Tiger Woods returns to video games; will appear in PGA Tour 2K series
Tiger Woods is making his video game return to the golf course.
2K Sports and the golf legend announced Tuesday that Woods had signed a contract with the developer to appear in the PGA Tour 2K series.
“I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I’ve found the right partners to make it happen,” Woods said in a statement. “I’m honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together.”
Woods is currently recovering from injuries he sustained in a Feb. 23 car crash in Southern California. Woods suffered a shattered ankle and two leg fractures in the rollover single-car crash. The timetable for his return to the real-life PGA Tour is currently unknown.
Woods will also serve as an executive director for the video game series.
“In golf, there is no bigger icon than Tiger Woods. Like the rest of the world, we were saddened to hear of his recent accident, and we wish him a full and smooth recovery,” said David Ismailer, president at 2K. “We have been eager to announce our partnership with Tiger, whose legendary career has transcended the sport. We are thrilled to have him join our PGA TOUR 2K series as an executive director.”
PGA Tour 2K21 was first PGA game in 5 years
PGA Tour 2K21 came out in August and was the first PGA Tour video game released since EA Sports’ Rory McIlroy PGA Tour in 2015.
That one-year McIlroy franchise came after EA Sports ended its long and successful partnership with Woods. The 15-time major winner was the headliner for 16 video game releases for EA Sports from 1998-2013 and, like with a lot of other things in golf, helped bring golf video games into the mainstream.
HB Studios created the PGA Tour 2K21 game and 2K Sports announced the acquisition of the company in the same release on Tuesday. 2K Sports also owns the wildly successful NBA 2K franchise.
Can you play as Tiger Woods?
While Woods is set to appear in upcoming PGA Tour 2K releases, it's currently unclear if you'll be able to play as him or any other PGA Tour pros. While you could play as Woods and other pros in the EA Sports Series — a lot of us young adults remember how unfair it was to play as Woods against your friends — PGA 2K 21 doesn't give users the ability to play with cover athlete Justin Thomas or the 11 other PGA Tour players whose likenesses are in the game. Hopefully that changes with upcoming releases.
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