Nostalgia: Then & Now · Walter Finch · 23 July 2026

NBA 2K27 cover stars named: Wembanyama, Clark, Rose

NBA 2K27 cover stars named: Wembanyama, Clark, Rose

Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, and Derrick Rose are the official nba 2k27 cover stars, each fronting a different edition. The Standard Edition features Wembanyama, Deluxe features Clark as the first WNBA athlete with her own global cover, and Ultra features Rose—his second cover after NBA 2K13. The game launches Sept. 4, 2026. Pre-orders are live, and Deluxe and Ultra buyers get early access starting Aug. 28.

Key Takeaways

For fans who track how sports gaming keeps rewriting its own history, this cover trio sits neatly in our Nostalgia: Then & Now lane—especially with Rose looping back more than a decade after his first cover.

Who are the NBA 2K27 cover stars on each edition?

2K confirmed three athletes, one per edition. San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama—the NBA's first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year—leads the Standard Edition. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark takes the Deluxe Edition. Chicago Bulls legend Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in NBA history, closes the set on the limited-time Ultra Edition.

That split matters for buyers: the face on the box maps to the tier you purchase. According to Mashable's report on the NBA 2K27 cover athletes, each star is repping a different edition of the game, and Rose's Ultra Edition is framed as a limited-time package.

Wembanyama's Standard placement puts the franchise's current defensive centerpiece on the most widely available SKU, including Switch 2. Clark's Deluxe spot turns a WNBA milestone into the mid-tier cover. Rose's Ultra slot pairs legacy with the top digital bundle.

Why does Derrick Rose's return feel like a then-and-now moment?

Rose's Ultra Edition cover is his second after NBA 2K13. That gap is the nostalgia hook: the youngest MVP in NBA history is back on the box long after his first cover appearance.

In 2K13, Rose was the present-tense star of the series. In 2K27, he returns on the limited Ultra Edition alongside extras such as a Rose-branded hoodie, a Season 1 Pro Pass, and guaranteed premium MyTEAM cards. Same cover lineage, different package and era.

Pair that with Clark becoming the first WNBA player to get her own global NBA 2K cover, and the reveal becomes a timeline: Rose's second act, Clark's first global cover, and Wembanyama's unanimous Defensive Player of the Year recognition sharing one annual release.

Wembanyama's Standard Edition role also keeps the mass-market face of the game on the athlete Mashable identifies as the NBA's first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. Standard remains the only edition available on Nintendo Switch 2.

When does NBA 2K27 release, and what do the editions include?

NBA 2K27 hits PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 on Sept. 4. Early access starts at 9 a.m. PT on Aug. 28 for Deluxe and Ultra buyers. Pre-orders are already live.

Standard Edition is the straightforward pick and the only one you can grab on Switch 2, at a suggested $69.99. Deluxe Edition, suggested at $99.99, includes 100,000 VC, a MyCAREER skill, Gatorade boosts, jerseys for both Wembanyama and Clark, MyTEAM content, and early access.

Ultra Edition, suggested at $149.99 and digital-only on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, adds everything Deluxe offers plus an extra 35,000 VC, a Season 1 Pro Pass, a Rose-branded hoodie, and guaranteed premium MyTEAM cards. If you already own NBA 2K26, pre-ordering Ultra on the same platform unlocks a 10% discount through Sept. 3.

Prices reflect 2K's suggested retail, so storefronts may differ. A preorder bonus offer runs through 10 a.m. PT on Aug. 17, and redemption requires an NBA 2K account. Preorders are live on the official NBA 2K27 site, and Switch 2 owners can wishlist ahead of launch.

What should fans watch for before the Sept. 4 launch?

Mark July 28 on the calendar: that is when the gameplay trailer drops, and when fans finally see Wembanyama, Clark, and Rose in-game. Until then, the cover news is the clearest signal of how 2K is positioning the year—legacy Ultra, WNBA-history Deluxe, and defensive-era Standard.

For buyers, the practical fork is simple. Want Switch 2? That narrows you to Standard. Want early access on Aug. 28? That means Deluxe or Ultra. Want the Rose hoodie, Season 1 Pro Pass, and the limited Ultra presentation? Budget for the top digital tier—or the 2K26 owner discount if you qualify.

The bigger story remains the casting. Putting the nba 2k27 cover stars across three editions lets 2K speak to three audiences at once: the Wembanyama era, Clark's WNBA breakthrough, and Rose's long loop from 2K13 to now. That is why the announcement lands as more than a storefront refresh—it is a then-and-now postcard with a pre-order button attached.

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