NFL 2K fans might want to sit down for this. The NFL 2K console game that was first promised in 2020 doesn’t appear to be happening.
During a recent interview with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, Game File’s Stephen Totilo asked about the state of the NFL license at 2K.
“What we hoped would come to fruition creatively did not,” Zelnick told Totilo. “Some of the stuff we tried to do didn’t work out creatively.”
He then said that the company is open-minded about the possibility of starting up again, “if an opportunity presents itself.”
In 2023, I had reported that development had been restarted at least twice since work began. It was a case of multiple direction shifts, requiring going back to square one. With the game unable to be a simulation title due to the exclusive deal between the NFL and Electronic Arts, 2K struggled to find an experience that could properly toe the line for players.
Then, in 2024, Take-Two stopped mentioning the NFL deal during its earnings call. That led to a belief that it was off the table, and no game was going to be released.
Under the deal with the NFL, signed in 2020, 2K put out NFL 2K Playmakers. The mobile game was a card-collecting title that was similar to the MyTEAM modes in mainline 2K Sports games like NBA 2K. The game struggled to find an audience and shut down after just a year in June 2025.
What do you think of an NFL 2K game no longer coming from 2K Sports? Leave your thoughts down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read about Xbox no longer developing Copilot for consoles or mobile. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
More from Mike Straw
Comments