Gamers who think that they have what it takes to be part of the first season of the NBA 2k League have a chance to prove it.
The NBA 2k League is set to tip off its first season in May of 2018, with a draft of 85 players for the 17 teams scheduled for March 2018. Prior to Tuesday, Dec. 5, it was unknown how the league was going to determine which players would be in that draft pool. That qualification structure is now a known quantity.
In a Reddit AMA, NBA 2k League managing director Brendan Donohue laid out the road map for gamers.
The first stage is open to anyone at least 18 years of age who plays NBA 2k18 on a Playstation 4 or X-Box One. Starting on Jan. 1, 2018, gamers who wish to qualify should take part in the game’s Pro-Am mode. For these purposes, it doesn’t matter if an individual plays as part of a team, a walk-on, or a combination of those two. To qualify for the tryouts, a player must win 50 games in the Pro-Am mode. Winning more than 50 games will not improve a player’s standing, but the practice won’t hurt either.
Players who meet those qualifications can be invited to the league’s official tryouts in February 2018. The players who receive those invitations will be culled down to 85 through additional games in the month of February. Those 85 players who make it all the way through the qualification and tryout process will be selected in a format similar to the NBA Draft, although it’s still unknown how the NBA 2k League will determine its draft order for the 17 teams.
What is known is that the players will live and train in the markets for each team during the season, and travel to one or two central locations for the games. It has yet to be announced where those gaming arenas will be, along with how long the season will be, whether any trading of draft picks or players between teams will be allowed, and how much the players in the league will be paid.
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While there are still many unknown quantities with the league, one of the most important aspects for players has now been officially revealed. Gamers should get on Pro-Am mode games to refine their skills now, because the competition isn’t waiting until Jan. 1, 2018, to be at the top of their games.