EFIBA Season 2 Makes A Grand Return With In-Person World Finals

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) bared on July 12 the highly anticipated second season of eFIBA, the international NBA 2K competition.

The competition, set to take place on NBA 2K24, offers national federations a prestigious esports circuit and the chance to showcase their skills as the best nation in the virtual basketball world.

The upcoming eFIBA Season 2 will see some of the world’s top NBA 2K players represent their countries in this thrilling competition. Mirroring the previous season’s format, the games will be played on PlayStation 5, with teams competing in a 5v5 format on the ProAM gamemode of NBA 2K24. 

This format allows players to showcase their talents as organized squads, representing each player by their in-game avatar on the virtual court.

Kicking off in October, eFIBA Season 2 will feature online Regional Qualifiers and Regional Finals across the four FIBA Regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia (including Oceania), and Europe. 

The top two nations from each Regional Final will earn the coveted spots in the first-ever in-person eFIBA World Finals 2023, set to take place later this year. 

The eFIBA World Finals will determine the world’s best national eFIBA team, adding excitement to this already thrilling competition. Additional details about the eFIBA World Finals 2023 and the complete lineup for eFIBA Season 2 will be unveiled later in the year.

(Watch  https://twitter.com/i/status/1679126153305509894 or see more updates here: https://twitter.com/eFIBA_official) 

FIBA media and marketing services director general Frank Leenders, in a FIBA media release, said they are thrilled to take it up a notch with the inclusion of an in-person Finals – a first in the history of the eFiba, in the second season after the resounding success of eFIBA Season 1, which delivered captivating moments and exhilarating games.

Roger Lodewick, president of Sports Games at ESL FACEIT Group, also shared the excitement about Season 2, saying that they created eFIBA to nurture and develop the passionate NBA 2K community while offering competitive and thrilling online and offline events. 

He said the inaugural season has already tremendously impacted the sports games esports scene, and they can’t wait to continue building the global esports ecosystem for national teams with FIBA.

Earlier this year, the first season of eFIBA provided the esports community with exhilarating online matches as over 30 nations battled for the title of the top national NBA 2K team across six conferences. 

The inaugural season saw teams from Brazil, Morocco, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey emerge as conference winners.

A recent agreement between FIBA, 2K, and the NBA 2K League established a unique platform to organize international events for national federations, esports enthusiasts, and gaming communities. This multi-year deal identifies regional talents and offers eFIBA participants the opportunity to compete in NBA 2K League events or the NBA 2K League Draft. Additionally, it establishes a transparent national team competition system, further solidifying the position of eFIBA as a premier esports competition.

With the announcement of eFIBA Season 2 and the upcoming in-person World Finals, the anticipation and excitement among NBA 2K fans and esports enthusiasts worldwide are reaching new heights. As the world’s best virtual basketball players prepare to represent their nations, the stage is set for another unforgettable season of eFIBA competition.