The latest annualized basketball sim from 2K Sports, NBA 2K22, released this week on nearly every platform imaginable. Rather than many fans talking about all of the latest features that are seen in this year’s iteration of the game, though, the talking point associated with NBA 2K22 that has started to dominate the conversation on social media has centered around a rather overt ad for State Farm that some players have started to discover.ย
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Within the past day since its release, a number of NBA 2K22 players have started to stumble across an in-game product placement for State Farm insurance. Players visit a storefront within The City, which is an open-world style area within NBA 2K22, that is entirely dedicated to State Farm. And while this might not seem like that big of a deal given that other companies and brands are present in NBA 2K22, it’s the way in which this State Farm version has been implemented that feels a bit off. Specifically, players can interact with “Jake from State Farm” who happens to be the spokesperson for the company that is often seen in commercials. Jake then offers players his iconic red shirt and khaki pants, which he refers to as “drip,” that players can then equip to their own player. All in all, the whole interaction is nothing short of bizarre.ย
For the most part, NBA 2K22 has drawn criticism far and wide for essentially baking in ads like this. Sadly, though, ads like this have become somewhat commonplace over the years as the NBA 2K series has continued to grow in popularity. While the franchise was once centered around creating a top tier basketball experience, 2K Sports has slowly started to fill it up with advertising opportunities just like this, clearly in an effort to make even more money than normal. As a whole, it’s a pretty gross look.ย
What do you think about this blatant State Farm ad in NBA 2K22? And have you been playing the game for yourself yet this year? Let me know either down in the comments or shoot me a message over on Twitter at @MooreMan12.
