Today, 2K has officially released the newest Courtside Report forNBA 2K25with focus on gameplay. The game is slated to release on September 6 for PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC with the PC version being the same as the current generation console version for the first time. Players who opt to purchase before September 6 will receive two days early access and those who already have pre-ordered the game at participating retailers will be eligible for the Early Tip-Off benefit. NBA 2K25 will expand upon its ProPLAY gameplay system and is introducing an all-new Dribble Engine to the game and multiple updates to both sides of the ball.
Enhancing ProPLAY
ProPLAY was introduced in NBA 2K24 as it brought real-world animations into the game to create a more realistic experience. For NBA 2K25, ProPLAY will be receiving an additional 9,000 new animations directly from NBA footage. Breaking this down, players can expect 1,500 new dribbling animations, 1,100 new signature shot animations from most of the rostered players from the 2023-24 NBA season, and more than 1,300 new off-the-ball animations. This also includes 150 new signature motion styles to help create the most realistic gameplay the series has seen.
A new Dribble Engine is being introduced thanks to ProPLAY with what 2K is calling “one of the biggest changes to gameplay in years.” Players can expect the new Dribble Engine to generate dynamic motion that is taken from real NBA footage for more authenticity and realism. This means more lifelike movement, overall, that will be a one-to-one of how the real NBA players dribble on television. This means it will become even more difficult to differentiate between the game and a real game on television.
In a recent virtual event, we asked Mike Wang of Visual Concepts what would be one of the bigger animations that can be expected from ProPLAY. He said, “That’s hard. It’s (ProPLAY) like it touches every aspect of gameplay. I really like the go-to shots. So these are things that we first saw a couple of years ago, as they started to come in when we started to get these things I call them dumps. Every day we get this big list of animations that we got, you know, from ProPLAY, and it’s the go-to shots was one that we couldn’t figure out how to put it in the game. However, there’s so many cool animations they’re hard to explain. Sometimes you’ll get like a little hesitation into a jumper that makes it feel so much more signature. A lot of guys do step back so like Tatum lives on that right. If you saw the playoffs this year, it’s like rhythm, dribble, rhythm, dribble, and then he’ll do this big step back. I think it was even in the trailer. So I love those shots and the shot canceling feature that allows you to break out of them really keeps you guessing. And it’s just a lot you can do. But yeah, signature go-to shots, I would say, is probably my my favorite upgrade.”
NBA 2K25 Cover Athletes Announced
NBA 2K25 will feature the first ever dual-league NBA 2K cover that will truly embody the motto for the game, Ball Over Everything.
Offensive and Defensive Upgrades
2K and Visual Concepts are focusing on various aspects for innovating the offense in NBA 2K25. Creativity, personalization, freedom and accessibility will be the cornerstones on this side of the ball. 2K states this will cater to both newcomers and experts. Players can expect Pro Stick Rhythm Shooting, Custom Visual Cues and Shot Timing Profiles to provide deeper customization on shooting the ball. The idea is to balance risk-versus-reward of the player choices. Visual Concepts is also introduding a new Shot Canceling feature that will allow for breaking out of any advanced shot at any time. Players can then transition to other moves. Dribble Breakdowns from NBA 2K24 is progressing to Signature Go-To Shots that features dribble-into-shot combos. All of this is directly translated from NBA footage from ProPLAY.
Defense will include a new cutoff system to empower defensive-minded players. Players can dynamically change direction using the right stick to control a player and can then slide laterally into position to cut off an offensive player. Significant changes to the Contest System will be implemented with a new dynamic weighting system, rather than having a fixed weight in the past. This will evaluate the impact of defense at the start of the shot versus the release. AI will be improved across the board to play a more complementary role to Court Spacing, Offense, Defense, Coaching and the overall AI difficulty.
Learning the Ropes
If this seems like a lot, 2K and Visual Concepts will feature a new mode called Learn 2K. This allows players to learn basic mechanics and elevate their game to the most advanced moves. In the past, the more advanced modes felt like it was required to stumble into, and Learn 2K will allow players to master their craft while learning the new gameplay aspects for 2K25. This includes Rhythm Shooting, hundreds of new moves, playing mini-games, run drills or walking through actual practice scenarios. This will open the accessibility aspect of NBA 2K25. you may read the fullCourtside Report here.
NBA 2K25 is the official NBA and WNBA video game for the 2024 season. This is the first game in the series to feature two players on the cover as Jayson Tatum and A’ja Wilson will be on the All-Star Edition.
