This year, for the first time in series history, the WNBA will be in NBA 2K20. This was first revealed a couple of months ago when the game was first unveiled for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Since then, 2K has hardly talked about the monumental new feature. However, today that changed. More specifically, today 2K Games revealed a brand-new trailer welcoming the WNBA to the game, and teasing and showing fans what they can expect from the feature once the game releases in September.
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At the moment, it’s a bit unclear just how robust the feature will be, but it’s here to stay. Further, over on Facebook, 2K revealed that a lot of work went into bringing the league into the fold. For example, the team spent a lot of time on hairstyles.
“WNBA hairstyles were another area that we needed to build from the ground up,” wrote producer on the game, Felicia Steenhouse. “A common misconception is that hairstyles come complete through the player scans, but that is not the case. For any new hairstyle, artists need to craft every strand, braid, and curl from scratch. So we spent a great deal of time cataloging all of the WNBA hairstyles and broke them down into classifications such as bun, ponytail, braids, and started to create a collection of hairstyles. So much individuality comes through a player’s hair that we try to capture it as best we can in-game.”
“We also spent a great deal of time developing specific AI, playbooks, and defensive schemes for each WNBA team to accurately portray their real-life styles,” added Steenhouse later in the post.
“If you are already a tried-and-true WNBA fan you are going to experience the game you love in a brand new way. Cambage and Griner banging down low, Vandersloot and The Point Gawd herself Chelsea Gray slinging passes and everything in between. The grit, the hustle, the precision, the finesse. You’ll find it all in NBA 2K20.”
Of course, this isn’t just a big moment for fans of the WNBA, but for the players, such as Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart.
Proud to be part of the @NBA2K family! I’m honored to help #NBA2K20 pave the way for the WNBA in video games. We continue to break down barriers so young girls and boys can have female athletes as role models #ad pic.twitter.com/h0G1Jr9KiE
— Candace Parker (@Candace_Parker) August 8, 2019
The WNBA is officially in @NBA2K 🔥🎮 Excited to see the women’s game in #NBA2K20, great things to come pic.twitter.com/4bIlUE3vjX
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) August 8, 2019
“Knowing the history of what it has taken to make NBA 2K the franchise it is today, we know this is just a small first step into the world of women’s basketball with the WNBA,” concluded the aforementioned post from Steenhouse. “Getting to where we ultimately want to be is going to be a much longer journey. In true NBA 2K spirit, we intend to be trailblazers and we will push every year for the highest level of authenticity possible.”
NBA 2K20 is set to release worldwide on September 6 via the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. For more news, media, and information on the game, be sure to check out all of our previous coverage of it by clicking right here.
