The time is here, a new NBA 2K game has been released. Many fans of the series have pondered whether they should buy this game or save the $70 to $100 this fall.
As expected, NBA 2K26 has gotten much-needed hype from fans, players and YouTubers alike. It is the most anticipated game as it seems to be a make-or-break year for the franchise.
These past few years have been underwhelming for the video game franchise, as there have been many issues with the game. Whether it’s gameplay, player base, or even just connection issues to the game, there always seems to be some sort of issue in the 2K community.
I personally have not bought a 2K game since NBA 2K23, which was a disappointing year to say the least.
But now, the game seems to be on a resurgence, as many different past and present streamers and YouTubers create content on the game, while the game seems to be close to a peak. There are a few minor issues with the game, but as updates roll around, those should be fixed rather quickly, if the 2K franchise wants people to keep playing their game.
This year, the game modes have been the same as in past years: MyTeam, MyLeague, Play Now and online play. But the mode that makes the most money, some would say the best mode, is MyCareer.
MyCareer is the mode that lets you create a player of your choice, in which you can start in high school and work your way to the NBA, and earn badges, XP and VC to upgrade your player.
In MyCareer, if you choose not to play in the NBA, there is a place called the City, which most fans call “the park.” In the City, there are many locations to play online games against one another. The locations include The Theater, Proving Grounds, Pro-Am, The Rec and Ante-Up, also called the stage.
In these modes, you can play 1v1s, 2v2s, 3v3s, and 5v5s. You can play with anybody, friends or not.
This game is great; it is the most well-made 2K game since NBA 2K22. There are a few minor issues with the shot contest system, where low-percentage contests happen way too often.
They fixed the badge system, where you earn progression for one badge in every single game; it is a lot easier to max out badge progress.
The current meta is to create a 6-foot-8 build that can dribble, shoot and dunk. Most players will use this build to start and progress into different types of builds. This meta is not uncommon, as it has been seen in previous games to start out the year.
Another big issue with the game is the latency, making it hard to time shots consistently.
Arguably, the biggest issue in the game for the average player is the cost of creating a build. It costs anywhere from $80 to $100 for builds to be maxed out. This is bad for someone who may not be able to afford it and cannot play the game every single hour of the day. 2K needs to drop its build prices back down to $20, as in previous years.
The collaborations in the game are very diverse, with apparel from Essentials, Hellstar, Anti Social Social Club, the WNBA and so many more companies and leagues.
But overall, the gameplay is extremely fun; the dribble moves, passing, and dunks all make this game very fun. It feels like some of the older 2K games, with old dribble styles, step-backs and crossovers coming back.
I would rate this game a solid 8/10. With minor improvements and a change in the current meta, it could rise to a 9/10 or even a 10/10.
