Take-Two Says It Does Not Want NBA 2K VC to Carry Over Each Year
Take-Two Interactive has revealed through unsealed legal testimony that NBA 2K will not carry Virtual Currency (VC) between annual game releases, and that the publisher does not want to build a system to do so. According to testimony from Michael O’Dwyer, Vice President of Product Management at NBA 2K, the company’s position is that every new NBA 2K release should provide a fresh start for players.
The publisher argues that by not transferring VC from previous games, every player begins on the same playing field when a new annual installment launches. This approach requires players to repurchase in-game currency each year, making VC a recurring revenue stream for Take-Two across its annual NBA 2K releases.
The revelation contrasts with other major gaming titles where in-game currency carries persistent value, such as V-Bucks in Fortnite and Shark Cards in GTA Online. In-game currencies have become a standard monetization feature across the gaming industry, with players spending substantial amounts annually on these virtual purchases.
The unsealed testimony indicates that the non-transfer policy is a deliberate business decision rather than purely a technical limitation, though Take-Two’s representatives have cited the absence of a technical solution as part of their reasoning.