NBA 2K21 now has unskippable ads, one month after launch 

By Brandon Moore
Modified Oct 21, 2020 19:10 GMT
(Image Credit: Kollege Kid on Twitter)
(Image Credit: Kollege Kid on Twitter)

NBA 2K21, over recent weeks, has come under fire as a lot. The controversy has to do with in-game advertisements. The NBA 2K franchise has placed in-game advertisements that players could not skip in older games. The backlash was very strong back then, but gradually died down.

Now, a month after 2K21 has launched, unskippable ads were added into this version of the game as well. Players are furious, solely because of the belief that ads should only be in free-to-play games. Another talking point is that NBA 2K21 placed these ads later, in order to avoid this negativity being included in any reviews.

NBA 2K21 unskippable ad controversy

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YouTuber Stevivor was the first to attract attention to this new addition. While playing NBA 2K21 on Xbox One, Stevivor recorded an instance where an unskippable ad for the new Oculus Quest 2 VR system played. Many believe that the loading time for this is fake, and that it is simply in place in order to let the entire ad play. The ad finishes, and then immediately after, the game's loading screen appears, as the loading percentage in the corner goes on to reach 100% rather quickly.

During this period, NBA 2K21 players are supposed to be able to interact with the game. They can edit their lineups and view the matchups heading into a contest. During this advertisement however, nothing of the sort was allowed. Many believe that a $60 purchase ($70 for next-gen consoles), should not be filled with ads, since they already gave the developer their money.

NBA 2K21 released a statement on Twitter that they intend to fix the issue these ads have caused in future episodes.

NBA 2K21 unskippable ads reactions

A large number of individuals have taken to social media since this NBA 2K21 news came to light. Many went to see for themselves if there were really ads in the game. Many of the game's players have commented on the issue on Twitter, seriously unhappy that these unskippable ads have made it into their beloved basketball series.