The next “NFL2K” won’t be a simulation—here’s what that might mean

"The one football game you must have" is coming back after a long absence.

Take-Two subsidiary 2K announced today it will be returning to "football-themed" video games for the first time in well over a decade, thanks to a "multi-year partnership" with the NFL. The first games in this partnership, expected in 2021, will offer an NFL-licensed alternative to EA's best-selling Madden NFL juggernaut for the first time since 2004.

"Expanding the NFL’s presence in the world of gaming has become a focus for the League as we look to grow the next generation of our fanbase and reviving our partnership with 2K was a natural step in that effort,” Joe Ruggiero, NFL senior VP of consumer products, said in a statement. "2K is a worldwide leader in sports video games, with a proven track record of creating best-in-class and award-winning games, and we look forward to sharing more about the projects we are working on with them in the future."

While any new NFL2K game will be able to use the names, logos, and stadiums of real NFL teams, the licensing deal does not cover virtual versions of the players themselves. Rights to those players would have to be covered by a separate deal with the NFL Players Association union, which was pointedly not mentioned in 2K's announcement. A 2K representative refused to comment on the existence of any NFLPA deal when asked by Polygon.

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