2K just dropped the Season 1 trailer for NBA 2K27 a day before early access and about a week before the full launch, and the part everyone is talking about is buried near the end. The camera drifts past a purple poster stacked with palm trees, police sirens and seagulls cutting through the audio with the words "Season 3" appearing right in a font and color scheme lifted straight Grand Theft Auto VI. As if that left a sliver of doubt, an arcade cabinet stamped with the Rockstar Games logo sits next to one wearing 2K's.
Piece it all together and this is no longer just wink wink nod between two Take-Two Interactive studios, rather a tease for an upcoming crossover between the two.
We should've known this was coming after Take-Two dropped NBA 2K26 into the GTA+ library earlier this year. In case you didn't know, the subscription service housed Rockstar titles exclusively until NBA 2K26 came and crashed the party.
With that said, if you do some quick maths, the release of the third season times just as the next Grand Theft Auto arrives in November.
So, really, this must be the clever marketing strategy Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick talked about in one of the many times he told everyone about how differently they'll market GTA 6.
Ironically enough, basketball is one of the first things that the most recent GTA 6 leak featured and showed off.
NBA 2K27's season calendar
Season | Starts | What it lines up with |
|---|---|---|
Season 1 | Aug 26 (early access) / Sept 4 (full launch) | The game's opening online season |
Season 2 | October 16 | Mid-cycle refresh |
Season 3 | Late November (expected) | GTA 6's November 19 launch window |
NBA 2K27 is not crossing over with GTA 6 out of generosity. It is buying a courtside seat at the biggest launch the industry has ever staged, and Take-Two owns the whole arena.
Just try not to expect too much when Vice City meets virtual hooping come November. NBA 2K carries an E rating and GTA is rated M, so whatever actually crosses over will most likely be cosmetic, such as neon-and-palm-tree gear and a themed event complete with a custom basketball court with a Vice City aesthetic. You'd best bet you're getting the vibe of a mature crime game filtered through a game built for teenagers whenever this collaboration rolls out.
Unfortunately, we know nothing else about how exactly NBA 2K27 and GTA 6 will partner up. This is merely a tease and nothing more. None of Rockstar, Take-Two, or 2K have confirmed anything outside of giving us the very loud and on brand visuals.
Be that as it may, it doesn't take an armchair analyst to know that this is all part of the appetiser Zelnick mentioned last week ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look on August 27.