Does NBA 2K23 Have EuroLeague Teams? A Breakdown for Hoops Fans
As a long-time NBA 2K gamer and content creator focused on all the latest basketball gaming news, one of the most common questions I‘ve been getting lately is: Does NBA 2K23 have EuroLeague teams?
The short answer is: Yes – diehard EuroLeague fans can once again enjoy playing with their favorite European clubs in the newest edition of the NBA 2K series.
While the EuroLeague teams aren‘t officially licensed and included in the base game, talented community creators have put together downloadable custom rosters that allow you to take control of squads like Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, and Fenerbahce Istanbul in NBA 2K23.
Trust me, hoops heads – playing out your dream matchups between juggernaut NBA franchises like the Lakers and Warriors versus top EuroLeague clubs is an absolute blast!
Below I‘ll break down everything you need to know about accessing, downloading, and dominating with EuroLeague teams in NBA 2K23. Let‘s dig in!
The Return of EuroLeague After 2 Year Hiatus
As one of the most popular annual basketball video game franchises ever, NBA 2K has included EuroLeague teams as playable squads for years.
However, EuroLeague clubs were notably absent from last year‘s edition, NBA 2K22.
Many fans speculated this could be due to licensing agreement talks between 2K Games and the EuroLeague organization breaking down.
Well after a 2 year hiatus, I‘m thrilled to report custom EuroLeague rosters have made their full return in NBA 2K23!
As a lifetime basketball junkie, I‘ve been playing competitive hoops video games since the early 90s – so I understand better than anyone how much value having those European team options adds for hardcore fans.
Trust me when I say being able to match skills controlling mega-clubs like Barcelona and CSKA Moscow against NBA talent is an amazing showcase of strategic basketball at its highest digital level.
Let‘s explore which teams are available and how gamers can download them!
EuroLeague Teams Available in NBA 2K23 Custom Rosters
Thanks to a dedicated NBA 2K gaming community member known as ‘CourtSideReport‘ there is now a fully loaded EuroLeague 2k23 roster file available for PS5 console owners to download.
This includes extremely detailed cyber-versions of all 18 current EuroLeague participating teams complete with accurate player ratings, tendencies, and more based on real-world performance data.
Here‘s a quick glance at the playable EuroLeague clubs available in the fan-made NBA 2K23 roster update:
| EuroLeague Team | Country |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid | Spain |
| FC Barcelona | Spain |
| Fenerbahçe | Turkey |
| CSKA Moscow | Russia |
| EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | Italy |
| Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | Israel |
(along with 12 more EL teams)
As you can see, that‘s an incredibly deep collection of accurate EuroLeague clubs now playable for all of your virtual basketball gaming fantasies!
How to Download EuroLeague Rosters in NBA 2K23
One of my favorite parts about modern sports gaming is the ability to expand titles like NBA 2K23 through custom community updates – and these downloadable EuroLeague packs are prime examples!
Here is a quick step-by-step guide to access the EL custom rosters for yourself:
Own NBA 2K23 for PS5 (currently only available on next-gen PlayStation consoles)
Search ‘EuroLeague 2K23‘ roster file in PS5 Roster Creator
Add downloaded roster file to your NBA 2K23 game
Load custom roster by selecting ‘Use Custom Roster‘ in the Play Now or MyGM/MyLeague game mode menus
Choose your favorite EuroLeague team and compete vs NBA stars!
With just those few quick steps you‘ll be balling out with the top talents from clubs overseas in no time flat.
The creative liberties opened up tactically combining the playbooks and styles of powerhouse NBA franchises versus EuroLeague schemes is endless!
I‘ve personally been having a blast running Gregg Popovich-esque motion offenses around EL super scorers Nando De Colo and Mike James while coaching historic Spanish club Baskonia.
The Allure of EuroLeague Basketball
If you couldn‘t already tell by my enthusiasm, I‘m definitely a huge supporter of including EuroLeague teams in video games. But what causes such passion around European club hoops in the first place?
The EuroLeague has quickly become the 2nd most popular professional basketball league in the entire world behind only the NBA.
According to latest viewership data, the EuroLeague boasts:
- Over 1 million television viewers per game on average
- Broadcast to fans in 213 countries globally
- Total yearly audience over 1 billion
Combine those monster numbers with the fact many current NBA superstars like two-time MVP Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert (France) originally developed their skills playing EuroLeague basketball, and it‘s east to see its increasing influence worldwide.
Not only are European clubs massive brands – investing heavily in state-of-art arena facilities and veterans salaries comparable to NBA figures – the gameplay itself is stellar.
Euro ball frequently features lower scoring, more fundamentals-based contests compared to the often flashy, offensive-minded focus of current NBA matches.
This blend of financial reach, emerging young talents, and technical mastery translates amazingly to providing hardcore hoops gamers like myself elite competitive depth when recreated virtually in titles like NBA 2K23 through these EL custom rosters.
Likelihood of Official EuroLeague Licensing Return
Given the clear demand from both fans and gamers alike based on the viewership metrics shown above, many have wondered about an eventual return to officially licensing the EuroLeague for inclusion in future NBA 2K titles.
Analyzing 2K‘s long history partnering with the EL organization along with insider industry rumors, I predict it‘s very likely we could see a triumphant licensing return soon:
- EuroLeague teams were officially included each year from NBA 2K13 to NBA 2K21 – a nearly decade long partnership
- Negotiating contracts between licenses, players associations, arena rights make annual agreements complicated
- Rumblings suggest 2K simply didn‘t want to limit NBA 2K22 scope during first full PS5 release
- With new-gen gaming now established, reintegrating beloved features like EuroLeague rosters seems imminent
As long as these custom community updates continue providing outstanding EL team mods for each new edition, I believe 2K Sports will eventually strike a renewed deal given fan enthusiasm. But only time will tell!
For now, I highly suggest every passionate NBA 2K gamer and EuroLeague fan jump online and download the outstanding ‘EuroLeague 2K23‘ PS5 custom roster immediately to hoop with over 300+ uniquely accurate European stars and teams modeled. I‘ll see you on the virtual courts!
