Ronnie 2K Talks 'NBA 2K24' Fashion Trends and the Future of 2K Style

As you know by now, there's always a ton of hype surrounding 2K releases every single year, but this year is slightly different. NBA 2K24 marks the 25th game in the franchise, which means we're celebrating 25 years of what's become a revolution—not just in the world of sports gaming, but in the entertainment industry as a whole. It's safe to say everybody wants in on 2K, but that hasn't always been the case. 2K has really had to prove itself over the years. From the game's visuals to the fashion featured within its world, 2K has become a major aspect of hoops culture. We caught up with the brand's Head of Lifestyle & Content Marketing, Ronnie 2K, to hear a bit about the evolution of fashion within the legendary game series.

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When it comes to the fashion that's regularly showcased in 2K, things have come a long way. Let's give you a reminder of how the game looked in 1999 when it first came out shall we?

Of course, the development of 2K's unreal graphics has gone hand-in-hand with its fashion rise says Ronnie 2K: "The style has gotten so much better over the years," he tell us adding, "It's gotten better on the court in terms of how the jerseys move with the players, and off the court as well with elements like the tunnel walk. There's been a lot of growth in the NBA in terms of features like tunnel walk, which is something players use as a way of building brand, so we always want to capture that."

It's been a steady rise to the top of the virtual style world (which also translates to the real world) for the 2K brand—one that continues to achieve different notable landmarks. "I remember doing a pilot with Fear of God and Don. C some years back," recalls Ronnie 2K, adding: "That was something that really stood out as those were brands that a lot of NBA players were wearing."

Accomplishments like that continue to be major considering there was a point in time where there were no brands featured at all in the game. There was a time when 2K didn't have a storyline in which you would see players wearing regular clothes off the court, nor did the brand have the rights/licensing to be able to include certain logos—even if there was a storyline to showcase what a player was wearing. Now you've got the likes of major brands such as Jordan, Nike, adidas, New Balance, Palm Angels, Gallery Dept, and tons more that are an active part of the gameplay.

It isn't just big brands that are being featured in 2K however. Much in the same way the game gives spotlight opportunities to underground and emerging artists, the approach is very much the same in the fashion realm.

"We want to be authentic, and we take a look at what the players are wearing, and what the audience is wearing in terms of what we consider. Our model is actually really similar to the one we have with music when it comes to the brands we showcase." He continues by adding: "We want to have an early taste with brands on the rise. We've had some brands that have actually had meteoric rises right before being put into the game, and the ones that are doing really well are being creative, doing AB testing. Testing is actually a great device to gauge whether or not a drop is going to be popular."

So how exactly can budding brands get on the radar of Ronnie 2K? Simple—shoot your shot (bad pun intended).

"There's definitely been conversations had through DM. I was actually just having a conversation with somebody today. It might be too late for 2K24 as we're way too far into the development process, but we're definitely looking into a inclusion for 2K25."

And how about the players? Do they have any influence on the drip their game selves are seen in? "We do get hit up a lot by them," Ronnie 2K says. "Obviously there are some limitations in terms of what we can feature, but anytime there's a new drop that's coming we want to tease and put it out there. We want players to be excited about what they're wearing."

So where does Ronnie 2K potentially see 2K style-wise five years from now when the game will be celebrating it's 30th anniversary? "I would love to see a real-life fashion show and a digital show come together," he says.

And the collaborations continuing to grow bigger of course.

"The MSCHF boots with Lil Durk went really well! That was big time for us. I actually got to give the first pair to Lil Durk, and that just goes to show the type of trust we've been able to have and develop with our partners."

Indeed. Things are continuing to be on the up-and-up for 2K, and the next era starts in just a couple of weeks.

NBA2K24 drops on September 8th, 2023.

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