NBA 2K18: The Prelude Available for Free This Friday, New Trailer Revealed

NBA 2K18 just got a sick new prelude trailer, and revealed that the game's introductory hours be available for free starting this Friday. That's right! You'll be able to download "The Prelude" Friday morning at 11AM central time, and spend a little time in what 2K is calling the "neighborhood," a shared social space where ballers and legends hang out in their free time. Check out the trailer above.

"We are excited to announce that NBA 2K18's free demo, The Prelude, will be available to fans this Friday, September 8 at 12am ET on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Fans can get an early taste of NBA 2K18 with this free, downloadable experience that begins their journey into The Neighborhood, the groundbreaking new way to play NBA 2K. The Neighborhood brings together the most loved elements of NBA 2K together into a shared world for players to truly experience the life of an NBA athlete, both on the court and off."

The neighborhood is basically the NBA equivalent of "The Tower" in Destiny or "The Farm" in Destiny 2. Things that you do throughout the single-player campaign will happen quite separately from other players, but in the neighborhood will be an instanced server where friends and strangers come together in a shared space to unwind or practice. Get your haircut, buy some fresh new kicks, play a round of hoops at the local court, or just goof off. This will be a unique space for new and familiar faces.

By the way, don't hesitate to pour in some good time into The Prelude, because all of your progress will transfer over to the full version of the game should you decide to pick it up. If you enjoy goofing off in the neighborhood and decide NBA 2K18 isn't for you, then no sweat. If you decide you want to pick it up, then you'll pick up right where you left off!

NBA 2K18 launches on September 19.