'NBA 2K17' release date rumors: Expect a late September launch, possibly Sept. 27

(Facebook courtesy of NBA 2K)

It's no secret that "NBA 2K17" will be coming out later this year, and some fans are already wondering about what the next installment of the franchise will be bringing to the table.

First off, it's probably worth knowing exactly when the new game will be released.

Unlike most video games, the "NBA 2K" installments generally have an established release pattern to follow since they also have to keep up with the ongoing NBA regular seasons.

Previous installments of the franchise have also been released at right around the same time, with the first few days of October being popular targets.

Interestingly enough, last year's installment, "NBA 2K16," was released slightly earlier, as it was made available in late September.

That could be the new norm now for 2K's basketball franchise, as they have also announced that this year's title will be released in September.

Notably, last year's "NBA 2K" installment was released on Sept. 29, a Tuesday.

Fans may also expect the same thing to happen this year, only instead of the 29th, "NBA 2K17" may be released on the 27th, which is also a Tuesday.

2K has also announced who will be on one of the covers of this year's game.

For this year's installment of the franchise, recently retired Laker great Kobe Bryant will be on the cover of the Legend Edition.

Fans who purchase the Legend Edition of "NBA 2K17" will receive some special Kobe items such as trading cards, a poster and other digital additions, as indicated in a post by the game's official Facebook account.

This year's edition of the basketball video game is also expected to feature the rookies who will be drafted this June, while also accounting for the roster moves that may be made this summer.

As always, additional gameplay improvements are also likely coming so as to provide basketball fans with an even better experience.

More news about "NBA 2K17" should be made available later this year.

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