NBA 2K24 removes Kobe Bryant collector-level reward at the last second, sparking fan outcry

The legend Kobe Bryant was the cover star of NBA 2K24 and, for many, a strong incentive to reach the highest collector tier in the game‘s MyTeam mode. As the first round of the NBA playoffs unfolds ends, many fans are more disappointed than excited about the latest NBA 2K title, with developer Visual Concepts backing away from a promise made before launch.

As the game‘s release date approaches, NBA 2K24 developer Visual Concepts published a blog post showcasing the features of its card collection mode, MyTeam. In this blog post, the developer outlined several features and rewards for the then-upcoming title. It took special care to dedicate a section to an upcoming Collector-level award, Kobe Bryant.

In this article, the developer highlights how collector level rewards are crucial to the overall MyTeam experience. “Collector’s level rewards have always been important in MyTEAM, and last year the rewards were surprises with a hidden end goal,” said the blog post published before launch. “Let’s look forward to a few months and reveal that Kobe Bryant will be the best Collector Tier reward, and this reward will be available in April, during Season 6.”

First reported by The Washington PostHerb Scribnerwith Additional reporting by Paul Tassi of Forbes, NBA 2K24 changed its best Collector level reward to not include Kobe Bryant. Instead, players can now choose from two previously released 100 total cards. However, according to several community members, 100’s newest card, Yao Ming, is not an option for players to choose from.

Centering a Collector level reward around such an iconic and beloved player likely encouraged many people to work (or spend) to reach the highest Collector level and obtain the reward. Many players took to social media and the NBA 2K Community Discord server to express their displeasure. At the time of writing, neither the manager NBA 2K neither NBA 2K My Team the account posted anything regarding the situation, and the “developer-supported and community-run” NBA 2K subreddit does not contain any message about the missing reward. However, the MyTeam subreddit has several threads posted by players regarding the issue.

The only NBA 2K team comment to the community that I found was posted on the official NBA 2K Community Discord. This comment matches the comment provided to me by a 2K spokesperson when I requested comment from the publisher. You can read the full statement provided by a 2K spokesperson below.

2K strives to bring the best NBA 2K24 MyTEAM experience to the community. Please note that a change has been made to a reward. Players who reach a high Collector Tier will now receive an option pack for two picks out of ten previously released 100 OVR cards. We appreciate that players have put in the time and effort throughout the year to earn this reward and 2K is committed to ensuring that players continue to earn valuable content as a reward.

I then asked for additional information on why the change was made, but the spokesperson declined to comment further. Some online speculation has argued that licensing issues were to blame, but there is no confirmation or evidence to support this theory aside from 2K’s reluctance to comment further at this time.

NBA 2K24 arrived on PlayStation 5, Xbox series of our criticism involved the intrusive microtransactions that permeate several of the game‘s long-term modes. This controversy surrounding one of the most monetized modes of transportation does little to refute that criticism. You can read our full review here.