Summary
AnNBA 2Kplayer has reportedly filed a class-action lawsuit against publisher Take-Two for “theft” with regard to the franchise’s microtransactions. Microtransactions have become a hot-button issue within the gaming community throughout recent years with the rise of online gaming and, particularly, the prevalence of live-service and mobile games. Many of the biggest modern games now include microtransactions in some form, ranging fromEA Sports FC’s “Ultimate Team” mode tocosmetics in games likeMortal Kombat 1. Now, one fan is taking legal action against a sports gaming juggernaut.
Like with many modern sports games, theNBA 2Kseries heavily features microtransactions as a part of its online game modes. Players can useNBA 2K’s in-game VC currency to upgrade their players in MyCareer, allowing players to purchase skill points to make their in-game characters better. The game’s MyTeam mode functions similarly to the “Ultimate Team” game mode found in EA Sports' games, allowing fans to purchase packs to add in-game players to their team. Now, a young fan and their mother are taking Take-Two to court over the predatory microtransactions.
As reported by Axios, a minor in California, represented by their mother, has officially filed a class-action lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive over the microtransactions inNBA 2K. The lawsuit focuses, in particular, on thevirtual currency used withinNBA 2Kand the inability to carry items over from one of the annual games to the next. The lawsuit refers to Take-Two as “unfair, illegal, and greedy,” also citing the closure of older games' online servers. The removal of any leftover currency is classified as “theft” within the suit, serving as the main basis behind the legal complaint.
The newfound legal action against theNBA 2Kpublisher would not be the first time a disgruntled fan has taken Take-Two to court. Last year,NBA 2K’s virtual currency was the subjectof a similar lawsuit, taking aim at the pricing of theNBA 2Kgames in addition to the virtual currency. The 2022 suit also held similar claims regarding the predatory nature ofNBA 2K’s microtransaction-based online gameplay, despite retailing for the same price as other AAA games. The lawsuit was eventually settled through arbitration, with the resolution of the settlement not known to the public.
Take-Two’s upcoming legal predicament comes as theNBA 2Kfranchise’s newest entry has seen a rocky start. The early months following the launch ofNBA 2K24have been plagued with bugs and glitches, causing a significant amount of fan backlash.NBA 2K24even became Steam’s lowest-rated game, taking the dubious honor fromOverwatch 2,with many fans calling2K24a “copy-paste” of the previous year’s game.NBA 2K24’s launch woes look to continue as Take-Two will have to defend itself in court.
NBA 2K24
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