The NBA 2K League has announced that the first stage of qualifying for the inaugural season will take place in January, 2018.
NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue announced the initial qualification as well as other components of the league in a Reddit Ask Me Anything yesterday. He addressed questions from the community around the league, providing further detail as to the structure and criteria that need to be met in order to have the opportunity to be drafted by one of the teams set to compete.
The initial qualifying component requires players to win a total of 50 games in NBA 2K18’s Pro-AM mode as well as completing an online application. The window opens on the 1st January 2018 and will shut on the 31st January. Players can compete as a walk-on, part of a team or a combination of the two. Winning more than 50 games does not increase a player’s standing in the proverbial rankings.
The qualification is open to anyone across the world who has a copy of NBA 2K18 on either Xbox One or PlayStation 4. It will not be open to those competing on PC or the likes of Nintendo Switch. Those who make it through the January application window will be invited to further rounds of qualification which will take place through February. Ultimately, the best players will then be selected for the draft which will take place in March.
Each player drafted by an NBA 2K League franchise will be housed by their respective organisation which provides a very interesting opportunity for those not just in the United States. Each of the 17 teams competing will draft five players, and the season will get underway in May 2018, with games taking place in central studios for the inaugural season before it moves to a more regional approach.
Esports Insider says: Fancy yourself as an NBA star? Get involved then. We have to admit that we’re not the most avid of NBA fans over here, but who wouldn’t want to be drafted for a team and move to the States to compete every week? Maybe it’s time to start playing…