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Amplifying cultural relevance in China & Japan

A multi-layered approach solidifies NBA 2K26's status as a central pillar of modern basketball culture across Asia.

 

To establish NBA 2K26 as a defining force in global youth culture, the Hot Pot team was tasked to deliver hyper-local activations in Japan and China.

NBA 2K26 is a 2025 basketball video game developed based on the NBA and is the 27th instalment in the NBA 2K series.

 The objective was to amplify NBA 2K’s cultural relevance beyond traditional basketball and gaming audiences. The campaign sought to bridge the gap between in-game culture and real-world creativity by tapping into adjacent worlds like music, lifestyle and street culture in China and Japan. 

Japan: High-impact talent synergy

The approach

To drive hype in Japan during the Global Early Access window, we partnered with two standout creators: SAWAYAN and JunJun.

These creators were tasked with a minimum of 2-hour streams to showcase new features and build hype. 

The impact

The partnership delivered substantial results, fueled by the organic enthusiasm of the chosen creators. For instance, JunJun, though only contracted for two pieces of content, passionately published 30, generating over 428,000 views on their own.
This exemplifies how Hot Pot's talent selection successfully aligns with the brand's message, leading to a marked improvement in brand sentiment and credibility.

Shanghai: 100 Points (百分大战)

In Shanghai, we leveraged major live events to create immersive IRL experiences that resonated with local gamers and general sports fans.

The approach

On November 8, we hosted a crossover event combining real-life basketball with in-game gameplay. We invited leading Chinese basketball KOLs Tang Rihui, Li Guanyang, Xiang Zilong and Yang Hao.

The impact

This single event drove 11.8m impressions, 2.8m views and 135k engagements.
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Macao: Crossover Level-up (跨界上分)

The approach

We brought together NBA stars like Jeremy Lin and Zhou Qi with entertainment personalities such as HAHA, AK Liu Zhang and Yuri. Leading basketball bloggers and NBA China commentators like Li Xue'er and Jin Jiayue streamed the event and interacted with celebrity guests.

The impact

 The recap content generated 12.4m impressions, 1.7m views, and 107k engagements. 
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Campaign results in APAC

The approach

The focused efforts in China and Japan contributed to a massive overall impact for the APAC region:

Total Posts: 68
Total Impressions: 24.7m
Total Video Views: 4.8m
Total Engagements: 249.8k
Efficiency: Achieved a competitive CPV of $0.06.

Key learnings for APAC growth

Culture over campaigns

2K feels most relevant when it sits inside culture, not just alongside it. Crossovers into fashion and music (like the "In The Booth" streams) broadened the audience reach significantly.

Creator passion is the multiplier

Creators with a genuine love for the game over-delivered on their contracts, providing massive added value and organic visibility.

Operational readiness

 For future high-speed Asian market launches, we recommend securing surplus game keys and on-site filming permissions in advance to unlock even faster execution. 

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