Kevin Durant has a whole new persona that most people are unaware of. No, it’s not his burner accounts on social media. The Phoenix Suns All-Star will be making his debut in a non-sports video first. Activision’s Call of Duty recently announced that they will be adding the former NBA Champion to their roster of operators. COD has been growing in popularity over the years, especially among the new age of video game streamers on YouTube and Twitch.
Kevin Durant is coming to Call of Duty. The teaser says Easy Money Sniper, which is Durant’s Instagram handle. pic.twitter.com/9Mz0XcGGbj
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) May 2, 2023
At first, Call of Duty’s Twitter account released a teaser, captioned, “Get ready to get dunked on. A new #CallofDuty Operator enters the court this May #MWII #Warzone2.”
The video attached to it featured an NBA player parachuting while dunking the ball in the air. At first glance, it would resemble LeBron James. However, to everyone’s surprise, there was an easter egg in the video. The words “Easy Money Sniper” was spotted on one of the buildings. The term comes from Durant’s Instagram handle.
Kevin Durant joins Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the Call of Duty roster
This is not the first time NBA players are included as an operator or avatars in a game unrelated to sports. LeBron James has also been an operator on Fortnite, COD’s rival franchise. Many other athletes from around the world various sports have also been linked to other games. These are mainly to attract larger crowds. It is quite interesting to see KD in a game as well. He spends his off time gaming too.
Easy Money Sniper is drafted to Call of Duty for his rookie season 🏀
Kevin Durant will be available in a special, limited-time Store Bundle to be released during Season 03 Reloaded. pic.twitter.com/qJkZolNoEr
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 3, 2023
In the past, Call of Duty has featured other stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, who was featured in the game in 2020. In collaboration with the recent FIFA World Cup that took place, COD also released Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. Operators as well. Similarly, the franchise often brings in collaborations with various individuals that are buzzing over the Internet.
Call of Duty’s collaboration with the NBA will be the first of its kind. Kevin Durant’s Operator can be acquired in a bundle that features various skins and weapons. This bundle will have to be purchased using COD Points (in-game points). Two blueprints will be released for KD’s operator namely “Reap This” as a reference to his nickname the Slim Reaper and “Easy Money” about his IG handle.
In the past, Call of Duty has collaborated with the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young as well, but only for a trailer that was released over a year ago. The franchise may also introduce its operator this month as part of its NBA release. Young has previously spoken about Call of Duty being something that kept him up and going during the COVID-19 pandemic.
