Tiger Woods is back on the cover of a video game for the first time in more than a decade, and he’s bringing his famous friends with him.
On Monday, 2K Sports announced the release of its newest PGA Tour video game, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2K23. For the first time in the new game, players will be able to compete as (and against) real-life PGA Tour pros and celebrities, including arguably the only athlete more famous than the game’s namesake: Michael Jordan.
According to the release, those who preorder the new game will receive a “Michael Jordan bonus pack” including access to the six-time NBA Champ’s digital golf persona. Those who preorder will also include access to the full game upon its release and a “Golden Club Pack,” among other perks.
The announcement marks the first release of a golf video game in more than two years, and the second iteration of the game under the agreement between the PGA Tour and 2K Sports. Woods remained absent from the first edition of the game, 2K21 (which featured Justin Thomas on the cover), but announced his commitment to the series earlier in 2022.
‘Virtual’ Tiger is back: Woods to grace cover of PGA Tour 2K23 video game
The addition of “playable pros” is a significant one for golf fans, many of whom were frustrated by the first iteration’s gameplay features that restricted players from competing as pros, and only allowed user-generated players to compete against PGA Tour players. In the new game, a crew of 14 pro golfers — including Will Zalatoris, Collin Morikawa and Lexi Thompson — will be available for player usage. The number of pro golfers included in the new game is expected to expand upon release, and all players will be featured in 2K’s “MyCareer” mode, which simulates the life of a PGA Tour pro.
The new game also features a significant expansion of golf courses, including The Renaissance Club and last year’s Open Championship host, St. George’s, in addition to 2K’s uber-popular Course Designer mode, which allows fans to design their own courses on the game’s interface and upload them to the cloud, where they can be shared and downloaded by other players.
The new game will be officially available for download on Oct. 14, 2022, though fans can preorder the game here.