2K Adds Unskippable Ads to NBA 2K21

Video games are increasingly becoming platforms for unscrupulous companies to generate nonstop revenue through microtransactions, DLC, season passes, and as of late, ads. Generally speaking, these ads show up more in sports games than any other genre, largely because their audience is more accustomed to these "casual" revenue streams, the kind you'd find in your average mobile game, but it still really sucks when the same unskippable ads that plague your free mobile game show up in your 60+ dollar sports title.

Earlier this year, unskippable ads were added -- and then removed -- from EA's UFC 4, and now 2K is trying the same trick in NBA 2K21.

See, NBA 2K21 has had ads since the very beginning, but they've all been skippable in one form or another. However, a few weeks after it launched -- and thus, a few weeks after reviews were submitted to the internet for the world to consider -- 2K has added unskippable ads for the Oculus Quest 2 in the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation versions of the game. They've shown up everywhere, from online play and even in single-player mode.

It's not impossible that 2K will remove these ads in the future -- either due to backlash, or more likely because their deal with Oculus Quest 2 will expire -- but the question remains, will this be a permanent feature? Or is it just something that Oculus Quest 2 paid extra for?

We'll almost certainly find out soon enough.