NBA 2K21 hasn't been getting that much positive praise from many fans since the game released last month. Players have been bombarding the game with negative reviews both on Steam and Metacritic, bringing the game's total score down to 0.9 in latter's user score section. Players were already unimpressed with how lackluster the game currently is and now it has been discovered that NBA 2K21 also features unskippable ads on next-gen consoles.
The information was shared on Twitter by Okami13_ a prominent dataminer and leaker who shared a short clip of an Oculus Quest 2 ad that shows up in NBA 2K21 when booting the game up. The frustrating thing about the ad is that you cannot skip it.
Interestingly, in-game ads weren't present in NBA 2K21 at launch, but when they started appearing in the game is currently unknown. As soon as players learned of this practice, they immediately took to Twitter to bombard 2K Games with negative comments and demanding the publisher revert its decision. These in-game ads are intrusive and are regarded as practices that break the experience.
Now, 2K21 isn't the only game that features in-game ads. Even NBA 2K19 featured in-game ads, which of course did not receive any appreciation either. Fans are also concerned that they will be paying a premium price for the next-gen version of NBA 2K21 and still be treated with in-game ads.
Of course, NBA 2K21 has been a disaster in the eyes of fans, first because of its repetitive gameplay, and secondly, due to the cash grab practices like unskippable ads. Despite all the hate, the game has been selling well.
NBA 2K21 is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and Nintendo Switch. The game is also in development for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
