NBA 2K26 review: a hugely popular game just got even better

To say that NBA 2K is an institution is an understatement of significant proportions.  Even the NBA players themselves pay attention to the NBA 2K games and their rankings within them.  Even non-gaming sites, such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Hoops Hype, give the rankings and games more than a cursory glance.

Once again, we were sent an advanced code to test out the newest NBA 2K, 2K26.  Given that my friends and I play NBA 2K a LOT, you can be sure I put it through all its paces.

NBA 2K26 is a big improvement over the previous year’s 2K25 offering, which seemed more like a re-furbishing of 2K24.  Check out my thoughts below.

Pros

• Updated MyCareer
• Improved game mechanics (mainly movement)
• WNBA in MyTeam
• Improved MyGM massively

Cons

• Demands a lot from your PC or console (lags a lot for me and my friends)
• Still very expensive to max out builds, and just an expensive game in general

What’s new?

• Biggest change to movement since 2K21
• New in-depth storyline in MyCareer
• New compressed city layout (highly requested)
• WNBA cards in MyTeam
• Unique MyGM scenarios

Gameplay

The gameplay in NBA 2K26 feels similar to previous years, with a slight improvement in gameplay each year to make the game more realistic and move fluidly. This year, changes were made to lower-body movement, and when you play, you can definitely notice the difference. 

Rhythm shooting has also been changed and has a visual difference to button shooting, and the risk-reward system has been removed. A few new controls, such as no-dip threes, wrap passes and slow-motion eurosteps, are good inclusions and allow for even more offensive creativity.

One issue I did have with the 2K gameplay and the game in general is that it can be laggy at times and requires a high-end PC or console to run smoothly (Editor Scott/Dad: This may well be an excuse to convince me to upgrade his PC). A lot of the time when I start up the game, it runs on 20 FPS even though my computer runs every other game without issue. This won’t be a problem for those with a high-performance PC or console, but for those with lower-end devices, you might need to turn your graphics down.

When I was playing the game on my Dad’s Raptor Canyon NUC with a better GPU (he ‘only’ has an RTX3070 GPU) there were no issues at all with any lag so it is a case of make sure your PC is good enough to run it.

MyCareer

MyCareer has undergone significant changes this year, resulting in substantial improvements. The new backstory, ‘Out of Bounds’, has your MyPlayer starting as an unranked high school prospect, playing in AAU, playing overseas and experiencing draft night. 

I am a huge fan of detailed 2K storylines, and the game feels significantly deeper when they are included. One small issue I have with the storyline is that you can only be drafted as high as the early second round. 

As for MyCareer in the NBA, it feels similar with a few additions. Badge specialisations in fields such as finishing, shooting, rebounding and defence have been added, which allows you to unlock more cap breakers and badge upgrades for those selected specialisations. Improvements have also been made to GOAT skills, as there are now a plethora of skills you can pick from based on your playstyle. 

Requests for a change to the city were common within the 2K community. Players wanted a more compact version, as it took too long to travel everywhere, and 2K delivered. Now, it takes no longer than a minute to get from one location to another within the park, which is much more preferable than a big city or a ship.

MyTeam

MyTeam has undergone several changes this year, the most significant being the addition of WNBA cards. This is a good inclusion, as the growth of the league has been exponential and it would be harsh to leave them out. Another addition this year are Game Changer consumable cards, which can provide powerups for REP and point multipliers. This will be beneficial and increase progression. Overall, MyTeam didn’t undergo much change this year, but the minor changes that occurred were beneficial.

MyNBA and MyGM

MyNBA has been my favourite mode this year, but it feels exactly the same. I am a big fan of the new roster screen design (which they change every year), and improved simulation speed along with being able to choose how fast your simulation speed is was a highly requested addition. Outside of those, it feels very similar to last year (coming from someone with 100+ hours on MyNBA last year). 

MyGM, however, has undergone significant change this year. Now, there are 30 unique scenarios, which drastically improves realism. This, along with the changes made last year to backstories and skill points (which I loved) has made MyGM the best it has ever been, and it may become a popular gamemode among MyNBA players.

Conclusion

Overall, 2K26 is a massive improvement from last year and previous years before. I don’t know if I’m saying that just because it’s my first few days on the game, but most agree that the MyCareer is much more enjoyable now and changes made to the game such as making the park smaller, are beneficial. 

However, the game can be overwhelming and taxing for your computer or console. Lag is a common issue among many players, especially those with older PCs. Despite this, NBA 2K26 is the best 2K in years, and I have enjoyed my time playing it a lot so far. If you own 2K25 and are considering upgrading to the newest edition, I would highly recommend it, as it is a much more enjoyable experience.

NBA 2K26 is available now — go and get it.