The NBA 2K franchise has sold more than 173 million copies since 1999, ranking 14th on the all-time list of best-selling video game franchises (Take-Two Investor Presentation, May 2026). NBA 2K26 alone crossed 10 million units by May 2026, arriving on the heels of NBA 2K25’s 11.5 million by August 2025. Take-Two’s fiscal 2026 Net Bookings reached $6.72 billion, up 19% year over year, with NBA 2K named among the company’s largest contributors in every quarter it reported. The NBA 2K League, the first esports league run by a North American pro sports organization, relaunched in November 2025 after an 18-month hiatus with just 6 NBA-affiliated teams. This roundup pulls together more than 60 data points from Take-Two Interactive’s investor disclosures, Steam’s official review and player data, Metacritic’s aggregate scores, and Wikipedia’s sourced franchise archive to map where the 27-year-old series stands in 2026.
TL;DR
- Franchise lifetime sales: 173+ million units, 14th on the all-time franchise list (Take-Two Investor Presentation, May 2026).
- NBA 2K26 sales: 10+ million units by May 2026 (Wikipedia, via Take-Two).
- NBA 2K25 sales: 11.5 million units by August 2025 (Wikipedia).
- Take-Two FY2026 Net Bookings: $6.72 billion, up 19% year over year, with NBA 2K a top contributor every quarter (Take-Two FY2026 earnings release).
- Recurrent consumer spending, FY2026: up 17% year over year, 78% of total Net Bookings (Take-Two FY2026 earnings release).
- NBA 2K26 Metacritic scores: 82 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, 83 on PC, 74 on Switch 2 (Metacritic).
- NBA 2K26 Steam reviews: Mostly Positive at 72% of 12,972 English-language reviews, 31,006 total (Steam).
- NBA 2K24 low point: Metacritic 68 on PS5 and 67 on Xbox Series X, second-worst reviewed game on Steam at release behind Overwatch 2 (Wikipedia).
- NBA-Take-Two licensing deal: 7 years, $1.1 billion, signed January 2019 (Wikipedia, via Take-Two).
- NBA 2K League: relaunched November 4, 2025 with 6 teams, down from a peak of 25 in the 2023-2024 season (Wikipedia).
- NBA 2K27: revealed July 22, 2026, launches September 4, 2026, with Wembanyama, Clark, and Rose as cover athletes (Take-Two Interactive press release).
- MyCareer VC spend: players report $100+ in Virtual Currency to build one competitive player, on top of the box price (Wikipedia, NBA 2K23).
1. Franchise Sales and Lifetime Performance
NBA 2K’s growth curve shows how much of its lifetime total has piled up recently: the series needed 15 years to reach 17 million units in 2014, then added roughly 50 million more units in the following four years alone. Cumulative franchise sales now sit at more than 173 million units, making NBA 2K the 14th best-selling video game franchise ever tracked, according to Take-Two’s own May 2026 investor presentation. Individual entries have held a remarkably consistent floor, too: every mainline release since at least NBA 2K18 has cleared 10 million lifetime copies, even during years when review scores dipped sharply.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative franchise sales (since 1999) | 173+ million units, rank #14 all-time | Take-Two Investor Presentation, May 2026, via Wikipedia |
| Cumulative sales checkpoint, Dec 2018 | 90+ million units | Wikipedia, via Take-Two |
| Cumulative sales checkpoint, Feb 2017 | 68+ million units | Wikipedia, via Take-Two |
| Cumulative sales checkpoint, May 2014 | 17+ million units | Wikipedia, via Take-Two |
| Best-selling single entry at time of release | NBA 2K14, 7+ million copies | Wikipedia |
| NBA 2K16 first-week shipments | 4+ million copies | Wikipedia |
| NBA 2K18 lifetime sales (by Aug 2018) | 10+ million copies | Wikipedia |
| NBA 2K22 lifetime sales (by May 2022) | 10+ million copies | Take-Two Q4 FY2022 earnings call, via Wikipedia |
Outlier: analysts covering the franchise have noted that recent entries average at least 4 million copies sold, a floor NBA 2K has not fallen below even in years with weak review scores. For how NBA 2K’s lifetime sales compare with the other dominant annual sports franchise, see our EA Sports FC statistics. Full context on the ranking is in Wikipedia’s list of best-selling video game franchises.
2. Take-Two Financial Performance and NBA 2K’s Role
Take-Two does not disclose NBA 2K’s dollar contribution as a standalone line item, but its earnings language is consistent: NBA 2K is named a top-line driver in every recent quarterly and annual filing, alongside Grand Theft Auto and the company’s mobile portfolio. Fiscal 2026 Net Bookings reached $6.72 billion, up 19% year over year, and recurrent consumer spending, the category covering MyTEAM packs and VC purchases, grew 17% to represent 78% of that total. The growth rate accelerated further in the third quarter, when Net Bookings came in above guidance and GAAP net revenue rose 25% year over year.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Take-Two FY2026 Net Bookings | $6.72 billion, +19% YoY (vs $5.65B) | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two FY2026 GAAP net revenue | $6.66 billion, +18% YoY (vs $5.63B) | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Recurrent consumer spending, FY2026 | +17% YoY, 78% of Net Bookings | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two Q3 FY2026 Net Bookings | $1.76 billion, above guidance | Take-Two Interactive, Q3 FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two Q3 FY2026 GAAP net revenue | $1.70 billion, +25% YoY (vs $1.36B) | Take-Two Interactive, Q3 FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two FY2027 Net Bookings guidance | $8.0 billion to $8.2 billion | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two market capitalization (Jul 23, 2026) | ~$42.75 billion | StockAnalysis.com, TTWO |
| Take-Two forward P/E ratio | 33.48 | StockAnalysis.com, TTWO |
Note: Take-Two’s FY2027 guidance leans heavily on Grand Theft Auto VI’s November 19, 2026 launch rather than NBA 2K, but the company has flagged NBA 2K27 as a continuing recurrent-spending driver alongside it.
3. NBA 2K26 Launch, Sales, and Player Reception
NBA 2K26 shows a familiar split for the series: critics rate it among the franchise’s better-reviewed entries in years, while the Steam player base is more divided, and the game’s own concurrent-player numbers have been sliding since a May 2026 peak. NBA 2K26 sits at 82 on Metacritic for both PS5 and Xbox Series X and 83 on PC, but its Metacritic user score on PS5 is just 4.5 out of 10, rated “Generally Unfavorable” from 173 user ratings, a critic-versus-player gap of roughly 35 points. Steam’s own tracking shows average concurrent players falling from 28,009 in May 2026 to 25,133 over the most recent 30 days.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metacritic score, PS5 / Xbox Series X | 82 / 82 | Metacritic, NBA 2K26 |
| Metacritic score, PC | 83 | Metacritic, NBA 2K26 |
| Metacritic score, Nintendo Switch 2 | 74 | Metacritic, NBA 2K26 |
| Metacritic user score, PS5 | 4.5/10, “Generally Unfavorable” (173 ratings) | Metacritic, NBA 2K26 |
| Steam reviews, all-time (English) | Mostly Positive, 72% of 12,972 | Steam, NBA 2K26 store page |
| Steam reviews, last 30 days | Mixed, 67% of 2,688 | Steam, NBA 2K26 store page |
| Steam total reviews, all languages | 31,006 | Steam, NBA 2K26 store page |
| Steam concurrent players (current / 24h peak / all-time peak) | ~20,306 / 35,136 / 52,826 | SteamCharts, NBA 2K26 |
Online squads grinding Rec or MyTEAM co-op matches typically stay coordinated over Discord voice chat during those long sessions; if callouts get lost in the noise, a clean Discord voice changer with built-in noise suppression can keep team communication intelligible without extra hardware.
4. MyTEAM, Virtual Currency, and Monetization
MyTEAM’s card-pack economy has been part of NBA 2K since 2013, and it remains the clearest throughline between player criticism and Take-Two’s revenue growth: the same recurrent-spending category that drove 78% of FY2026 Net Bookings is the one gamers complain about loudest. Players have publicly reported spending more than $100 in Virtual Currency just to build a single competitive MyCareer player in NBA 2K23, a cost layered on top of the standard box price. That spending pattern predates NBA 2K23 by years: NBA 2K18 topped North American sales charts in September 2017 despite loot-box criticism at launch, and NBA 2K20’s MyTEAM trailer drew enough backlash over its gambling-like presentation that 2K quietly made it unlisted on YouTube.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MyTEAM mode introduced | NBA 2K13 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K |
| Reported VC cost to build one competitive MyCareer player (NBA 2K23) | $100+ | Wikipedia, NBA 2K23 |
| MyTEAM Unlimited tournament prize (NBA 2K19) | $250,000 plus a trip to NBA All-Star Weekend | Wikipedia, NBA 2K19 |
| NBA 2K18 despite loot-box criticism at launch | Best-selling game in North America, Sept 2017 | NPD, via Wikipedia, Loot box |
| NBA 2K20 MyTEAM trailer backlash | Criticized as “tone-deaf” amid loot-box regulatory scrutiny; trailer made unlisted | Wikipedia, NBA 2K20 |
| NBA 2K27 Deluxe Edition VC bundle | 100,000 VC | Take-Two Interactive press release, July 22, 2026 |
| NBA 2K27 Ultra Edition additional VC | +35,000 VC (135,000 total) | Take-Two Interactive press release, July 22, 2026 |
Streamers who broadcast MyTEAM pack-opening sessions for hours at a stretch often reach for real-time streamer voice effects to keep reactions lively without straining their own voice over a long grind.
5. NBA 2K League and Esports
The NBA 2K League’s trajectory looks less like steady esports growth and more like a boom-bust cycle: from an initial roster to a peak of 25 teams, then an 18-month shutdown, then a relaunch at barely a quarter of that peak size. The league expanded to 25 teams by the 2023-2024 season before Take-Two and the NBA paused operations for 18 months in 2024, relaunching on November 4, 2025 with just 6 NBA-affiliated teams. Take-Two owns half of the operating entity through a joint venture called NBA Take-Two Media, giving both organizations a direct financial stake in whichever format survives.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NBA 2K League founded | February 9, 2017 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| First season | 2018 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| Inaugural season prize pool | $1,000,000 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| General prize pool, original multi-tournament format | $2,500,000 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| Peak number of teams | 25 (2023-2024 season) | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| Hiatus | 2024, 18 months | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| Relaunch date and team count | November 4, 2025, 6 NBA-affiliated teams | Wikipedia, NBA 2K League |
| Take-Two ownership stake in the league | 50%, via NBA Take-Two Media joint venture | Wikipedia, Take-Two Interactive |
For how the NBA 2K League’s prize pools and roster counts compare with other operator-run competitive scenes, see our esports statistics.
6. Critical Reception Across the Franchise
Plotted year over year, NBA 2K’s Metacritic scores trace a shallow decline through the mid-2020s followed by a sharp dip and a fast recovery. NBA 2K24 posted Metacritic scores of just 68 on PS5 and 67 on Xbox Series X, the franchise’s lowest ratings in years, and became the second-worst reviewed game on Steam at release, trailing only Overwatch 2. The series then climbed back over the next two annual releases, gaining roughly 14 points on PS5 in just two years.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NBA 2K19 (Xbox One / PS4) | 83 / 82 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K19 |
| NBA 2K20 (Xbox One / PS4) | 80 / 78 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K20 |
| NBA 2K21 (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | 79 / 80 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K21 |
| NBA 2K22 (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | 76 / 76 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K22 |
| NBA 2K23 (PS5 / Xbox Series X/S) | 78 / 80 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K23 |
| NBA 2K24 (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | 68 / 67 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K24 |
| NBA 2K25 (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | 79 / 77 | Metacritic, via Wikipedia, NBA 2K25 |
| NBA 2K26 (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | 82 / 82 | Metacritic, NBA 2K26 |
Outlier: NBA 2K24’s dip coincided with heightened complaints about MyTEAM and VC pricing, tying the franchise’s worst critical stretch directly to the monetization patterns covered above rather than to a single platform’s scoring quirk.
7. NBA Licensing, Legal Battles, and NBA 2K27
NBA 2K’s business has never been just about unit sales; the underlying league license and a handful of tattoo-copyright disputes have shaped how the series operates on the court. Take-Two and the NBA signed a 7-year, $1.1 billion licensing deal in January 2019, which analysts at the time estimated represented roughly 15% of Take-Two’s revenue from NBA 2K game sales. Separately, two tattoo artists sued Take-Two over player likenesses inked into the game; Solid Oak Sketches sought a $1.1 million licensing fee before a federal judge ruled the use was fair use in March 2020.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NBA-Take-Two licensing deal, signed Jan 2019 | 7 years, $1.1 billion | Wikipedia, Take-Two Interactive |
| Estimated share of Take-Two’s NBA 2K revenue represented by the deal | ~15% | Analyst estimate, via Wikipedia, Take-Two Interactive |
| Solid Oak Sketches tattoo licensing claim, filed Jan 2016 | $1.1 million sought | Wikipedia, NBA 2K |
| Solid Oak Sketches case outcome | Ruled fair use, March 2020 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K |
| James Hayden tattoo case, filed Dec 2017 | Partial summary judgment for Take-Two, March 2019 | Wikipedia, NBA 2K |
| NBA 2K27 reveal date | July 22, 2026 | Take-Two Interactive, NBA 2K27 cover reveal |
| NBA 2K27 global launch date | September 4, 2026 | Take-Two Interactive, NBA 2K27 cover reveal |
| NBA 2K27 Standard / Deluxe / Ultra pricing | $69.99 / $99.99 / $149.99 | Take-Two Interactive, NBA 2K27 cover reveal |
Summary: NBA 2K by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative franchise sales (since 1999) | 173+ million units, rank #14 all-time | Take-Two Investor Presentation, May 2026 |
| NBA 2K26 units sold (by May 2026) | 10+ million | Wikipedia, via Take-Two |
| NBA 2K25 units sold (by Aug 2025) | 11.5 million | Wikipedia |
| NBA 2K22 units sold (by May 2022) | 10+ million | Take-Two Q4 FY2022 earnings call |
| NBA 2K18 units sold (by Aug 2018) | 10+ million | Wikipedia |
| Take-Two FY2026 Net Bookings | $6.72 billion, +19% YoY | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two FY2026 GAAP net revenue | $6.66 billion, +18% YoY | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Recurrent consumer spending, FY2026 | +17% YoY, 78% of Net Bookings | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two FY2027 Net Bookings guidance | $8.0B to $8.2B | Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release |
| Take-Two market capitalization (Jul 23, 2026) | ~$42.75 billion | StockAnalysis.com |
| NBA 2K26 Metacritic score, PS5 / Xbox Series X | 82 / 82 | Metacritic |
| NBA 2K24 Metacritic score, PS5 / Xbox Series X | 68 / 67 (franchise low) | Metacritic |
| NBA 2K26 Steam reviews | Mostly Positive, 72% of 12,972 | Steam |
| NBA 2K26 Steam all-time peak concurrent players | 52,826 | SteamCharts |
| VC cost to build a competitive MyCareer player (NBA 2K23) | $100+ | Wikipedia |
| NBA-Take-Two licensing deal | 7 years, $1.1 billion (signed Jan 2019) | Wikipedia, via Take-Two |
| NBA 2K League relaunch team count (Nov 2025) | 6 teams, down from a peak of 25 | Wikipedia |
| NBA 2K League inaugural prize pool | $1,000,000 | Wikipedia |
| NBA 2K27 launch date | September 4, 2026 | Take-Two Interactive press release |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered directly from Take-Two Interactive’s investor relations press releases and investor presentation, Steam’s official store and review data, Metacritic’s aggregate critic and user scores, SteamCharts’ player-count tracking, StockAnalysis.com’s financial data, and Wikipedia’s sourced NBA 2K franchise archive, which itself cites Take-Two disclosures and NPD (now Circana) retail data. Figures were cross-referenced across at least two sources where possible, and every metric older than 2023 is flagged above as the most recent available for that specific data point.
- Take-Two Interactive, FY2026 earnings release (May 21, 2026)
- Take-Two Interactive, Q3 FY2026 earnings release (Feb 3, 2026)
- Take-Two Interactive, NBA 2K27 cover athletes reveal (Jul 22, 2026)
- StockAnalysis.com, Take-Two Interactive (TTWO)
- Steam, NBA 2K26 store page
- SteamCharts, NBA 2K26 player count history
- Metacritic, NBA 2K26
- Wikipedia, List of best-selling video game franchises (citing Take-Two Investor Presentation, May 2026)
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K26
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K25
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K24
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K23
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K22
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K21
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K20
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K19
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K18
- Wikipedia, NBA 2K League
- Wikipedia, Take-Two Interactive
- Wikipedia, Loot box
- Wikipedia, Visual Concepts
Data watch: Take-Two reports quarterly and annual earnings on a fixed corporate calendar, with fiscal Q1 2027 results due August 7, 2026; Metacritic and Steam update scores and review counts continuously; SteamCharts refreshes player counts daily; Wikipedia’s franchise sales figures typically update only when Take-Two discloses a new cumulative checkpoint in an investor presentation or earnings call.
Last updated: July 24, 2026. We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.