I am someone who used to really enjoy the NBA 2K games. I still hold NBA 2K11 has the greatest basketball game ever made.
One thing they still do really well, though, is creating gameplay trailers, and the newest one has just arrived…
Videos by VICE
NBA 2K26 IS CHANGING UP MOVEMENT
Animation-wise, the 2K team has always tried to tout some level of realism and made efforts to get away from the canned animations that take control away from players. They’ve done this to varying degrees of success, and this gameplay trailer is pushing the ProPLAY system pretty hard, saying “it’s the biggest change to player movement since NBA 2K21“.
If it works, it’s a great system. Seeing players actually plant and move correctly is a huge part of holding the immersion.
The 2K team is doubling down on realism, especially in shooting:
“In NBA 2K26, Rhythm Shooting extends beyond mimicking each player’s signature shooting animation to giving you full control over every aspect of the shot. This shooting control method still relies on a DOWN-UP flicking motion with the shot stick, but now your Shot Timing and Tempo will actually manipulate the shooter’s upper body and impact how the shot looks throughout the complete motion by reflecting how you move the shot stick.
From the start, you’ll see and feel the difference between early, late, slow, and fast releases. If you flick UP early and rush your shot, you can do quick releases. If you flick UP late and slowly, you’ll see the effect with a delayed pushing motion and lazier release.
This enhanced feature grants more freedom than ever before to decide what type of jump shot you want to take. Counter a close-out from a defender by initiating a quick release and intentionally rushing your shot, and still knock it down by executing excellent Rhythm Shooting tempo.”
There are more changes in the blog linked above, but I have some thoughts.
SO, we’re just going to keep doing this?
As I mentioned before, I used to love this series. And then they got microtransaction-heavy and decided, for some reason, to let Spike Lee handle the MyPlayer story for one year or more. Seriously, what kind of name is Frequency Vibrations? Anyway, my issues with this franchise have always stemmed from a genuine enjoyment of it. So, I say everything from here to see it better.
I see more smoke around Madden than I do the NBA 2K series, and it has always puzzled me. And Madden isn’t anywhere close to perfect either, but I do know that it doesn’t try to force itself into my wallet with every single mode. And it definitely hasn’t turned football into a fighting game.
Why 2K has turned into something that you need overtly complex inputs and timing to play is beyond me. What the hell is rebound timing? Why does anyone think that’s necessary? It’s more than enough to have a box-out button and a rebound button.
My defense of the NBA 2K series has always been that, at its most basic, it remains an excellent basketball game. And traditionally, the game launches in a great state before the streamers start complaining. And then the changes come. I really do like the animation revamp at first look, I think it’s a great idea. But please stop acting like this is Tekken.
People don’t need to look at a move list to play basketball. No one needs rebound or layup timing. You can evolve without overdoing it, and we’re getting dangerously close to that.
