What is probably a surprise to many Premier League football fans and basketball fans, is the appearance of the Barclays Premier League club Wolverhampton FC in NBA 2K22's brand spotlight.
The brand spotlight shows all the brands that can be worn in the upcoming game by basketball's most popular gaming franchise. Many players will customise their NBA 2K MyPlayer in their favourite brands and take to The Park to show off their latest drip. As well as Palm Angels, Bape, Overtime, Slam and much more, is Wolves.
There is a very logical reason as to why Wolves will be making their appearance in this year's 2K. Here's why. Wolves are currently owned by China based Fosun Sports Group, who over the last couple of years have been investing more in the eSports industry, one that is rapidly growing day by day, estimated to have a value of $1.9 billion by 2022. The Fosun Group have recently reached a partnership deal with professional sports team, Evil Geniuses who currently compete in four of the world's biggest eSports titles: Valorant, League Of Legends, Dota 2 and CSGO. As a part of the deal sport the Wolves jerseys and promote the club in and amongst the gaming industry providing them with more exposure. Post investment, the Seattle-based gaming group is $255 million.
With this large investment by Fosun, it makes sense why Wolves are now in 2K22. The exposure they've been getting from Evil Geniuses has propelled them not just as a club, but now as a brand in the gaming industry.
Although it is not yet clear as to what merchandise will be available, we can assume that we'll be seeing Wolves club kits and training kits and maybe some hats, shorts and other accessories.