Niantic, NBA and NBPA Usher in New Way to Experience Basketball with “NBA All-World” Mobile Game

NBA players Jalen Green, Jordan Poole, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Andrew Wiggins headline launch campaign 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA and NEW YORK, NY, January 24, 2023 –  Niantic, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today launched NBA All-World, a free-to-play officially licensed geolocation augmented reality basketball game where players can find, challenge, and compete against today’s NBA ballers in their neighborhoods, then recruit them to their team before proving themselves on the court.  NBA All-World extends the world of basketball into new augmented reality territory and is free to play globally on the App Store and Google Play.

NBA All-World brings the world of the NBA to neighborhoods around the world. Fans can explore their own neighborhoods to encounter today’s NBA players, recruit them to their teams, level them up and compete to become rulers of their local courts. Players will have the opportunity to outfit their squads with the latest gear by searching for real-world drops from a variety of well-known brands. In the game, players can additionally show off their teams, chat with friends in the game and compete in 1v1 tournaments to win exclusive in-game items.

Through NBA All-World, players will learn about real world locations that are the personal favorites of today’s NBA players. Niantic will additionally support the game’s launch with a marketing campaign, “go. all. out.” as well as NBA All-World’s short-form documentary series, “Where I’m From”, starring NBA players including Jalen Green, Jordan Poole, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

“Sports are a huge part of people’s lives and a huge part of pop culture,” said John Hanke, Founder & CEO of Niantic. “Our version of an NBA basketball game starts with exciting one-on-one gameplay and expands from there to include the major elements of basketball culture, including music, fashion, sneakers and more, all of which are integrated into real world locations.”

“We look forward to our fans fully immersing themselves in NBA All-World as they develop deeper connections with players, the league and each other,” said Matt Holt, Head of Consumer Products at the NBA. “Through our collaboration with Niantic and the NBPA, this game helps expand the world of the NBA and its culture into virtually every neighborhood around the globe.”

“We want to help make NBA All-World be as authentic as possible, as well as reach new audiences by bringing NBA players to Niantic’s augmented reality game,” said Josh Goodstadt, Chief Commercial Officer for THINK450, the partnership and innovation arm of the NBPA. “We look forward to users competing against and assembling their rosters from their favorite NBA players around the world.”

As Niantic’s first officially licensed sports title, NBA All-World inspires people to explore the world to experience everything the game has to offer:

• Explore Your World: Get out and move in the real world to discover NBA players to compete against and recruit to your roster, as well as Gear, Boosts, Challenges, and more.
• Build Your Team: Go head-to-head against today’s NBA stars in a variety of challenges to recruit new players. If you’ve already recruited a player, challenge them again in your next encounter to practice your shot and earn more Cred. Recruit stronger players as your Team Level increases.
• Push Your Limits: Power up players with Offense, Defense and Fitness Boosts. Make sure you keep Energy high with Energy Drinks.
• Rule the Court: Compete in leaderboard challenges at more than 100,000 basketball courts in the real world with Rule the Court. Challenge friends and other players for the top spot.
• Rep the Lifestyle: Pick up rare Gear from some of your favorite brands at Drop Zones. Look out for special Gear that improves player stats and outfit your team with sneakers and accessories that help you stand out from the crowd.

Built on Niantic’s Lightship platform, players of all Niantic games will feel right at home in NBA All-World. Niantic’s Campfire social app adds a real-world social aspect to the game, making it easy to connect with other hoop fans and the wider NBA All-World community.

For more information, visit https://nbaallworld.com.

About Niantic:

Niantic builds augmented reality technology that powers the real-world metaverse. Our Lightship platform is the world’s first scaled AR platform, enabling developers around the world to create AR experiences for phones and eventually AR glasses. Lightship is also the foundation for Niantic’s hit games, including Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, NBA All-World and Ingress. For more information, visit nianticlabs.com and @nianticlabs.

About the NBA:

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2022-23 season feature 120 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.

About the NBPA:

The National Basketball Players Association is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to protect and support the rights and talents of our players, magnify the power of their collective will, and amplify their voices as leaders who will transcend sport and society globally.

The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities. Business opportunities are generated by THINK450, the for-profit subsidiary of the NBPA charged with managing the players’ group licensing rights.

Dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members, the NBPA Foundation provides support and assistance to persons, communities, and organizations around the world that seek to improve the lives of those in need.

About THINK450:

THINK450 is the innovation and partnership engine of the NBPA, dedicated to uncovering shared interests between the 450 players and leading brands to build more engaging partnerships. Together with its partners, THINK450 creates innovative ideas that engage fans, stir them to action, and earn brands the right to participate in cultural conversations. For more information, visit THINK450.com.