The 2k series has taken a never-seen-before initiative. NBA 2K25 is the first installment in the series to feature both an NBA and WNBA star on the same cover (All-Star edition). The three stars who serve as cover athletes for the various editions include Jayson Tatum, Vince Carter, and A’ja Wilson. While the cover stars were over the moon with the honor, VC’s character model failed to impress some fans.

According to the newsroom website of the 2k, Tatum stated he used to play the game even as a child and it was his dream to be on the cover someday. And despite winning a championship recently, he finds this moment to be humbling. “It’s an honor to be named a cover athlete for NBA 2K25,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vince Carter, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August, finds this year to be unforgettable with yet another mark of respect. “Being named a cover athlete would have always been a special moment for me. But it is a particular honor to be on the cover of the NBA 2K25 Hall of Fame Edition,” he said, as per 2k newsroom.

However, one of the most important developments in this edition is the inclusion of a WNBA star on the All-Star edition cover. Speaking of the same, Wilson described this as a big moment for her, which also testifies the “ever-growing fandom of the WNBA.” She will also serve as the sole star of the WNBA edition of the game. Earlier, the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Diana Taurasi, and others have graced the WNBA edition.

Wilson cannot wait for the fans to experience the game releasing on September 6 this year. As per the 2k newsroom, the game promises to deliver enhanced authenticity and realism powered by ‘ProPLAYTM’ technology. However, the fans do not seem to like what has come out so far.

Majority of X Users on the NBA 2K25 Community found the first look to be disappointing

It is worth mentioning EA’s NBA Live series used to be a competitor to the 2k series. But the last installment in the series was NBA Live 19. And although there was supposed to be a Live 20, it got canceled. An article by Medium states the cause for this is the franchise losing confidence in its product. And one X user fears the NBA 2k series will suffer a similar fate. “Whole franchise going downhill like nba live,” he commented.

Meanwhile, one user alleged that the 2k series is now copying EA’s live series. “They stealing live graphics now?” he wrote while sharing NBA Live 19 and 2k19 graphics side by side. And the character model of Vince Carter on 2k25 had a surprising resemblance to the Live 19 edition.

Speaking of character models, a graphic analysis piece by Gaming Bolt declared Live 19 to be better than its counterpart, 2k19, in some aspects. But the piece credited 2k19 for better character models. Now, it’s obvious that any improvement on 2k19 will look better than Live 19. So it was not surprising that the fans liked previous versions of the 2k series more than 2k25, which allegedly resembles NBA Live 19. This answers the “How do the graphics look worse…” question that crossed one X user’s mind.

Yet another user praised the earlier edition, 2k21, for having “photorealistic” graphics. Notably, the 2k21 edition of the game received positive reviews for its beautiful visuals, smooth animations, and stunning environments in the game.

Meanwhile, there was one in the comment section who had some faith in the latest edition of the game. “Alright yeah, 25 looks the best on this one,” he wrote. Unpopular opinion, yes, but still a hope that the game may just click with some fans. However, the final verdict on the game will only be out once the game witnesses its official release on September 6.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.