Every year, players booting up the newest sports games are greeted with some of the biggest music at the time of the game’s release. However, the combination of a set soundtrack and the speed at which the music industry moves often results in the music for games likeNBA 2KandMaddento age rather quickly. 2K Sports recognizes this and is now going to actively address it inNBA 2Kevery year to coincide with the start of a new season, starting withNBA 2K22.
2K Sports spoke about this as part of its updated 2K Beats program, which 2K marketing VP Alfie Brody said will feature a combination of popular and up-and-coming music artists. Some of the names confirmed to beNBA 2K22’s2K Beats artists include NAS, The Game, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie, and Doja Cat to name a few. More big names have also been teased as part of the launch soundtrack with 2K Beats which will be announced ahead ofNBA 2K22’srelease.
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The most notable change, though, is what Brody describes as a “dynamic soundtrack” for players to enjoy going forward. Brody said on the first Friday of a new season, theNBA soundtrackwill be updated with fresh tracks to capitalize on some of the hottest artists at the time. Taking it a step further, up-and-coming producers will also be able to drop their own beats for the game’s community to get their hands by adding vocals and remixing the beats.
2K Sports’decision comes after years of sports games suffering from soundtracks quickly aging amid a constantly moving music industry. It’s not to say many artists featured on soundtracks don’t have staying power, but many of the singles featured may have already fallen out of the public zeitgeist within a few weeks of the game’s release.
By introducing a “dynamic soundtrack,” it helps to emphasize theNBA 2Kseries' place in pop culture and how it can be an easy source of exposure for artists via the game’s massive community. 2K Sports has previously spoken aboutNBA 2K21hitting over 2 million daily players at certain times and how over 10 million copies have been sold. Such a massive community could prove enticing for many big name and rising artists to approach 2K Sports about being involved with the game, possibly even debuting new tracks that could become the next chart topping hit in the Billboard Hot 100.
NBA 2K22is currently scheduled to release June 25, 2025 on Apple Arcade, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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