To pay tribute to the legend that is Kobe Bryant, 2K and Visual Concepts have announced Bryant as the third and final cover star for NBA 2K21. On both current and next-gen, NBA 2K21 will be available in a Standard Edition (which will feature Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson respectively) and the Mamba Forever Edition, featuring Bryant.
Two different Kobe Bryant Mamba Forever covers will be available. On current-gen, Bryant will wear number 8 and on next-gen, he’ll wear 24.
The Mamba Forever Edition retails for $149.95 AUD and “includes dual-access where purchasing Mamba Forever Edition on either current or next-generation platforms provides a copy of the standard edition game on the other generation at no additional cost, within the same console family.”
NBA 2K21
Essentially, this is NBA 2K21’s way of doing Smart Delivery, although, you’re paying a premium for it. Also included with the Mamba Forever Edition are the following in-game items;
- Pre-Order Only:
- Damian Lillard Digital Collection for current gen
- Zion Williamson Digital Collection for next gen
- Included
- 100K Virtual Currency
- 10K MyTEAM Points
- 10 MyTEAM Tokens
- 60 MyCAREER Skill Boosts
- 40 MyTEAM Promo Packs (10 at launch, then 3 per week)
- Sapphire Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson MyTEAM cards
- MyPLAYER Shoe Collection
- MyPLAYER backpack
- Kobe Bryant Digital Collection
- 5 MyPLAYER Shoes
- 3 MyPLAYER jerseys
- Black Mamba MyPLAYER kit
- Rookie Lakers MyTEAM jerseys
- Black Mamba custom MyTEAM jerseys
- Sapphire Kobe MyTEAM card (evos to Ruby)
- 5 MyTEAM shoes
The Mamba Forever Edition replaces the usual Legend Edition and celebrates Kobe Bryant’s “lifelong pursuit of victory and legacy in the sport of basketball.” Bryant’s achievements in basketball include;
- five-time NBA champion,
- 18-time NBA All-Star,
- two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player,
- 2008 NBA MVP,
- 11-time All-NBA First Team,
- 9-time NBA All-Defensive First Team,
- two-time NBA Scoring Champion,
- 2008 and 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist,
- the all-time leading scorer for the Los Angeles Lakers
Bryant has previously appeared on the covers of NBA 2K10 and was the Legend Edition cover for NBA 2K17.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of NBA 2K21 are being “built from the ground up” and 2K and Visual Concepts are implementing features to ensure all versions can co-exist. MyTEAM cross-progression and a shared VC Wallet will exist within the same console family which means players can share their MyTEAM points and tokens on both versions of the game.
A Shared VC Wallet means any currency purchased or earned is accessible across both versions in the same console family; PS4 to PS5 and Xbox One to Xbox Series X.
2K said;
Each of our cover athletes represent different eras of the game of basketball – Damian Lillard dominates the court today, Zion Williamson is a standard bearer for the next generation of NBA superstar and what more could be said about Kobe?
Three athletes representing the current, future and storied history of the game. Today’s exciting announcement is just the first of many for NBA 2K21; it’s going to be a huge year for basketball fans and NBA 2K gamers.
Look forward to additional announcements about NBA 2K21, including the soundtrack, gameplay and more in the coming weeks. NBA 2K21 will launch for PC, PS4, Switch, Stadia and Xbox One on September 4, 2020.
It will be available as a launch title for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
