NBA Live 18 Release Date And Cover Star Announced

EA Sports has announced the release date and cover star for this year's NBA Live 18. The professional basketball game will arrive for PS4 and Xbox One on September 15. A demo for the game is available on both platforms starting on August 11.

As for the cover star, Houston Rockets guard James Harden will grace the box. It's his first time on the cover of an NBA Live game, but he shared the cover of NBA 2K16 with Steph Curry, so he's not completely new to being on the cover of a big basketball game.

The NBA Live 18 demo lets you play a rematch of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. You can also try out something called The Rise, which is a prologue to the game's The One mode. Progress you make in the demo can transfer to the full game. During the demo, limited-time live events will take place that offer "special rules, rewards, and characters."

In other news, EA has announced a unique promotion to help NBA Live 18 compete against the latest entry in 2K's perennial powerhouse NBA 2K series, NBA 2K18. Pre-ordering the game knocks 33 percent off its price, bringing it down to $40.

Across the fence, Kyrie Irving is on the cover of NBA 2K18, which also launches on September 19.