NBA 2K23 – Everything You Need to Know About This Year’s Basketball Game

NBA 2K23 is this year’s edition of the basketball game developed by Visual Concepts. Despite the complete lack of any competition in the basketball simulation genre ever since EA discontinued the NBA Live series (the last entry was NBA Live 19), the game is improved in several ways each year, and NBA 2K23 is no different.

Pricing, release date, platforms

NBA 2K23 is already available for pre-order, with the Standard Edition priced at $59.99 on PC and old-generation consoles (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) and $69.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X. Digital pre-order bonuses include:

• 5000 Virtual Currency
• 5000 MyTEAM Points
• 10 MyTEAM Promo Packages (delivered 1 per week)
• One upgrade for each MyCAREER type
• One upgrade for each type of Gatorade upgrade
• Devin Booker MyPLAYER kit
• Free Agent Devin Booker MyTEAM Card – Value 95

If you pre-order on Amazon, you also get an exclusive bonus: 2,000 Virtual Currency & 1 MyTEAM Pack.

The NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition is priced at $99.99 on all platforms and includes:

• 100,000 Virtual Currency
• 10,000 MyTEAM Points
• 10 MyTEAM Tokens
• Sapphire Devin Booker and Ruby Michael Jordan MyTEAM Cards
• 23 MyTEAM Promo Packs (Receive 10 at launch plus an extra Amethyst pack, then 2 per week for 6 weeks)
• Free Agent MyTEAM option package
• Diamond Jordan Shoe MyTEAM
card • Ruby Coach MyTEAM card package
• 10 upgrades for each MyCAREER type
• 10 upgrades for each type of Gatorade upgrade
• 4 Athlete cover T-shirt for your MyPLAYER
• MyPLAYER backpack and armband
• Personalized skateboard for MyPLAYER
• A 2 hour Double XP token

The NBA 2K23 Championship Edition is priced at $149.99 on all platforms and includes:

• NBA League Pass 12-Month Subscription
• 100,000 Virtual Currency
• 10,000 MyTEAM Points
• 10 MyTEAM Tokens
• Sapphire Devin Booker and Ruby Michael Jordan MyTEAM Cards
• 23 MyTEAM Promo Packages (Receive 10 at launch plus an extra Amethyst package, then 2 per week for 6 weeks)
• Free Agent MyTEAM option package
• Diamond Jordan Shoe MyTEAM
card • Ruby Coach MyTEAM card package
• 10 upgrades for each type of MyCAREER
• 10 upgrades for each type of Gatorade upgrade
• 4 Athlete cover T-shirts for your MyPLAYER
• MyPLAYER backpack and armband
• Personalized skateboard for MyPLAYER
• A 2 hour Double XP token
• MJ themed go-kart
• XP boost 10% on progress in MyTEAM and MyCAREER

NBA 2K23 will be released on September 9th for all platforms.

Gameplay Mechanics

This year’s installment features the return of the Jordan Challenge mode over ten years since its last appearance. NBA2K23 players will get to experience 15 key moments in Michael Jordan’s career, from the 1982 NCAA National Championship to the 1998 NBA Finals. There will be changes to fit the era, too, such as a heavier focus on the post and mid-range game and reworking the transition game, including tighter transition lanes and more players cutting to the basket with a numbers advantage.

Visual Concepts also recently detailed the overall gameplay enhancements planned for this iteration. On next-generation consoles (PC is still left behind alongside PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, sadly), player AI features improved ball handling, pick and roll execution, defensive tendencies, and coaching decisions.

Shooting attributes have been added on all platforms, giving each signature jump shot its own unique shooting stats that help determine its effectiveness. The developers also added five new shots meters, and fifteen more will be unlocked over the year through Seasons.

The defense has been enhanced, too. 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. Visual Concepts also claims a distinct improvement in ball security for good dunkers and much more.

Playmakers haven’t been left out thanks to new Gesture Combos for both shooting and ball handling. A new concept has been introduced to prevent overdribbling: players have three Adrenaline Boosts per possession, and once those are gone after performing a hard go or explosive sprint launch, there is a significant speed and deceleration decrease for the remainder of the possession.

The overhauled Team Takeover system in NBA 2K23 works as a collaborative effort where the whole team shares a single meter.

NBA 2K23 PC System Requirements