'NBA Playgrounds' release date: Basketball arcade game to launch on May 9

Saber Interactive's "NBA Playgrounds" will be released next week. Facebook/NBAPlaygrounds

Saber Interactive's upcoming arcade-style video game "NBA Playgrounds" finally has a release date.

The game developer revealed that players can start the digital download of the new game basketball video game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC starting Tuesday, May 9.

However, the Nintendo Switch version of the game will have to be delayed for a few days to make sure that all the game's promising features from the other consoles are also available on Nintendo's latest gaming platform.

In a statement released through Nintendo Life, Saber Interactive representatives explained the reason for the delay. "The online play for NBA Playgrounds Switch will *not* be available at launch – it will arrive a few days after launch via an update. Once this update comes out, the Switch version will have the exact same functionality as the PC, PS4, and Xbox One version – this means you can connect with people online and play against them 1v1, and there are online leaderboards," according to the game developer.

They also mentioned that the online tournaments of the upcoming game will have to be pushed back for a while for all the game's platforms. Instead of introducing it during the game's launch, the online tournament feature will be unveiled at a later date with another game update. More details about the update's release will be announced soon.

However, while waiting for its complete features, "NBA Playgrounds" will reportedly feature 250 players and 30 NBA teams at launch. It will include some of the most well-known players from the league today, as well other legends like Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Grant Hill, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Scottie Pippen, and Wilt Chamberlain, among others.

Reports also claim that the upcoming game will feature a two-on-two basketball action just like classic "NBA Jam" video game from Midway. However, this will also be released as one of the game's post-launch offerings.

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