2K non-simulation football games will feature real NFL stars
2K football games will be able to feature NFL player names and likenesses
Electronic Arts may own exclusive rights to NFL simulation games but earlier this year the NFL and 2K announced a separate partnership that will allow the former NFL 2K publisher to create “non-simulation football game experiences” starting in 2021. Today, the publisher took another step towards closing the gap with EA for football dominance, announcing a partnership with OneTeam Partners and the National Football League Players Association to include “football’s most prominent star players” in its games.
Under this new agreement, 2K has the right to feature names, numbers, images and likenesses for over 2,000 current NFL players. The importance of this deal can’t be understated as it provides some legitimacy to 2K’s football games. Can you imagine playing an NFL game and not having some of the sport’s biggest stars? It wouldn’t be much fun.
We still don’t know what 2K has planned for its NFL games but company President David Ismailer was thrilled with the new partnership and what it could mean for the publisher.
"“We want to give fans experiences that are authentic, memorable and fun, and having a roster of real-life sports heroes through the Players Association and OneTeam is a huge part of delivering on that promise.”"
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2K has not yet announced what it has planned for its NFL games but we do know they have to be “non-simulation football game experiences.” This could mean something like an arcade-style experience like NFL Street or NFL Blitz; although EA owns the rights to both of those franchises, so 2K would have to get a bit creative. Or it could be some card-based game like WWE SuperCard or NBA 2K Mobile, where you build a team of superstars and play with them in various game modes.
Make no mistake, EA’s Madden franchise will still be the place to go for fans who want an authentic simulation football experience that mimics real life. EA signed an extension with the NFL that runs through 2026 and allows the publisher to maintain the exclusive rights to create “authentic football simulation games.”
But the fact that 2K’s games will now feature real NFL superstars means it could start to pull some unhappy fans away from Madden. 2K confirmed that multiple non-simulation football games are in development and it will announce specific games and release dates at a later date.