NBA Live 20 Isn't Happening, But EA Sports Is Planning A Next-Gen Basketball Game

There won’t be an NBA Live 20, as EA Sports has announced that the company is looking to the future and planning ahead for a next-generation basketball experience instead. This news was delivered by EA CEO Andrew Wilson during a quarterly earnings call, as reported by IGN. NBA Live 20 had been scheduled as a Q4 2019 release, but that is no longer the plan.

Last year’s NBA Live 19 was a huge step forward for the series after a few rocky entries, but the NBA Live series has struggled to compete with the NBA 2K games for a long time now. The decision to not release an entry in the series this year.

The official Twitter account for NBA Live released a statement, explaining that while they were “excited by our progress”, a new title will not release in 2019. “Alongside the NBA and NBPA, we have our sights set on creating something fresh for the next generation of players and platforms,” the statement reads.

The series has had a tumultuous history: back in 2012, NBA Live 13 was cancelled just six days before it was due to be released. NBA Live 20 never actually surfaced, though – gameplay footage was never shown, so it’s unclear how far along development the title was.

During the same quarterly earnings call, EA announced that Apex Legends will be treated as an annual shooter going forward, as it and other live service games were performing above expectations.