'NBA 2K17' Players Are Getting Banned From MyTeam, But 2K Is Looking Into It

NBA 2K17 has a thriving MyTeam community, and some of its most recognizable players are getting banned. While concerns loom over card sniping, wagers and MT purchases, 2K is looking into a solution to keep its fans happy.

Issues first began when MyTeam leaders like @LosPollosTV started tweeting about being banned from the game mode for one week. From there, similar reports followed and the finger pointing commenced. Is it all a glitch? Is 2K Sports looking to curb the backroom deals and strategies that happen on MyTeam via third-party sites?

At this point in time we honestly don’t know for sure, but 2K community manager Chris Manning is definitely on the case. “Dev is looking into your tweets,” he confirmed. “They’re investigating the issue.”

Beyond that very brief official acknowledgement, the only thoughts we have to go on are conspiracy theories. Three of the biggest possible justifications for bans include sniping, fraudulent use of the mode’s wager system and MT purchases via external sites not endorsed by the NBA 2K17 team.

The practice of sniping has taken place in the NBA 2K auction house for years, and it essentially involves buying high-value cards as soon as they’re posted for low prices and then selling them back to others for a greater amount of MT currency. However, that same auction house has also been leveraged by profiteers selling MT in large amounts for a fee. Those looking to exploit the system set up dummy auctions to transfer funds. MT can also be distributed through large wagers on MyTeam games.

The current thought is that 2K Sports is trying to crack down on MT manipulation of any kind because the currency obviously isn’t supposed to work that way. The publisher specifically sells VC through certified retailers that it has control over. While these bans may effectively disrupt common and shady MyTeam practice, they’re assumingly done to preserve that existing business model.

Of course, without official details from 2K, it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on. While the above theory seems solid, glitches might be in play too. We’ll try to keep you updated on this situation as it changes.

NBA 2K17 is available now on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. For those still able to get on MyTeam, check out these locker codes for Zach LaVine, Harrison Barnes, DeMar Derozan and Myles Turner Moments Cards.

What do you think of these bans? Is 2K cracking down on MT sales and sniping? Tell us in the comments section!