NBA 2K26 Review

In many ways, Visual Concepts' long-running NBA 2K series mirrors the careers of players it works so hard to emulate. Sometimes, it's a flash of potential: a hotshot rookie catching fire after putting up duds in consecutive games. Others, it's more comparable to a wily veteran nearing retirement – we see a glimpse of talent, a peek into what it could still be. That's what keeps me, for better or worse, coming back for more each year. Now, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about being let down again. But unlike the soul-crushingly mediocre Phoenix Suns who I stubbornly root for every season, NBA 2K26 did not disappoint this year. It's both flashy and old school, like a "how do you do, fellow kids" teacher who wears different Jordans to class every day, and it has enough cool new kicks, fits, and gimmicks to make it a much more interesting and enjoyable experience than last year's entry.

Of course, "cool" probably isn't the right word to describe that teacher, let alone NBA 2K26. After all, an annual sports game is obviously not going to be a radically new game, since most of its gameplay and mechanics are fundamentally similar to last year's iteration, and the one before that, and so on. But in the context of the genre it's made a good first impression, because several minor improvements cumulatively make such a huge difference to the whole that I'm willing to say it and risk being called a nerd. Yes, I am talking about the new and improved shot meter. As always, one of the smallest components in its vast hardwood floor of dribbling and crisscrossing parts leaves a massive influence on how just about everything else on the court plays out.

What I Said About Last Year's NBA 2K25

The more things change, the more they stay the same, and that's never been more true than with NBA 2K25. Although the core gameplay feels familiar (and it most likely always will), a handful of improvements such as Go-To Moves, Rhythm Shooting, and Shot Timing Profiles also make it more novel and challenging. MyCareer remains the most important mode in the series, and I love that the Heart of a Dynasty storyline and the return of Streetball bring a sense of nostalgia and highlight a renewed focus on single-player experiences that I've finally been given reason to hope will be even better next year. Don't get me wrong: microtransactions are still as pervasive and frustrating as ever, particularly when progressing your player online. But at least it doesn't always feel necessary, especially in MyTeam, thanks to the much-needed restoration of the Auction House to allow you to earn cards without buying VC. To put it plainly, NBA 2K25 isn't quite on the level of the splashy return of Michael Jordan in 1995. Instead, it feels more like his late-career stint with the Washington Wizards; you know what you're getting at this point, but it still has a few tricks up its sleeves that longtime fans like me can be pleasantly surprised by even as we gripe about long-term issues. – September 13, 2024

Score: 7

Read the full NBA 2K25 review

Green and Slightly Curved

If you were lucky enough not to have experienced last year's shot meter, I envy you. In place of that nightmare-inducing dial/arrow/ring design from 2K25, NBA 2K26 features a much more intuitive, easier-to-time, and infinitely better-curved bar shot meter. If you've heard that before, it's because it's similar to 2K23's – but this isn't entirely a reversion to that. Instead of remaining static, the new meter's green field adjusts based on defensive coverage: if a defender is right up in your face, you'll have practically no chance of making the shot. But if you're open, it'll be much easier to time the release right and make a shot.

Trust me, I'm having so much more fun shooting jumpers now than I was this time last year because I'm actually making them consistently. There is a slight tradeoff, though: because it's easier to get greens, there's also less room for imperfection. Meaning if you get a slightly early or slightly late timing, you might as well start running back on defense because the shot will more than likely brick. That said, I'll take this shot meter any day of the week over a barely improved chance to make mistimed shots.

Now, I'm a big believer in the concept of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," because why ruin a good thing, right? But I'm an even bigger believer that if something is broke – like last year's janky player movement – you better get to fixin' quick. Visual Concepts did just that because NBA 2K26 makes running, cutting, and defending so much smoother that it makes NBA 2K25's motion feel like you were stuck running in quicksand. This is no small change because it permeates every single mode, making the entirety of NBA 2K26 feel less robotic and far more natural and enjoyable.

Plus, it makes one of my favorite new features, Go-To Post Shots, look even more accurate and realistic. Remember in last year's review how disappointed I was that I couldn't dominate the paint with Jokic's or Embiid's shimmy shake fade-aways? Well, dreams do come true because for the past day I have been spamming the Sombor Shuffle an ungodly amount of times in each match I play. It is a delightfully methodical, bruising alternative to the agile, quick-twitch motions of the typical Go-To Moves, and I will continue using it until the AI learns to stop it. Until then, it's barbecue chicken alert each time down the floor.

Goodbye, Yellow-Brick Road

Now for the bad news. What, you thought it was going to be all good from here on out? Sorry, Dorothy, but the years haven't been kind to this yellow brick road. And by "yellow brick road," I mean NBA 2K26's offline-only modes. Last year, the so-called improvements to MyNBA were underwhelming, to say the least. This time, dear friends, they are practically non-existent, and, as an offline-mode truther, I am very disappointed.

With 2K25, we at least had the addition of the Steph Era, even though it already felt redundant alongside two other eras in the 2010s (in addition to the LeBron Era). Are you ready to hear what the 2K26 MyNBA modes have in store? Drumroll, ple…you know what, don't even bother. It's called Offseason Scenarios for MyGM. These are tailor-made, long-term quests for each franchise that you must fulfill to appease the fanbase and, more importantly, the owner .

These scenarios come in threes and are given out at the beginning of the offseason. But much like my issues with last year's MyGM mode, these tasks (and many of the features in the mode itself) again feel forced and, at times, unrealistic. The RPG elements, with their perk and attribute point systems, seem out of place and unnecessary because they hardly make a difference in the grand scheme of basketball operations. At the end of the day, it's still all about winning as many games and championships as you can. Or, if you're on the other end of the spectrum, losing and tanking as much as possible to get back into playoff contention.

Overall, MyGM is like the bass guitar in a band: Consistent, a steady droning presence, as necessary as all the other pieces in an ensemble. When played right, it stands out and can make any part much more fun (can you imagine the Red Hot Chili Peppers without Flea?). But you shouldn't mess with it too much. Nobody asks for a bass solo. And right now, this mode is the equivalent of a three-minute-long slap bass riff: people are complaining, and others have already left the show. Sometimes, less is more.

And Say Hello to My Little (Old) Friend

I've come to the realization that NBA 2K's offline modes are a desert, and as much as I'd like to stay in this familiarly comfortable place of habitual sameness (I told you, I'm an offline truther), dying of thirst sounds like an awful way to go. Luckily, this next part is an oasis, a place of revitalizing respite that gives me the energy to go on.

Just to be clear, the oasis I'm talking about is not The City, although it is a massive relief that each location in the typically huge hub is easier to access than ever. The place has been revamped in the best way I could've hoped for. Everything, from the arena where you play NBA games to The Rec, is now only a short skate away (some places are even interconnected), so I've had more time to enjoy schooling (and being schooled) in the art of green.

Now, gather 'round, kids, and let me tell you youngins' a story. Back in my day, before the microtransaction invasion and a mass exodus to The City, MyCareer used to have an excellent single-player plot and an attribute system that wasn't wholly reliant on Virtual Currency. Sadly, asking to lessen the impact of VC in MyCareer is like asking LeBron to read past the first page of a book: it's nearly impossible. As long as there are people out there willing to spend cold, hard cash on make-believe money, it's not going away any time soon. But with 2K26 we, at the very least, got a consolation prize: a much better storyline.

Called Out of Bounds, this year's MyCareer focuses once again on MP and his journey to the pros. But instead of a depthless series of events where the games you play have practically no bearing on what team you land with or pick you get drafted at, it's the opposite. You start out as a no-name high school player in middle-of-nowhere Vermont, where your chances of making it to the NBA are as slim as my team's championship hopes. In other words, you have to show out in every game, whether that's on the youth team you play for or the European club you join; your performances and the choices you make along the way all have an impact on your NBA future.

And, to me, that's what it's all about. A huge part of what made this mode so exciting when it was first introduced in 2K10 (then called MyPlayer) was its ability to capture just how difficult it is to make it into the NBA—a dream millions of kids have but only a few hundred get to turn into reality. Your teammate grades had to be stellar and your performances on point if you wanted a chance at getting drafted in the lottery, let alone in the first round. This latest journey, while it doesn't quite mirror that path, hits all the right emotional and storytelling notes, making it the best MyCareer story in years.

In fact, I'm already planning on playing through it a second time, if only to see what different career choices, like joining Basquet Madrid over Paris FC Basket in Europe, could potentially lead to. As always, one thing that I wish it did have was an option to play in college instead of overseas. I continue to dream of the day when, after finishing my player's high school career, I can choose from a bunch of different scholarships, finish a one-and-done season with my alma mater, and get drafted number one overall. But as the great rock n' roll philosopher Mick Jagger once said: "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get an EA college basketball game in a few years." Of course, that's a different game for another time. (I might also be paraphrasing that last part.)

There's No W in Microtransactions

In this economy, I'm trying not to spend too much on stuff I don't need, and Virtual Currency falls into that category. What I don't mind, though, is grinding (especially when that means playing a basketball game I enjoy), and getting kitted out with a respectable starting squad in MyTeam is easy. Much like last year, I just had to complete the tutorials and, to my relief, I had a decent-enough starting five that could keep up in the lower ranks. But decent is never enough, is it? The false promise of a shinier veneer, the devilish contract that is microtransactions is always there, peeking its ugly head over your shoulder in each online mode.

They continue to be one of the biggest black marks in what has otherwise been NBA 2K26's relatively clean sheet. MyCareer, as usual, is especially infected by its thick, suffocating miasma. Oh, you wanted a 99 OVR player? Yeah, that'll cost you around 500,000 VC (around $120). Want to create another one with a different build? Selling a kidney might help. It's so easy to tell people just to ignore these because you technically can, but the reality is that they are made to be enticing and undeniably predatory: buy something once and it becomes easier to buy it again, and the cycle goes on with millions of people worldwide. Don't even get me started on MyTeam or, as I like to call it, microtransaction central. As soon as I opened it up, I was assaulted by Season Pass ads and Virtual Currency "deals." 

It isn't all bad, though. I love that this year's addition of WNBA players makes it even easier to get high-rated players. I mean, having an 89-rated Ruby Kelsey Plum on my starting five to kick things off is practically a cheat code. But adding "The W" to MyTeam doesn't just magically erase the influence of overpriced superstar packs and jewel-themed players. As long as they remain, and they more than likely will, there will never be a W in microtransactions.