So 2K apparently released the cover of NBA 2K26 today, and well…this is the shining moment for the standard edition: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City Thunder star was enjoying the honor against the backdrop of growing into one of the NBA’s brightest young talents. The thing is… the gamers weren’t exactly loving this one.
Let’s just talk about the announcement. Officially, 2K had tweeted the announcement with an image of SGA doing a tough crossover in his Thunder jersey, with all the traditional 2K branding. Pre-orders start tomorrow, so circle that date if you are hyped for it or if you are a collector! But then the reactions started from the players…
Brandon (@bustin456) declared it to be the “laziest cover for a sports game ever,” who is by no means a lone voice in opinion. J🐐🔥 (@EcstaticCavsFan) answered with crying emojis. “These covers sucks man😭😭.” Ouch. Some others noticed something odd about the background.
Yeah, well, it turns out there might be *two* Al Horfords lurking in the shadows on the cover. @GSSHN1905 was the first to point this out: “Am I trippin or I see 2 Al Horford on the cover?” And honestly? Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Did 2K just copy-paste Horford in there twice? The web was on fire, with @ddearing88 suggesting jokingly they’d better do an edition where SGA is “guarded by 20 Al Horfords.”
Speaking of the cover, there was some debate about whether it was AI generated. @nathansGworld went right ahead and asked, “Why did you guys use AI cover?” pointing at the fact that the teams in the background didn’t even play each other in those jerseys this year or last. And the more one analyses the image, the more that hastily thrown-together Photoshop scratch makes sense.
Then again, not all are hating. @TVipsh is ready to pre-order, shouting, “Bro I have to preorder,” while @cartierchrishin took matters into their own hand with a “fix” of their own. But most? Worse than a roast of a 2K player for a missed wide-open layup.
This ain’t the first time 2K’s gotten flak for laziness—remember that last year’s cover? Gamers have been calling it out for years, and this might be the tipping point. @luckylefty_94 went in: “You guys have been making the same lazy ass game and people don’t pay attention. But now you’re giving people a reason to pay attention. I really hope 2K goes down the drain.”
Next up? Pre-orders soon commence with an eye on whether the backlash translates into sales. One thing for sure: If they want to win back players, 2K will have to step up their cover-game; or at the very least, not put two Al Horfords in the same frame.
If the hype for NBA 2K26 is still strong in your heart, then prepare to pre-order. Just maybe don’t zoom in too close on the background.
