It is prime sports game season. We haven't yet figured out all the money plays in College Football 26 and Madden 26, and now it's already NBA 2K season. But when can you play 2K's latest basketball sim? The answer depends, as has become customary, on how much you're willing to pay.
The NBA 2K26 Superstar Edition ($99.99) and Leave No Doubt Edition ($149.99) both come with 7 days of Early Access that begins Friday, August 29 at 1pm EST. The game's official release is Sept.5, and this one will have staggered rollout times.
West Coast US (PT): September 5 at 10:00 AM
Mountain US (MT): September 5 at 11:00 AM
Central US (CT): September 5 at 12:00 PM
East Coast US (ET): September 5 at 1:00 PM
United Kingdom (BST): September 5 at 6:00 PM
Central Europe (CEST): September 5 at 7:00 PM
Japan (JST): September 6 at 2:00 AM
This year, Caitlin Clark and the stars of the WNBA will join NBA hoopers in the MyTeam card- collecting mode. Yes, I called for this. The ladies will have the same badges and abilities governing their in-game exploits that the guys have.
EA Sports FC 24 added women, and spoiler, the world did not end. Players like having the diversity in lineups. Alexia Putellas makes my squad every year. MLB The Show 24 added women, acknowledging that in baseball history, some women did get the opportunity to play against men. In 2K's own WWE series of games, we finally got intergender matches this year. WWE doesn't typically do intergender matches, but other promotions have for decades.