It’s time to lace up your Jordans and hit the digital court once again, as 2K has just released NBA 2K26, the latest entry in the long-running sports series. How long-running? This marks my fifth consecutive year trying to sink three-pointers while checking out what’s been tweaked, improved and added to the winning formula. Visual Concepts returns at the helm, now delivering their 27th NBA title. Safe to say, they know what they’re doing.
But this also raises the usual question with annual sports games: how much can you really evolve before it starts feeling like a £60/€80 roster update, with only minor changes to modes, visuals or controls?
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NBA 2K26 feels like an attempt to create a more complete basketball experience. Visual Concepts has worked across gameplay and modes like MyCAREER: Out of Bounds to deliver a more unified title.
It’s a streamlined release. Don’t expect anything wildly new, but it’s polished and focused. Frustratingly, though, the game hasn’t shed its reliance on microtransactions despite this refinement.
On Script
You’ll likely start with MyCAREER, which returns to a scripted story. You create a player and follow his journey from high school and European leagues to the NBA, all while documenting his rise as a content creator.
It’s similar to Braking Point in the F1 series, where life off the court matters as much as performance on it. The story itself is fairly straightforward, but the delivery, characters and rivalries make it engaging.
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Out of Bounds is a rewarding journey, especially if you experiment with different builds or make alternate choices at key moments. MyCAREER also connects neatly to the game’s online hub, The Park. Here, you can take your custom player into a social space filled with shops, courts and online options.
There’s a staggering number of rule variations for matches, reinforcing the idea that this is a hub for all basketball fans, no matter how they like to play.
Back in MyTEAM
A major draw for many is MyTEAM, which returns in full force. You collect cards to build your ultimate squad. Essentially NBA’s answer to FIFA Ultimate Team.
This year, you can add current and former WNBA players to your deck and take them into various modes, from season-long challenges to single-game missions.
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It’s the mode with the most noticeable changes, but if you’re not into deck-building, there’s little here to win you over.
On the court, gameplay has been refined. Shot timing is much improved, giving you more control over power and direction. Shooting and dribbling feel smoother and more responsive, making this the best-playing NBA title in years, in my opinion.
Nickeled and Dimed
Now, it wouldn’t be an NBA 2K game without a gripe about microtransactions. VC (Virtual Currency) is used to buy card packs, cosmetics and stat boosts in NBA 2K26. Yes, you can earn VC in-game, but it’s never quite enough or fast enough to avoid feeling nudged towards spending real money.
You can play without paying extra, but if you’re short on time, the game makes it tempting to pay for progress. A better VC drop rate would ease this issue. Maybe Visual Concepts should take a cue from how Helldivers 2 handles microtransactions.
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Despite that, the core game is excellent. Visual Concepts has made meaningful improvements across the board, and the streamlining pays off.
If NBA 2K27 can better balance time and money investment, it could be a true G.O.A.T. Until then, NBA 2K26 does a solid job and is well worth a look.
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