NBA 2K26 review: Authentic moves, ‘drive-and-kick’ among gameplay improvements

In one of my earlier attempts at playing NBA 2K26, I noticed how red Luka Dončić’s face was. The sweat was visible, as if he were playing an actual basketball game.

Very realistic, very detailed. The kind of details those who grew up in the ’80s playing games like Double Dribble may have once envisioned on their screens. The enhanced visuals are just a sample of a new gaming experience.

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All versions of 2K26 are available for purchase Friday. Those who bought the “Superstar” or “Leave No Doubt” deluxe editions were able to access the game on Aug. 29. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is this year’s cover athlete on the game’s Standard Edition. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is the on the cover of the WNBA Edition.

Carmelo Anthony, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, is the cover athlete for the Superstar Edition, an exclusive that includes 100,000 virtual currency (VC), a digital form of currency used to purchase upgrades within the game. All three athletes made the cover of the Leave No Doubt Edition, a special release that includes everything in the Superstar Edition plus an additional 35,000 VC.

Developed by Visual Concepts, 2K26 picks up with enhancements in the realism of the gameplay from 2K25. The defensive improvements I liked from last year’s game are better and individualized. Alex Caruso’s on-ball defense, for example, doesn’t resemble Lu Dort’s defensive tendencies. The overall movement looks and feels better, but the on-ball defense and ability to contest shots are two of the more noticeable improvements 2K focused on this year — the two that I liked most.

The changes in this year’s version of the game aren’t drastic, but they are detectable enough to offer a new experience for those who enjoy the 2K franchise.

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Gameplay

The individuality added to player movements has improved from last year with the ProPlay system that takes players’ moves and tendencies and incorporates them into the game. Some of this is best seen with some of the NBA legends. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook looks as authentic as ever, as does Hakeem Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake.” Players can control these individualized post moves.

The continued tweaks in this area make the game less robotic. Players can also decelerate on their Euro step, meaning players like Gilgeous-Alexander have more control of how they draw fouls.

The movement on defense is much better, and physical defenders can use their bodies more realistically. The drive-and-kick game was also a lot of fun. Improved artificial intelligence makes how defenses and offenses react on drives to the basket feel more realistic. Shooters are able to find their spots for corner 3s, and when players like Gilgeous-Alexander or Dončić drive, multiple defenders flood the paint.

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“The drive-and-kick game was a pretty big objective for the AI team this year, in this new drive-and-kick intelligence module, as we call it,” Visual Concepts game director Mike Wang said. “Trying to model that the right players get into the lane, you know, you have to collapse, or they’re going to kill you inside. Those same players usually have great court vision; they’re finding spot-up shooters and perimeter (shooters), so, just trying to model that behavior.”

The feel of the WNBA game is different from the NBA game. The timing is different around the rim, but it was fun playing with a different style and pace. The shooting from the perimeter is the same, but you’ll need to be skilled when getting shots off in the paint.

Shooting

The shooting meter with timing based on landing in a green shot window is another feature that adds realism to 2K26. “Green or Miss” returns.

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There was a time in basketball video games when any shot near the rim was nearly guaranteed to be a make. Those attempts no longer automatic scores. Additionally, higher-difficulty shots are tougher to make, as the timing and defense on perimeter shooting is better. Those who master playing defense will notice improved gameplay that helps make shooting more challenging.

Closeouts are better, but gamers can counter that. Shots can be rushed, but catch-and-shoot situations have gameplay options to where shooting is more in control of the gamer and does not feel left up to chance.

“The main goal there was just to make sure that the results of what happens in the court is up to the gamer,” Wang said. “If you take good shots, and you take shots with the right players with higher attributes, and you master timing, then you’ll be effective.

“That was one of the main goals with the green window in general. Take away any kind of randomness or anything that would hold people back from being able to put up some crazy numbers if they were really good at it.”

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Game modes

The biggest change to the MyTeam mode is having men and women on the same team. Shaquille O’Neal can have Angel Reese as a teammate. One popular combination is expected to be Stephen Curry and Caitlin Clark. The mode also includes WNBA legends like Lisa Leslie, so there is a good mix of players to use. It’s a fun mode.

MyPlayer adds some variety with certain layup styles and different ways to build your player. You can model your player after a current player using the new “Build by Badges” tool, which allows gamers to form a player based on specific attributes in addition to build specialization that allows players to focus on finishing, shooting, playmaking, defense or rebounding as individual areas to improve.

The City mode has been updated, as well. I also enjoyed the MyNBA Eras, which allows gamers to use teams from different NBA periods — including the early 1980s (the Magic Johnson/Larry Bird era) and stops through the days of prime Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Curry — in today’s game.

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Conclusion

I was so impressed with last year’s improvements that my expectations for 2K26 were tame. However, I came away enjoying this version much more than last year’s.

The realism of player movement, AI improvements and the modes creating NBA/WNBA combinations were good. The gameplay for the WNBA is realistic. It doesn’t play just like the NBA game, nor should it. If you liked 2K25, you’ll enjoy this year’s version of the game.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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