NBA 2K20

The player mainly plays NBA games with real-life or customized players and teams; games follow the rules and objectives of NBA games. Several game modes are present and many settings can be customized. Up to six expansion teams can be created and used in both MyLeague and MyGM Modes, with the possibility of a 36-team league, and any team can be relocated and rebranded. If you're creating a team you can download jerseys and teams that people from the NBA community has made.

Along with the current season's teams and players, previous games in the series have featured NBA teams from past eras, such as the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls and the 1985–86 Boston Celtics. NBA 2K20 adds six more such teams, such as the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs.

NBA 2K20 was officially announced in the spring of 2019 with a release date set for September 6, 2019. The covers were revealed on July 1, 2019, though they were both leaked earlier. Although Davis is featured in the game as a member of the Lakers, he wears a generic jersey on the cover because it was released before Davis was officially traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis was one of three players on the NBA 2K16 cover.

All three versions of the game had pre-order bonuses. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, and Stadia.

The official trailer for NBA 2K20's MyTeam mode, which allows players to buy content with real-world money, received criticism for its revealing of minigames styled as real-world gambling such as pachinko and slot machines, roulette wheels, ball-drop games, and the opening of randomized card packs. While some of the mechanics had been introduced to the series prior, critics felt that featuring them in a single trailer was "more in-your-face" and noted they were emphasized over showing gameplay of basketball matches. Some also called the trailer "tone-deaf", due to being released at a time when loot boxes had become highly scrutinized and regulated under governing bodies and 2K had made changes to NBA 2K19 to comply with new laws, despite 2K asserting at the time that they did not consider loot boxes as gambling. The trailer was made unlisted on YouTube shortly after by 2K.

In response to the outcry that such mechanics were included in a game rated ages 3 and up, Pan European Game Information (PEGI) stated that as the title had not yet been released, only its trailer could be assessed. They found that the featured casino-like mechanics to select items by chance did not fit the criteria for a gambling label, as the game "must actually teach ... and/or encourage the player to want to gamble or bet for money in real life". However, PEGI noted that "we are very aware that it may get too close for comfort for some people", and said that due to such changes in an evolving industry, "we need to ensure that these developments are reflected in our classification criteria."