The NBA 2K League announced a significant overhaul for the 2025 season, which included layoffs affecting broadcast staff, general managers, and coaches.
Since its inception in 2018, the league and 2K as an esport have struggled to attract and retain viewers. Despite initial success in 2018 and a spike in interest in 2022, viewership has not grown over 2023 and 2024.
Esports Charts reported that the 2K League failed to exceed 26,000 peak viewers in any of its four major tournaments in 2024. In contrast, League of Legends’ largest international tournament in 2023 peaked at over 6 million viewers.
On September 28, 2023, Andrew Perlmutter was appointed as the league’s first CEO, succeeding Brendan Donohue, the inaugural president who stepped down a month later.
During a town hall on July 2, Perlmutter announced extensive layoffs and outlined plans for a major revamp. According to 76ers GC General Manager and Head Coach Jeff Terrell and NBA 2K League insider Ja Bridgeforth.
Following the town hall, the General Manager for Heat Check Gaming tweeted that Perlmutter “fired everybody in 10 minutes and got off.”
Other league employees, including casters Harris Rubenstein and Jamie ‘Dirk’ Diaz Ruiz, also lost their jobs and later revealed on Twitch that the league would be on hiatus for 18 months for the revamp.
The NBA 2K League later released a statement explaining that it is “reimagining” itself as a “global digital entertainment business,” with a focus on a “social-first” approach aimed at younger fans, and live events designed to be “immersive experiences” in “playful environments.”
The league also plans to involve more actual NBA players to attract a larger audience. Further details on the 2025 competitive season will be shared in the coming months.
Fan reactions were mixed. Some criticized the league’s lack of direction and the layoffs, while others acknowledged the need for change and expressed willingness to give the new format a chance.
