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WNBA team partners with Microsoft for Starfield-themed court design – Dot Esports
Basketball and Bethesda crossover.
The popularity of Starfield is at an all-time high, and Microsoft is partnering with the WNBA to bring the nature and feel of the space role-playing game to the court for fans.
For New York Liberty home games between Sept. 7 and 10, the WNBA team will sport a special one-of-a-kind Starfield-themed court, collaborating with Xbox and showcasing the vibe that the game provides. In the Barclays Center, the same venue for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, fans of the WNBA will see another unique court design, but this time for the RPG that has made many fans excited to travel the cosmos.
LIBERTY TEAMS UP WITH XBOX FOR SECOND SEASON TO BRING STARFIELD™ INSPIRED BASKETBALL COURT TO LIFE 🎮
Extraterrestrial secondary court to celebrate the global release of Starfield, one of the highest-anticipated video games of 2023, continuing the game’s ongoing activations. pic.twitter.com/PKgakzuOG6
The design itself is pronounced by a couple of specific markers. To start, the Liberty still has its name etched in one corner, with Xbox on another corner.
It all aims to fit the space game’s aesthetic: the rainbow-like colors in the paint, the Starfield logos near center court alongside the Barclays Center and Liberty logos, and that traditional Starfield dark blue all over the venue.
Related: Starfield streamer accidentally discovers one of the most unlikely hiding spots for loot
Interestingly enough, this design is similar to what someone could create in the NBA2K games, which allow players to create their own unique court designs from scratch, even importing their own logos. A Starfield-themed court would make sense there, but it’s stretched outside of the gaming sphere and into the WNBA.
“We’re proud to continue our award-winning partnership with Xbox showcasing another first-of-its-kind secondary court and the global launch of Starfield,” New York Liberty chief executive Keia Clarke said. “Continuing our partnership with Xbox provides a unique opportunity to reach and engage with new fans, while also creating synergy between the WNBA and gaming communities.”
It seems the NBA, WNBA, and the gaming community around basketball are only growing stronger together with recent news.
Another example of this is that the NBA 2K League recently announced its new partnership with the NBPA, allowing NBA players to promote the 2K League and grow the esport. This on its own will allow for these two communities to start to overlap, especially since lots of NBA players do play games casually and competitively, like Luka Dončić and Overwatch, or plenty of others with the NBA 2K franchise.
No matter what happens next, there may be lots of basketball and gaming fans coming together.
Contributing writer for Dot Esports. Covering esports news for just over five years. Focusing on Overwatch, VALORANT, Call of Duty, Teamfight Tactics, and some general gaming content. Washington Post-published game reviewer. Follow me on Twitter at @xtraweivy.
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