I’ve made no secret of my issues with the NBA 2K series. Aggressive monetization has become something of a trademark of the series. But I’ve remained steadfast in one belief: NBA 2K has always been an excellent basketball game. And with NBA 2K26, the tradition continues, with some changes.
The new ProPLAY motion engine is a revelation, improving movement and creating some of the most realistic-looking sports gameplay I’ve ever seen.
The monetization is still rampant, on top of the looming problem that the series seems to be inching further and further away from actually being a sports game.
NBA 2k26 looks amazing
I’ll start with the positives. This is absolutely the best feeling version of the game in a while. 2K25 felt sluggish. The players controlled like they were in a mudfight with Frank Miller’s Batman. But not this time around. Thanks to 2K’s new ProPLAY motion engine, every player in the game moves realistically, pivoting correctly and everything. It’s actually insane to see in motion. There’s no more sliding around; you can see each player’s feet moving and planting in real time.
In one of the MyPlayer games, I played against the Rockets and ended up switched on to Kevin Durant. He took two dribbles to the right, got to the elbow, and raised up for a jumper. It looked exactly like a Kevin Durant midrange pullup, right down to the landing on his left foot with his right foot still in the air. It was beautiful. I can do moves like drift to the left while calling for a pick, and then cut sharply to the right to let off a three, and it works exactly how I see it in real life. 2K absolutely nailed the motion engine.
2K has also made more go-to moves available. Most of them from post players. So Jokic can pivot and pump you to death before lightly flicking a hookshot over your head. It’s as infuriating in-game as it is to see in real life if he’s playing your team. I really can’t stress enough how much of a difference it makes in gameplay.
I’ll admit that I laughed at the addition of rhythm shooting to the game, but it makes a huge difference, especially with the reversion to “green or miss.” Anything above Pro difficulty, you have to hit a green release. It’s way more skill-based. And with rhythm shooting, you feel it when you’ve nailed down the release timing. It’s a great addition.
out of bounds
I’m lukewarm on MyPlayer and have been for some time now. Ever since that ridiculous Frequency Vibrations storyline, I’ve been annoyed at the constant forcing of a story in these games. NBA 2K26 is no exception.
Your MyPlayer this time around comes from Vermont and finds himself in one of those elite player camps. But when he doesn’t hear what he wants about his college future, he’s forced to go play overseas. MP is whiny and annoying at best, and making him a streamer just makes him even more grating.
Gameplay-wise, it’s great. The objectives make sense, and they’re not overtly crazy asks of the player. But the intermittent story beats are just unnecessary. Part of the fun of these single-player modes is creating the story for yourself as you get lost in the fantasy of competing with your favorite athletes. The game’s story is never going to match up to what you do in-game if you’re really good at it.
Perfect example, every now and then, a fan of the opposing team will start berating you throughout the game. Literally calling you trash. But I shouldn’t hear their mouth at the beginning of the 4th quarter when I have 35 and the guy they’re comparing me to is down by 20.
money, money, money, money
Ok, now for the gold-coin-shaped elephant in the room. NBA 2K26 is still monetization hell. The menu doesn’t assault your senses with boxes demanding you spend money on MyTeam cards, but that box is still there. They just did a much better job of making the menu cleaner.
As far as acquiring VC naturally, doing so in MyPlayer is a bit of a mixed bag. I normally come up on about 1,000 to 1,500 VC a game, depending on how I do. If you can level out at about a 73 and then string together some good performances, you should be able to hit about 80-82 before the end of the season.
I still hate that in-game clothing and other items are so damn expensive. It makes no sense for a WNBA hoodie to be 6,000 VC. Or other items to be upwards of 11,000 VC. It’s ridiculous and just a clear attempt at forcing people to spend money. I promise you I’ll be in that generic brown shirt and grey pants forever.
Normally, I wouldn’t say that cosmetics are being forced on people, but it’s very obvious that the NBA 2K series has been heading towards being an MMORPG for a while now. It’s a social hub. It’s more social hub than sports game in a lot of ways, and it’s frustrating to see. People are going to want to show off their characters and all the wacky costumes they have. It’s Fortnite with a basketball, and I can’t figure out why they feel the need to go this way.
More of the same in NBA 2K26
MyGM and MyTeam aren’t changed too much from what people have gotten used to over the years. As I said, the RPG-ification of the game continues. There’s so much focusing away from the on-court product that it’s hard to see through the fog sometimes.
I can’t highly recommend it just because of the continued issues with what I feel are overtly aggressive monetization practices. But if you can get past some of that stuff and just get into the actual basketball, it really is a great time.
Verdict: Recommended
NBA 2K26 is out in Early Access for those who preordered. It releases globally September 5th, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PS5.
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