NBA 2K18 To Reissue Game Post-Release With Updated Cover After Kyrie Irving Trade

NBA 2K18 cover star Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics a few days ago, and the move arrives weeks before the game’s official release on Sept. 19. In a statement to Game Informer, 2K’s Senior Vice president Of Basketball Operations Jason Argent said the change will eventually be reflected in the art, but it won’t happen at launch:

“We are excited to be part of one of the most memorable NBA offseasons in history with Kyrie, our 2K18 cover athlete, and Isaiah, one of the stars of our 2K roster, trading places. This isn't an unprecedented event, a cover athlete being traded – but it's certainly interesting timing with 2K18 being released in less than a month. The good news is that as the most authentic and realistic basketball game on the market, we're used to being nimble and responding to changes in the NBA. Fans should be thrilled to know that we will issue a version of 2K18 featuring Kyrie in a Boston Celtics uniform at a later date.”

As for when that later date will be, the publisher has yet to comment.

We were able to find at least one high-profile example to validate Argent’s claim that something like this has happened before. Madden 09 cover star Brett Favre announced his retirement with the Green Bay Packers, only to be traded to the Jets a few months later. In this instance Electronic Arts never reissued the game, but the publisher did post an alternate cover insert fans could download if they wanted the updated jersey. While not tied to a trade, NBA 2K16 featured three cover athletes with similar swappable inserts for each one.

2K’s current situation does create something of a dilemma for the hardest of hardcore NBA or Celtics fans, however. Now that Kyrie will eventually be on the cover supporting the team in green, should the most faithful to the sport wait to purchase until that accuracy is reflected? It’d be especially irksome if you fall into that small pool of diehard players and spent the extra cash for a special edition on day one. Yet, the opposite could possibly be true for game collectors. Now that we know the Cavs Kyrie version of 2K18 is being produced in a semi-limited capacity, it might be smart to pick one up at launch and keep it in the shrink wrap.

Regardless of the wider implications of the trade, the fact that 2K has chosen to respond to it is an overall net positive. The only negative press coming from this unforeseen switch has been a spike in discussions of a so-called 2K curse. Stretching back to 2K14’s LeBron James cover, the trend is that players leave their pictured team soon after their appearance. James left the Heat, KD left the Thunder, Paul George left the Pacers and now Irving has left the Cavs.

NBA 2K18 comes to PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch and PC Sept. 19. A free Prelude demo comes to PS4 and Xbox One Sept. 8.

What do you think of this Kyrie Irving trade? Is it good that 2K is releasing an updated cover in the future? Do you even care? Tell us in the comments section!