On Thursday, the final cover reveal for the upcoming NBA 2K21 game arrived and brought the cover many were waiting for. The NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition features the late, great Kobe Bryant. It will be similar to the Legends Edition, yet with a different name to honor the Mamba himself. Along with that reveal, we now have the pre-order details and game’s release date.
New NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition cover reveal
NBA 2K has now revealed all of the covers for their upcoming 2K21 game, saving the best for last. Kobe Bryant, who lost his life in a tragic helicopter crash earlier this year, will get his own edition.
The NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition features special artwork. One of the two covers has Kobe soaring through the air in preparation for a one-handed slam.
It’s officially up for pre-order at Gamestop and the 2K Store, with more details below.
For weeks and months prior to the 2K21 cover reveal, fans had been demanding that Kobe appear on at least one cover for the game. Now that wish has been granted, although the Mamba Edition will carry a $100 price tag with it.
The second Mamba Forever cover shows an artist’s drawing of Kobe waving goodbye to the fans after his superstar career with the Lakers.
NBA 2K presented a video showcasing the covers for the upcoming game.
As mentioned, Kobe was the final reveal for cover athletes. On Tuesday, 2K revealed the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard as the current-gen cover star. New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is the next-gen cover star, appearing on the front of the game for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Mamba Edition pre-order details
With the arrival of Kobe Bryant as the final cover star, 2K has officially provided pre-order details for the game. The NBA 2K2 Mamba Forever Edition is available for pre-order for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PCs.
The ultimate edition available, it brings a cost of $99.99 but also includes the Zion Williamson Next-Gen Edition of the game to play on the new console. That means anyone who pre-orders for PlayStation 4 will get the game for the new PS5. Customers who pre-order for Xbox One get the game for Xbox Series X.
Here’s the fine print from 2K’s pre-order details on their website:
Also includes NBA 2K21 Standard Edition on PS5 or Xbox Series X, 100K bonus VC, and the Zion Williamson Digital Collection, accessible on Next Gen.*
Bonus Content with pre-order
The game not only brings gamers access to the next-gen version on their respective console. In addition, the Mamba Forever Edition brings a lot of other bonus content:
- 100,000 Virtual Currency
- 10,000 MyTEAM Points
- 10 MyTEAM Tokens
- 60 MyCAREER Skill Boosts
- 30 Gatorade Boosts
- 40 MyTEAM Promo Packs (10 at launch, then 3 per week)
- Sapphire Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson MyTEAM cards
- MyPLAYER Shoe Collection
- MyPLAYER backpack
- Kobe Bryant Digital Collection
- 5 MyPLAYER Shoes
- 3 MyPLAYER Jerseys
- Black Mamba MyPLAYER Uniform
- Rookie Lakers MyTEAM Jerseys
- Black Mamba custom MyTEAM Jerseys
- Sapphire Kobe MyTEAM Card (Evos to Ruby)
- 5 MyTEAM Shoes (Incl. 1 Diamond)
Gamers who pre-order Mamba Forever Edition also receive a Damian Lillard digital collection of content:
- Lillard MyTEAM Free Agent Card
- Custom Lillard MyPLAYER T-shirt
- Tissot Chrono XL NBA Watch for MyPLAYER
It’s worth noting that Gamestop lists 12/31 as the release date for the game. However, Sept. 4, 2020, is the official release date, per Bleacher Report, for the game on current-gen consoles and PC. The game arrives on next-gen consoles once the new PS5 and Xbox Series X are released.
Visit our NBA 2K page to stay updated as more information about the game arrives.