NBA 2K27 Cover Design
The creative team developed “2K Never Sleeps,” a platform centered on the relentless dedication required to reach the highest level of the game. My role was to translate that idea into the visual language of the covers.
Lighting became the central device. For the first time in the franchise’s history, the 2K logo received a dimensional neon treatment rather than appearing as a flat, untouched mark. Smoke and atmospheric texture made that light visible, allowing its color to spill across the court, the athletes, and the surrounding environment.
Each cover is set on court, bringing the system back to where the work happens. Within that shared world, individual details were added to make every cover specific to the athlete and their story.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA
Wembanyama’s cover centers on the moment following a pivotal game-winning shot. Instead of portraying him as an isolated superstar, the composition shows his teammates surrounding and embracing him.
Big shoutout to Ben Burgoyne from our team for finding the image and pushing 2K to break their own rules and feature teammates in a cover. The moment was meant to grace the cover of the year.
• Story: The future arriving together
• Detail: Teammates embracing him after the game-winner
• Visual language: Towering scale, blue neon, and collective energy
CAITLIN CLARK
Clark’s cover centers on the confidence and precision that define her game. Her composed stance and the open space around her create a feeling of limitless range, while her first signature shoe marks an important milestone in her career.
• Story: Changing the range of the game
• Detail: Her first signature shoe featured on the cover
• Visual language: Negative space, radiant heat, and controlled intensity
DERRICK ROSE
Rose’s cover celebrates a legacy that continues to live through the game. His expressive pose, Chicago-red atmosphere, and the banner raised in his honor create a portrait rooted in emotion, resilience, and hometown pride.
• Story: A legacy still in motion
• Detail: The banner honoring his Chicago career
• Visual language: Tight framing, Chicago red, and premium gold light
ORIGINAL SPARK
Months before the final covers took shape, I created this proof of concept to show how “2K Never Sleeps” could become a visual system.
It established the foundation of the idea: a neon 2K27 mark acting as the primary light source, red and blue illumination shaping the athlete, smoke giving the light volume, and the court grounding everything in the dedication behind the game.
Months before the final covers took shape, I created this proof of concept to show how “2K Never Sleeps” could become a visual system.
It established the foundation of the idea: a neon 2K27 mark acting as the primary light source, red and blue illumination shaping the athlete, smoke giving the light volume, and the court grounding everything in the dedication behind the game.
WHAT CARRIED FORWARD
01 — NEON MARK
The first dimensional treatment of the 2K logo.
02 — LIGHT AS IDENTITY
Red and blue illumination became the system’s visual backbone.
03 — ATMOSPHERE
Smoke made the light feel physical and present in the space.
04 — ON COURT
Every cover remained grounded where the work happens.
01 — NEON MARK
The first dimensional treatment of the 2K logo.
02 — LIGHT AS IDENTITY
Red and blue illumination became the system’s visual backbone.
03 — ATMOSPHERE
Smoke made the light feel physical and present in the space.
04 — ON COURT
Every cover remained grounded where the work happens.
Client: NBA2k CDs: Jeff Fang + Ricardo Uribe AD: Ben Burgoyne CW: Trevor Larson