SEOUL & HONG KONG – The National Basketball Association (NBA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and Gravity, a global game company based out of South Korea, today announced the development of a new mobile gaming experience for fans in Asia-Pacific.

The free-to-play online strategy and deck building game will allow users to acquire and build their own squad of active and retired NBA stars and compete against other players.  Gravity will introduce innovative features and unique game mechanics to the card-battle genre, offering new experiences that will be accessible to gamers of all ages.  The mobile game will first launch in Japan through Gravity’s Japanese subsidiary, Gravity Game Arise (GGA), before its release throughout Asia-Pacific.

“We are excited to partner with the NBA and NBPA to develop a brand new mobile basketball game experience,” said Yoshikazu Kanzaki, Executive Producer of Gravity Game Arise.  “With our know-how and the NBA’s global recognition, we believe we can create an experience that will resonate in the mobile sports game market and attract both casual and hardcore basketball fans.”

“Gravity’s expertise in game development makes them an ideal partner to introduce new NBA-themed gaming experiences for our fans in Asia,” said Lesley Rulloda, NBA Asia Vice President of Global Merchandising.  “With their record of building and supporting hugely popular online games, we are confident Gravity will capture the excitement and intensity of the NBA and provide a compelling experience for gamers to enjoy for many years to come.”

About Gravity
Gravity Co., Ltd. was established in April 2000, the early days of the domestic online game industry, leading the golden age of online and mobile games. It is the only domestic game company listed directly on NASDAQ.

PC MMORPG ‘Ragnarok Online’, which has the broadest user base globally, and various Ragnarok IP games such as Mobile MMORPG ‘Ragnarok M: Awakening of the Abyss,’ ‘U Rachacha, Assault! Ragnarok’ and SRPG Ragnarok Tactics are launched globally. Ragnarok Origin, a mobile MMORPG, has been released in Google Play and App Store in Korea and is on the road to success, rising to the top-grossing rankings in both markets recently.

Based on a robust global network built through Ragnarok Online’s success, Gravity is expanding games using Ragnarok IP and an international publishing business that discovers and distributes games of various platforms and genres.

About NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2020-21 season featured 107 international players from 41 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 1.9 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

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 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.