NBA 2K23 Release Date Revealed, First Cover Star Is Michael Jordan

Iconic basketball player and legendary athlete Michael Jordan will be featured on the cover of NBA 2K23’s Michael Jordan Edition and Championship Edition, 2K Sports has announced. The game’s release date, September 9, was also confirmed in the announcements today.

Jordan is a 14-time NBA all-star, a five-time MVP, and six-time champion. He was inducted to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009. This is the fourth time Jordan is on the cover of an NBA 2K game, following NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, and NBA 2K16 Special Edition.

2K Sports also revealed that NBA 2K23 will feature a “completely rebuilt” version of NBA 2K11’s Jordan Challenges that had players trying to virtually recreate Jordan’s real-life feats. One of these was a challenge to score at least 38 points and grab 7+ rebounds like Jordan himself did in June 1997 during his memorable “flu game” when a sick Jordan still put up big numbers and drained the winning basket in the NBA Finals.

In NBA 2K23, there will be 15 Jordan Challenges. All 10 from NBA 2K11 are being “completely rebuilt” for NBA 2K23, alongside five new ones.

“The Jordan Challenge also elevates an array of spellbinding performances across Jordan’s college, NBA, and Team USA Basketball careers that players can experience across all 15 Challenges and includes unique video vignettes that come with special commentary from an array of NBA luminaries: Jordan’s teammates, opponents, and other sports personalities, who saw him do it live and can bring to life his legacy to a younger generation of NBA fans,” 2K said

More details on the new Jordan Challenges will be revealed in the time ahead. You can see the box art for NBA 2K23’s Michael Jordan and Championship Editions below.

Additionally, 2K confirmed that the Championship Edition will include a 12-month subscription to NBA League Pass, which normally starts at $15/month. Pricing for the Championship Edition has not been announced yet, but preorders open July 7, so we’ll learn more soon.

NBA 2K23 will have multiple cover stars, the company confirmed, and they will be revealed in the next two days when preorders for go live on July 7, so you can expect additional reveals to come in the future. Additionally, 2K and developer Visual Concepts are gearing up to reveal the first gameplay footage and more for the upcoming professional basketball game.

NBA 2K23 launches on September 9. Platforms are expected to include PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC, as well as mobile.