Kobe Bryant has officially retired from the NBA after spending two decades playing solely for the Los Angeles Lakers. In honor of his time "NBA 2K17" is featuring Bryant on the cover of the Legend Edition of the game while the cover star of the standard edition has yet to be announced this June.
According to a report from Gotta Be Mobile, the game is set to launch this September but 2K Games has yet to officially announce a specific date. It is speculated by fans that a proper announcement may be made during this year's E3 or during the "NBA 2K16: Road to the Finals" championship games, which is when the standard edition cover will be unveiled.
However, given that most video games are released on a Tuesday, based on a tradition that started with "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" in the 1990s, it is likely that "NBA 2K17" will launch by Sept. 27. This is the last Tuesday of the month and will coincide with the company's tendency of releasing games at the end of the month.
2K Games has not made an official announcement, however, and it is still possible that the official release date will change depending on the company's schedule and the competition. If a similar game or a game with a big audience draw releases on the same weekend it is possible that either title will shift release date.
The Legend Edition, which comes bundled with both digital and physical bonuses, is priced at $79 and can be pre-purchased at Amazon. The standard edition, which currently uses a temporary cover art for the listing, is priced at $59. According to a report from Polygon, Amazon Prime members can pre-order the Legend Edition for only $63.99.
Both versions are listed for a Dec. 30 release date, which is a placeholder until the developers and publisher announce an official launch date for the game.
