Take-Two Interactive is being sued over its allegedly “greedy” use of microtransactions and virtual currency in NBA 2K and their other sports game franchises, a recent development that will not shock longtime players.
The lawsuit, as detailed by Axios, is focused on how Take-Two limits how players can use their virtual currency, forcing them to buy more when a new game comes out and deactivating servers for old games. The previously bought “VC” is then no longer available for use, a policy that the lawsuit deems as theft by Take-Two. This is especially true and relevant for NBA 2K, but also for other 2K sports games. In full, the lawsuit argues that the way Take-Two handles microtransactions is “unfair, illegal, and greedy.”
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For those familiar with how NBA 2K24 and previous installments work, the details of the lawsuit do not come as a shocker. Take-Two is infamously known for its rabid use of microtransactions in all facets of NBA 2K, including single-player and multiplayer modes. They even recently added a “battle pass” that can be bought with VC as an alternate way of unlocking in-game items. Players are used to microtransactions in gaming at this point, but NBA 2K is egregious and unforgiving in its approach.
Other live-service-type games also use virtual currency but slightly more player-friendly versions. For instance, Call of Duty allows players to use their COD points and items from game to game, including in standalone titles like Modern Warfare 3 and free-to-play experiences like Warzone. Epic Games has faced trouble with its V-Bucks-orientated in-game store, but even they allow players to use their digital currency freely on every platform. Although the expectations set by those companies are not exactly very high, it’s hard to argue that their approach is not better than how Take-Two handles it.
