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NBA invests into esports for the first time with NBA 2K eLeague announcement

NBA 2K eLeague will be operated by the NBA. (Take-Two Interactive)
NBA 2K eLeague will be operated by the NBA. (Take-Two Interactive)

The National Basketball Association and Take-Two Interactive have announced plans to launch NBA 2K eLeague, a professional competitive gaming league that will bring together the best NBA 2K players from around the world.

The NBA 2K eLeague marks the first time an esports league will be operated by a U.S. professional sports league.

NBA 2K eLeague launches in 2018. (Take-Two, NBA)
NBA 2K eLeague launches in 2018. (Take-Two, NBA)

The league will launch in 2018 and be made up of teams operated by actual NBA franchises. The founding teams will be revealed “in the coming months” and will each have five players. The NBA 2K eLeague will have a format similar to that in professional sports leagues, with teams competing with each other throughout a regular season, leading into a bracketed playoff system, and culminating with a championship matchup.

“The popularity of NBA 2K with the young and growing eSports community provides a unique opportunity to develop something truly special for our fans and the gaming community,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We look forward to combining our best-in-class NBA team operators with Take-Two’s competitive gaming expertise to create a brand new league experience.”

Take-Two is the parent company of 2K and Rockstar Games. NBA 2K17 was released in September 2017 as has sold-in almost seven million units. In December 2016 2K launched the NBA 2K17 All-Star Tournament, which has a prize pool of $250,000 and offers the winning team a grand prize trip to NBA All-Star 2017. The grand final will be hosted in New Orleans on February 17.