'NBA 2K17' release date rumors: 'NBA 2K16' follow-up to come out Sept. 27?

Maria Bernadette Castro Tuesday, May 10, 2016

"NBA 2K17" Legend edition with Kobe Bryant on the cover. | Twitter/NBA2K

"NBA 2K17" is expected to be released this September although 2K Sports deem it too early to be more specific on when next version of the basketball simulation game will be out.

But its release pattern over the past years can help in figuring out when exactly the game will arrive. Annual franchises usually have a release pattern they follow. In the case of "NBA 2K," new iterations usually launch in the fall.

Last year, "NBA 2K16" made a splash in the final weeks of September while the titles before it were released in the first week of October in the past two years. "NBA 2K17" is expected to come out around the same time this year.

This makes it likely for "NBA 2K17" to be unveiled during the last week of September or the early days of October. And since 2K Sports always releases a new game on Tuesdays, Sept. 27 stands out as a potential release date.

There's no confirmation of this yet although it is highly likely for 2K Sports to release the game on that date. The game company has started work on the game and has already introduced a Legend Edition with Kobe Bryant on the cover.

In lieu of his retirement after a phenomenal run in the sport, Bryant's greatness will be celebrated in "NBA 2K17." This edition will only be available to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (although the standard edition will be playable on last-gen consoles as well) and is now on pre-order for $79.99.

Buyers of the Legend Edition will get to take home the following:

Limited-edition Kobe poster
Two Kobe Panini playing cards
Black Mamba game controller skin
30,000 Virtual Currency
MyTEAM Bundle (includes 3 packs with guaranteed Kobe limited use card)
Nike Kobe 11 retirement shoes (in-game)
Kobe #8 Mitchell and Ness jersey (in-game)
Kobe hoodie (in-game)

"NBA 2K17" is also rumored to feature Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. His performance in the current NBA season have many convinced he will grace the cover of the game's standard edition.