Players can check out the full lineup of Black Lives Matter clothes by heading to Swags in the in-game Neighborhood of MyCareer Mode. There, you’ll find an assortment of free shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, headbands and arm sleeves for your created ballers. The set includes styles featuring phrases like “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe” and “Say Their Names” in honor of Floyd and other black Americans who have lost their lives due to police brutality. The set can be seen in its entirety in the video below from The Great Denski on YouTube.
But, perhaps greater than the clothes themselves is the unrivaled show of support from players gathering around the Park. Head there today, and you’ll likely see groups of MyPlayers organizing in-game marches in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. While many games have found ways to support the fight against racial injustice in these trying times, the demonstrations in 2K20 are particularly poignant given how much the Neighborhood mirrors the communities currently gathering in the real world to combat these issues.
It’s also worth noting that fans weren’t told to demonstrate either, and many simply did so on their own without direction. While the Black Lives Matter movement represents something far greater than a few digital clothing items in a video game, the way in which NBA 2K20 has leveraged its virtual social space might serve as much needed inspiration for those in need of a positive story.
Like many in the industry, NBA 2K20’s publishers at 2K Games have responded loudly to racial protests in the United States and around the world. Outside this one game, 2K has muted social media channels for its games and offered $1 million in increased funding through its charitable 2K Foundations initiative to help support black communities across the globe. Also under the 2K Games banner, Borderlands 3 delayed its highly anticipated Takedown at the Guardian Breach update in an effort to let the voices of protestors be heard.
As demonstrations continue, game developers have found unique ways to show support for African Americans and Black Lives Matter in standing up to police brutality. Early this morning, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare pushed an update that displays a statement in support of Black Lives Matter every time players boot the game.
NBA 2K20 is available now on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC and Stadia.
What do you think of the Black Lives Matter clothes in NBA 2K20? Have you joined a march around the Neighborhood? Tell us in the comments section!
