2K revealed the newest gameplay enhancements coming to NBA® 2K23, highlighted by new skill moves, animations, and player builds that provide a more authentic and hyper-real experience.
“We value community feedback when deciding how to bring each version of NBA 2K to life, and this year’s gameplay enhancements reflect many of the changes our community was calling for the most,” said Mike Wang, Gameplay Director at Visual Concepts. “From focusing on how players can attack the basket, to more realistic on-ball defense and a new tiered badge system, all the features we’ve brought to life in the game this year will create a more authentic gameplay experience that is enjoyable for everyone.”
NBA 2K23 introduces a variety of new gameplay innovations to elevate the competitive intensity in all facets, including:
- Shooting: This year’s major change is the addition of shooting attributes, which give each signature jump shot its own unique shooting stats that help determine its effectiveness. There are also five new shot meters to choose from, with 15 more that can be unlocked through Seasons over the coming year;
- Pro Stick Enhancements: New Gesture Combos have been added to the Pro Stick, introducing a lot of new weapons for both shooting and ball handling for playmakers. Dunking also received new commands, ensuring players dunk exactly how they want without accidentally firing off an unexpected skill dunk;
- Skill Moves & Adrenaline Boosts: New gesture combos give players even more ball handling and shooting options for their offensive arsenal. Additionally, a new feature to prevent overdribbling is the concept of Adrenaline Boosts. Boosts are consumed every time a player performs a hard go or explosive sprint launch, and once their three boosts are gone, players will notice their speed and acceleration decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession;
- Defense: Defensive gameplay includes major updates aimed at creating more realistic on-ball defense and shot blocking, as well as steals and ball strips. This year, blocks have been tuned to a more realistic level, leading to more predictable outcomes, with the right players making appropriate stops when timing their block attempts well. There’s also a distinct improvement in ball security for good dunkers, and much more;
- Badges: Introducing a brand new tiered badge system for players on PlayStation® 5 (PS5™) and Xbox Series X|S, there will be 16 badges per attribute category: eight in Tier 1, four in Tier 2, and four in Tier 3, with the basic idea being that players need to equip a certain number of badges in the lower tiers before they can equip badges in the highest;
- Takeovers: While the primary and secondary Takeovers remain the same from previous games, Team Takeover has been redesigned. Team Takeover works as a cooperative team system with the entire team sharing a single meter. The new design makes a lot more sense and does a better job representing what it means to be hot as a team and to take over the game as a unit;
- AI Gameplay: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players will notice improved AI ball handling, pick and roll execution, defensive tendencies, and coaching decisions.
For full details on the latest gameplay innovations coming to NBA 2K23, check out the latest Courtside Report. Stay tuned for additional deep dives in the coming weeks to reveal even more of what’s new in the next version of the world’s best-selling NBA basketball simulation video game.
NBA 2K23 is currently scheduled for release on September 9 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. For more information, please visit the NBA 2K23 official website.
