The question of whether NBA 2K25 will have early access or an early release date has been answered by 2K. In this article, we answer that question and more for the highly anticipated game.
Does NBA 2K25 Have Early Access?
The short answer is yes. It’s been confirmed that fans will be able to get their hands on NBA 2K25 up to two days early. The “Early Tip-Off” announcement makes NBA 2K25 available to player from September 4 for players on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC who pre-order before the worldwide launch on September 6. Early access is not available for Nintendo Switch.
NBA 2K25 World-Wide Release Dates & Times
Here are the release times of NBA 2K25 for time zones around the globe:
- 5 AM – Pacific Time: Los Angeles – San Francisco -Vancouver
- 6 AM – Mountain Time: Salt Lake City – Phoenix – Denver
- 7 AM – Central Time: Dallas – Chicago – New Orleans
- 8 AM – Eastern Time: New York – Miami – Toronto
- 1 PM (UTC +1) – London – Dublin
- 2 PM (UTC +2) – Paris – Rome – Berlin
- 8 PM (UTC +8) – Hong Kong – Singapore – Taipei
- 9 PM (UTC +9) – Tokyo – Seoul
- 10 PM (UTC +10) – Sydney – Melbourne
PC / Steam Players Able to Play NBA 2K25 8 Hours Early
According to 2K Support, PC / Steam players are able to access NBA 2K25 a full eight hours before players on other consoles. No word yet from 2K on why this is, but it could be to appease PC players after waiting for so long to be upgraded to new-gen over the years.
Here are the launch times for PC / Steam vs consoles:
New Zealand (NZST):
- Xbox/PlayStation: Midnight on September 5, 2024
- Steam: 4:00 PM on September 4, 2024
Australia (AEST):
- Xbox/PlayStation: 10:00 PM on September 4, 2024
- Steam: 2:00 PM on September 4, 2024
Japan (JST):
- Xbox/PlayStation: 9:00 PM on September 4, 2024
- Steam: 1:00 PM on September 4, 2024
Singapore (SGT):
- Xbox/PlayStation: 8:00 PM on September 4, 2024
- Steam: Noon on September 4, 2024
United Kingdom (BST):
- Xbox/PlayStation: 1:00 PM on September 4, 2024
- Steam: 5:00 AM on September 4, 2024
United States (EDT):
- Xbox/PlayStation: 8:00 AM on September 4, 2024
- Steam: Midnight on September 4, 2024
United States (PDT):
- Xbox/PlayStation: 5:00 AM on September 4, 2024
- Steam: 9:00 PM on September 3, 2024
What is Early Access?
“Early access” in gaming generally means a way for consumers to get a videogame early. It can also refer to other pre-release development cycles, such as a demo, beta, pre-alpha, and more. Some games offer early access as part of a pre-order bundle or for certain editions.
Who Will Get to Play the Game Early?
Along with those who pre-order NBA 2K25, there are also rumors of the annual “2K Community Day” event, where select content creators, influencers, and more are invited to test out the game early. This has been the case in recent years, so it’s expected to continue for NBA 2K25 as well.
Will There be an NBA 2K25 Demo?
As far as an NBA 2K25 demo, the jury is still out though on whether there will be one this year. No official announcements have been made that either confirm or deny whether there will be a demo for 2K25, but we’ll keep you updated on all the latest on that once more info is made available.
When Does Season 1 of NBA 2K25 Start?
Season 1 of NBA 2K25 starts on September 4, 2024. So those who pre-order the will have a 2-day head start vs those who don’t.
