NBA 2K26 Review (PS5) – This Is Why It Succeeds
2K sports games have a way of getting me very excited. I’m not entirely sure why, each year I check out WWE (without having any real interest in the sport itself) and, without fail, NBA 2K. I harken this back to enjoying the sport as a video game, the same way I play NHL and Madden. I don’t really know anything about either sport but enjoy them as video games. NBA 2K26 didn’t grab my interest because of the cover star or the soundtrack, I have no idea who is on the cover but damn, if it ain’t a bloody good basketball game.
It’s probably fairly easy to fall into the camp of just assuming each game is now a roster update, in the same way FIFA was for many years, fortunately for NBA 2K it has far more to offer than new players in new jerseys jumping and whatnot.
From the off you’ll see where the updates are, and it’s to the games credit that I actually noticed them this time around. As a casual player of these games and with little to no knowledge of the ins and outs of the sport, I commend the game for not throwing me in the deep end at the very beginning and dribbling directly to the, frankly brilliant, training modules. The onboarding on this one is second to none so if you’re new to the franchise don’t worry, you’re not being left behind.
Whilst on the whole it does have that ‘annual sports game’ feel throughout, there’s something to be said for ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t pile on a bunch of content nobody wants and just stick to refining everything you offer’. NBA 2K is a master of its craft and for me the most complete annual franchise currently available, with a development team that clearly want to reach out to the fans and pull them into the game. It’s about the minor improvements that will keep players coming back and back to a franchise and knowing they’re in safe hands with 2K. The excitement for their upcoming college basketball game is testament to their air-tight relationship with their fanbase.
And there’s enough here to ensure that the familiar feels fresh, and the all important shot meter is now perfectly placed to take the reigns after last years hideous ‘slide-o-meter’. Instead a curved bar allows you to hit the trajectory perfectly and quick reactions are paramount to ensure you hit a shot that’s damn near guaranteed to be nothin’ but net if you hit it at the exact right time and your defensive coverage isn’t too up in your grill. You won’t have much luck if Lebron is staring you down on the defensive line but being open allows you to take your time a little more and gives a split second to breathe before taking the shot. It’s satisfying, rewarding and comes with a mighty relief from this particular writer. If i’m throwing a ball with a curved trajectory, surely the meter of which I’m balancing my power and direction should be the same? Well, they’ve fixed it now. Thank goodness.
And hitting them is oh so good ..As I said I can only judge this as a video game as I have no prior bias with a particular focus on the sport, but the ‘video game’ aspect of constantly hitting your mark is as exciting as watching numbers fall out of your enemies in Destiny 2.
Movement in 2K26 has also seen a huge improvement, something that was heavily critiqued in last years iteration. It’s worth mentioning the static, somewhat robotic nature of 2K25 I weirdly didn’t mind all that much at the time, as it gave me time to assess the court, look for my options and if able, go for a three or at least a two without much bother. 26 utterly throws that out of the window but I’m grateful for it, because I see now just how much better this is. It feels far quicker, nippier, more exciting and engaging. Running and cutting and defending feels so much more straightforward, the very idea of going back to 2K25 fills me with dread. This is exactly how the game should be played and I’m delighted with the results.
And it takes its queues in the modes in a similar way to WWE before it. Remember The Island? The WWE version of The City that was balls to the wall with microtransactions and misery? Well, The City – a hub where you can begin your career, find online games, tournaments and buy clothes and accessories for your avatar – returns to show you exactly how to do it and I’m pleased that there has been a huge improvement in its layout.
It found it fairly simple to get around this time around. Knowing where I need to go and avoid all of the transaction riddled nonsense was a much easier time than in previous iterations. I should stress that yes, this is 2K game so microtransactions are here and they’re still fairly egregious, but nowhere near how bad they’ve been in the past. I was able to play the game for several hours without being automatically thrown into stores or being shown adverts to buy even more things and stuff. I didn’t feel hounded, it was there if you wanted it but if you didn’t, no sweat. There’s plenty more to be getting on with.
I mean, yes it would still cost you $120 or 500,00 VC to buy a 99 OVR player in modes such as MyCareer (which is probably the worst offender in 2K26), but fortunately unless you’re an actual NBA player or have a frankly absurd amount of money to burn, this is so unfathomably dumb I can’t even wrap my head around the simple fact that it wouldn’t even be an option if people never bought it in the first place. There are people out there doing this, guys. It’s their fault the economy in 2K games is so unbalanced. But like I said, don’t do that and you should find there’s an actual video game here to play away from such distasteful purchase options.
Of course is all perspective, you may play and feel like 2K just can’t help themselves and slab a price on damn near everything you want to purchase but this review is just how I found things in 2K26, and I think they’ve taken a step back in their aggressive microtransaction pushing, which I’m grateful for.
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.”
The single player career mode this year is called Out of Bounds, and typically centers on your avatar trying to make it to the big leagues in typical NBA 2K fashion. You have the talent, you gotta prove it to scouts and managers and even more scouts and managers and then some more scouts and managers until you become Steph Curry’s shoe buffer. OK, that last part doesn’t happen but you know what I mean. It’s all rags to riches and a lot of fun, your avatar has a fun personality and a cockiness to his game and attitude I wish I possessed.
It’s all about your performance, and each game you have to be at your absolute best to stand out amongst your fellow players who are chasing the exact same dream you are. Each game you’re tasked with outperforming a certain player, another hot prospect that’s looking to fill in your space. It’s up to you to ensure that doesn’t happen so being good at the game is going to get you far. It’s certainly not easy at first and I found myself replaying certain matches to finally clear them (you have to get at least one star out of three to progress), and your performance will either be a benefit or a detriment to your progress. Like I said, if you’re new to the franchise, get in those training modules. They’ll save you an awful lot of time.
So there’s a whole lot of goodness here that can be traced back to simply wanting to create a great experience for the fans – barring charging them $120 for a digital basketball player. Whilst the offline modes will always be safe and sound, and the online is what it is depending on how much you care for keeping your bank balance in credit, NBA 2K26 nevertheless fills in the cracks of last years iteration well enough that this is substantially worth the upgrade, and a hugely enjoyable game is here if you want to ignore all that mucky stuff.
The important parts – ie, how the game actually plays on the court – have been improved tenfold on last year, and that’s reason enough to celebrate the return of a solid franchise that seems to improve year on year. Unlike others.
NBA 2K26 is out now on Xbox Series S|X, PS5 (review platform), and PC
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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