey last April 12, 2016, fans don't have time to sulk when NBA 2K17 released the cover of its Legend edition on the same date, honoring the Black Mamba's 20-year long career. "#LegendLiveOn" is the primary message of NBA 2K17 trailer showing fans and haters alike of Kobe Bryant. The legend, indeed, lives on in a virtual court where you can be Kobe and continue shooting hoops.

ITechPost stated, along with other fans who expressed their anxiety on social media, that there might be a delay because of Kevin Durant's decision to move to Golden State Warriors. Although these rumors swirl around the release date being pushed back, the developers neither confirm nor refute speculations.

Editions can be pre-ordered so fans can get them possibly four days earlier than the promised release date of the game.
NBA 2K17 is offering freebies for avid gamers who will pre- order either the standard, the legend edition, or the legend- edition gold. Standard version can come with a MyTeam bundle.

The Legend edition will include a Black Mamba skin, two Panini trading cards, 2K Kobe XI shoe, a Kobe hoodie, and a Mitchell & Ness vintage Bryant jersey. Legend- Edition Gold will include all freebies of Legend edition plus the entire Nike Kobe shoe collection.