Who makes it · Publisher
2K
Based in Novato, California, United States Founded 2005 Part of Take-Two Interactive
2K is Take-Two's publishing label for NBA 2K, WWE 2K, Borderlands, Civilization, BioShock and Mafia, made by studios it owns such as Visual Concepts, Firaxis and Gearbox. It earns money from game sales and in-game purchases, notably the Virtual Currency (VC) sold in its yearly sports games.
Track-record badges
What stands out, worst first
- Shut down paid games
Shut down games people paid for
2K delisted Battleborn and shut its servers in January 2021, after which the game could not be played.
Track record
What's on the record, newest first
- Court case
Sued in a class action alleging NBA 2K virtual currency is lost when servers close
A class action filed in California in 2023 on behalf of a minor, J.A., alleges that Take-Two and 2K take players' money by shutting each NBA 2K game's servers about two and a half years after release without refunding unspent Virtual Currency (VC) bought with real money or letting players move it to the next edition. Take-Two denies the claim; an NBA 2K executive said in a deposition that 'there is no technical solution in existence' for transfers, and its terms say players have 'no ownership or other rights' in virtual items. As of September 2026 the case was continuing and no ruling had been reported.
Kotaku - Game preservation
Announced Battleborn shutdown, making the game unplayable
2K announced that the servers for Battleborn, Gearbox's 2016 online hero shooter, would close in January 2021, saying that once they were offline the game 'won't be playable in any way'. The game had already been removed from stores, and sales of its virtual currency ended in February 2020.
Kotaku - Monetisation
NBA 2K20 trailer showed casino-style card-pack rewards
2K's promotional trailer for NBA 2K20's MyTEAM mode showed slot machines, pachinko-style ball drops and prize wheels used to hand out player cards and items, drawing criticism that it promoted gambling-like mechanics. After a complaint, Europe's PEGI rating body said its gambling descriptor did not apply because the mini-games did not teach or encourage traditional gambling, and the US ESRB gave the game no gambling descriptor.
Polygon
Settlements are often made without an admission of wrongdoing; we say so where it matters. Follow each source for the full detail.
Games in the guide
What 2K made or published
Each game's money rating is its own: it comes from how that game makes money, not from the company's record.
Last checked 1 November 2026. Sources: www.polygon.com, www.polygon.com, kotaku.com, kotaku.com, www.gamefile.news. Spotted something wrong or missing? Send a correction.