Michael Jordan makes golfing debut in PGA Tour video game series
One of the most recognizable athletes ever is coming to the upcoming PGA Tour 2K23 video game, with Michael Jordan as a playable golfer. Jordan will appear in the franchise’s latest installment, set to release on Oct. 14. Jordan is well known as an avid golfer, and his appearance in the game franchise will certainly provide additional licensing opportunities to the game.
In addition to Jordan, Tiger Woods is returning to the digital golfing world for the first time in nearly a decade — being named the cover athlete for the game and appearing as a playable golfer for the first time since his long-running game franchise ended. Tiger Woods was the face of the sport on store shelves until his final game, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14.
Michael Jordan’s digital PGA Tour debut
The long-running Tiger Woods PGA Tour series came to an end in 2014, where the following year saw it renamed to Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. After being released in 2015, the franchise came to its complete end under publisher Electronic Arts, and the annual golf game left a gap in the sports game market.
Recently, the popular 2K Sports brand — a rival of EA — revived the golf game’s legacy by creating 2K21 as the first PGA Tour licensed game since EA’s product. After a one-year hiatus the franchise is releasing their second game with Tiger Woods himself as a premier athlete, in addition to Michael Jordan.
Woods served as an executive director for the game’s development team during the game’s production. All partnerships, including Jordan and Woods, were managed and licensed by the game company’s internal licensing team. The latest edition of the game will also include a partnership with Topgolf — a popular driving range and bar hybrid.
The addition of Topgolf in the game will result in a special game mode dedicated to hitting specific targets on a driving range, much like you would at an actual Topgolf facility.
Jordan is well known for his ability to play — and love for — multiple sports. His latest partnership will let players take the legendary athlete out onto famous courses for the first time, and will likely lead to an increase in sales for the game along the way.