Here's Why Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Is In NBA 2K25

The NFL playoffs are here, which means Dak Prescott is enjoying his offseason with some golf or perhaps a family vacation. However, some NBA 2K25 players have noticed his virtual avatar is staying busy. A character model based on the quarterback was recently spotted in the audience of an NBA 2K25 game, and the topic went viral as a result, withTikToks and Reddit threads pointing out the familiar face in the stands. Some players speculated this may be a tease for 2K's rumored NFL game or games still in the works, but we can now confirm this isn't the case.

A statement from the face of the franchise, Ronnie2K, revealed to GameSpot that Prescott's presence is there to heighten the true-to-life atmosphere of the simulation game, and Prescott is one of several famous faces you might come across while you play NBA 2K25.

"NBA 2K25 features a number of celebrities sitting courtside across multiple arenas to replicate the high-energy atmosphere of a real NBA game," Ronnie2K said. "In addition to Dak Prescott, players can also spot A-list NBA fans such as Jack Harlow, Diplo, Druski, and Mark Cuban cheering on their favorite teams. Details like this elevate the in-arena experience, making it feel as if players are truly part of the action and excitement of a live NBA game."

This isn't the first time Prescott has been featured in the game. In NBA 2K23, Prescott was a playable character during a MyTeam crossover series that brought celebrity 2K fans from other sports and music into NBA 2K. These days, it seems Prescott is content to cheer from the sidelines, but maybe we'll see him back in a jersey eventually.

As for 2K's American football projects, we've already seen one of them debut, though you might've missed it if you were looking on consoles and PC. NFL 2K Playmakers debuted in April 2024 on mobile and is closer to something like MyTeam than an on-field football simulation.

The last we'd heard, 2K isn't permitted to develop a "simulation-style" NFL game due to EA's Madden contract with the league that gives it sole permission to make such a game, but that seemingly wouldn't stop 2K from making an alternate kind of experience that may even include team branding and player names and likenesses. My pet theory is the 2K team will eventually debut something like NBA 2K's The City as a standalone, possibly free-to-play, arcade-like NFL experience. Presuming that launches within the next few years, you can bet Prescott will pop up in that one too--and in a bigger role than superfan.

If you haven't jumped into the latest basketball sim yet, you can check out our NBA 2K25 review, which praises the game for its incredible presentation, enjoyable on-court gameplay, and breadth of interesting modes, but can't easily overlook its pay-to-win problems rearing their head once more.