NBA 2K27 Launches September 4 With Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark and Derrick Rose on the Covers

Every year the NBA 2K cover reveal tells you what story the series wants to sell, and this one is unusually clear about it. On July 22, 2K officially announced NBA 2K27, launching worldwide on September 4, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch 2, with three cover athletes spanning three very different basketball stories.

Video: NBA 2K on YouTube

Three covers, one genuine first

Victor Wembanyama fronts the Standard Edition at $69.99, fresh off becoming the NBA's first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. Caitlin Clark takes the Deluxe Edition at $99.99, and that one is the headline: she is the first WNBA player ever to headline her own global NBA 2K cover, not a regional variant or a shared WNBA edition. Derrick Rose rounds things out on the $149.99 Ultra Edition, returning to the front of the box for the first time since NBA 2K13, back when he was the league's youngest MVP.

The Ultra Edition is listed as available only through September 6, so if the Rose cover is the one you want, the window is short.

Dates and editions worth knowing

The launch structure follows the pattern the series has settled into. Everyone gets the game on September 4, while Deluxe and Ultra buyers start playing on August 28 at 9:00 AM PDT, a full week early. Preorders are already live on the official site, and 2K notes its preorder offer runs until August 17 at 10 AM PT.

This is also the first NBA 2K to launch with Switch 2 in its lineup from day one alongside PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. What 2K has not detailed yet is the actual basketball: the first official gameplay trailer arrives July 28, which is where we expect to learn what has changed on the court and in the modes.

Our take

The Clark cover is overdue and smart. She has been the biggest ticket in basketball for two seasons, and putting her on the main Deluxe cover rather than a special edition treats her like the draw she actually is. The Rose pick is a nice nod for anyone who grew up on 2K13. What we are withholding judgment on is everything else, because a cover reveal with three price tiers and no gameplay is still just marketing. July 28 is the date that matters. If the trailer shows real movement on gameplay feel rather than another cinematic, NBA 2K27 will have earned the buzz this announcement is clearly chasing.