It was recently announced that the 14-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA MVP, six-time World Champion and Basketball Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan, will be featured on the special editions of NBA 2K23. It’s also been confirmed that Phoenix Suns’ superstar, Devin Booker, will grace the cover of the standard edition.
However, it looks like more information has been revealed regarding what each edition of the game will look like and what they will include.
Here are all NBA 2K23 editions and cover athletes explained.
All NBA 2K23 Editions and Cover Athletes Explained
Currently, there are four editions/covers that have been confirmed for NBA 2K23. Including the standard edition, the Michael Jordan edition, the championship edition and the WNBA edition.
This would mean that there’s one additional version of the game compared to last year’s NBA 2K22, which had only the standard version as well as the NBA 75th Anniversary Edition and the WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition.
Here is every NBA 2K23 edition and cover explained in full detail.
NBA 2K23 Standard Edition
At the time of writing, the cover for the standard edition of NBA 2K23 is the only one that has yet to be revealed. That being said, it has been confirmed that Devin Booker will be the cover star, and there’s even been multiple leaks displaying what the cover could look like. Including the one below.
The decision to make Devin Booker the cover star of NBA 2K23 has been met with mixed emotions. While he is one of the elite young talents in the association, and has accomplished a great amount in recent years. Including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2021. The majority of basketball fans were hoping for a player more accomplished like Steph Curry or somebody more exciting to watch like Ja Morant.
Nevertheless, if the cover seen above is in fact the real deal, then it’s at least an aesthetically-pleasing work of art. It’s also going to be the least expensive version of NBA 2K23, so, there’s that.
NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition
The NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan edition is the first of two special editions of the game. 2K Sports has yet to reveal too many details on all of the features that will be included in the game, or the retail price. However, they have announced the return of the fan-favorite Jordan Challenges.
Related: All Michael Jordan Challenges in NBA 2K23 Explained
The Jordan Challenge was a unique game mode first introduced in NBA 2K11, and allows players to travel back in time to reenact some of MJ’s most iconic moments. Like his “Father’s Day Victory” in the 1996 NBA Finals or the famous “The Flu Game” in the 1997 NBA Finals.
With the NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition, it appears that ten of the original challenges from previous titles will be returning to the game mode. While five brand-new legendary MJ moments will be also be featured in the game.
NBA 2K23 Championship Edition
Next, we’ve got the NBA 2K23 Championship Edition. Similar to the Michael Jordan edition, this is expected to include the Jordan Challenges, recreating 15 of Jordan’s most memorable moments from his professional career. However, that’s just the beginning.
Since the Championship Edition is going to be the “premium” version of NBA 2K23, we can expect it to carry a much higher price tag. Although, there will also likely be more rewards and features, as well as a pretty special bonus for basketball fans; a 12-month subscription to NBA League Pass. Which is the NBA’s premium streaming service that offers fans access to thousands of games, live and on-demand, throughout the NBA season.
NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition
Last but certainly not least we have the WNBA edition featuring cover athletes Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. Which was the latest cover to be unveiled by 2K Sports, with the news coming out early on July 6 2022.
As part of the announcement, 2K Sports also revealed that NBA 2K is partnering with both stars to donate $100,000 to the Every Kid Sports foundation. With provides children across the United States with the opportunity to join youth basketball programs.
Taurasi and Bird are two of the most recognizable and successful players in WNBA history. Together, they have 7 combined league titles, 10 Olympic gold medals and hold various all-time records for the Women’s National Basketball Association. Much like NBA 2K22, we can expect new features and even greater depth for the WNBA series in NBA 2K23.
As previously mentioned, none of the prices have been revealed for any edition of NBA 2K23. Although, with pre-ordering expected to begin on July 7, 2022, more information is likely to come out in the coming days. So, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as more details become available.
Those are all of the NBA 2K23 editions and cover athletes explained in detail. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out some of our other NBA 2K content here at Gamer Journalist. Like the most recent list of NBA 2K22 locker codes or the top 10 best Diamond cards in NBA 2K22 MyTeam.
