It's back to school time, and like every year, it coincides with the arrival of the new NBA 2Kmore precisely NBA 2K25. Enough to keep you going until the regular season resumes in the NBA, especially since the new version of the game promises great visual improvements on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
It was necessary to strike hard in terms of cover to succeed that of NBA 2K24 on which Kobe Bryant was inevitably featured, also present in the game with the “Mamba Moments” mode. This year, it is one of the disciples of the legend of the Lakers, freshly champion of the NBA, who was chosen: Jayson Tatum. The Celtics superstar is in good company since he is present alongside the Olympic champion A'Ja Wilson on the All-Star edition.
The “Hall of Fame” Edition should also be a hit since it is the king of the 2000s outfielder Vince Carter who appears on the cover, finding himself half in gold on the occasion of one of his legendary dunks in the Slam Dunk Contest of the All-Star Weekend 2000. Enough to set the tone, the “showtime” will be there for NBA 2K25!
Gameplay ever closer to reality
Before discussing the different game modes, which are always intended to be more complete and immersive, we can start with the game's “gameplay” which is constantly evolving over the years. Since last year, the game in the “New Gen” version has been riding the wave of “ProPlay” technology.
Used for the first time on NBA 2K24, it allows you to directly capture match images to reproduce them directly in the game. No more need for hundreds of sensors and endless sessions of “capturing” movements in the studio. Each movement is now analyzed directly from the matches broadcast on TV.
A new “shot cancel” function allows you to interrupt an advanced shot at any time to follow up with another move, and deceive the defense. This is the counterpart of the famous “square-cross” on football simulations. The “Dribble Breakdown”, also appeared last year, are announced to be more advanced to perform dribble combos to follow up with a shot.
More generally, the attack is intended to be more focused on creativity and freedom of movement, and the “Pro Stick Rhythm Shooting” feature, more sensitive to shot timings, will have to be tamed. In defense, the game will offer a new defensive withdrawal system, more dynamic changes of direction and of course a shot contesting system once again revised. The AI has also been reworked to get closer to reality by being more fluid, more responsive, less stereotypical.
To fully understand everything, a new “Tutorial 2K” mode will be made available, to learn how to master all the features, from the simplest to the most elaborate, while having fun through games and exercises.
“MyCareer” mode to conquer the greatest dynasties in history
We get to the heart of the matter with the game mode “MyCareer” and its counterpart for the female universe in “The W”, where you will play as your own player in the NBA or player in the WNBA.
In NBA 2K25, both stories have the same goal, and not an insignificant one. In “MyCareer”, it will be about creating the greatest dynasty in the history of the NBA. In “The W”, you will set out to conquer the “Goats” who make or have made the glory of the American women's league.
In NBA 2K25, “MP” (for “MyPlayer”) is a young player from Chicago who dreams of following in Michael Jordan's footsteps and surpassing his six career championship titles. This is the challenge that will be offered to you, to reach the rank of each of the nine dynasties in turn. “MP” is not a crack of his “Draft” class unlike previous scenarios. He will therefore have to fight to make his place, progress and possibly win.
A five-level “Takeover” gauge, the appearance of Fiba basketball!
Announced to be more complete, the “MVP Builder” will allow you to decide on each of your player's technical characteristics. The “Takeover” gauge, which allows you to be the most dominant on the field over a short period, is also getting a facelift.
This year, the “Takeover” gauge is thus composed of five levels and each level corresponds to a targeted attribute. Once level 5 is reached, all Takeover abilities (among the 72 chosen “Takeover” attributes) are automatically activated.
To spice up the story, we will also find the “flashback” mode called “Heart of a Dynasty” which allows us to retrace MP's dream journey to reach the top. But the strongest in this NBA 2K25 among the many “sides” that will accompany the “MyCareer” mode is the appearance of international windows!
With the Olympic effect, the summer season will this time be more rhythmic, with gatherings within Team USA to participate in a “FIBA Tournament”, for which you will be able to ask NBA stars to accompany you to evolve on the international scene in FIBA basketball!
“The W” rides the wave of women's basketball hype
Launched on NBA 2K21, the WNBA version of “My Career” mode has now become a must-have in the game, and 2K Sports had to come back with a more complete version in view of the exceptional enthusiasm generated this season in the WNBA, notably with the arrival of Caitlin Clark but also thanks to the Olympic Games. As for the boys, “The W” mode offers your “MP” the chance to reach the heights of the history of the women's league.
Titled “Pursuit of Greatness,” it will center its narrative around your “Goat mission”: surpass the accomplishments of 23 of the best players in WNBA history. You will be able to choose the attributes and starting story of your “MyPlayer,” between playing the number 1 in the Draft (with a rating of 75) or a player who first shone abroad before entering the WNBA (with a rating of 85). You will then have to embark on this challenge which promises to be tough.
In particular, you will need to accumulate championship titles, including a back-to-back, Finals MVP trophies, and hope to tease Diana Taurasi's career points record (10,138) or Aja Wilson's 53 points in a game, to earn your place in the WNBA legend. Enough to set the pace for the adventure and push you to always give your best.
Before getting there, the first challenge will be to first fight for the title of rookie of the year, with Caitlin Clark but also Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso as main rivals. Each of your accomplishments will then allow you to climb on the “Goat List”, with some players still active, like Breanna Stewart or A'Ja Wilson, who will come your way.
Press conferences will also be introduced in “The W” mode, while the online “The W” mode will also be accompanied by its share of new features, notably by changing the setting, since the meetings will now take place on a magnificent new outdoor field, in the heart of a redwood forest.
“MyGM” mode closer to the action
We end with two other modes also acclaimed at the end of the years by the general public with the MyGM and MyTeam modes, the basketball counterpart of the “FUT” mode of EA Sports on FC 24.
The “MyGM” mode has perhaps been the most renewed since the experience becomes an RPG mode, like “MyCareer”, in which you embody the role of GM of your franchise much more concretely.
Several initial profiles are selectable, from the former player to the expert in finance or negotiations, and the technical characteristics are then adjustable according to the management style you want to implement (offensive, defensive, based on stats, physique, business, etc.). The more experience you gain, the more you will be able to improve all the attributes.
Within the “front office” of your franchise, the “MyGM Building”, you will be required to speak with the owner, with whom you will need to define the objectives but also to respect the instructions. If his wish is to see you start on a workforce reconstruction, you will have to draw the consequences by renewing and rejuvenating it.
Interactions of this kind, with colleagues, players or staff members will be common and will allow you to instill your guiding principle, and this is the biggest novelty of this mode, which increasingly moves away from a simple equation involving millions of dollars to compose your roster.
Lots of new features for “MyTeam” mode
The “MyTeam” mode also promises a bunch of new features to continue to spice up your experience in this iconic online mode which is also reinventing itself this year in solo.
Launched into the adventure after having chosen your “Starter Kit” pack including a choice of cards between two current superstars and an NBA legend, you will be able to make your debut on the brand new “Triple Threat” park.
This one is actually a remaster of the complex present on “Rivet City” of NBA 2K16's MyPark. Also accessible from MyCity, the surface composed of nine courts serves as a new host location for online multiplayer Triple Threat or “Co-op” games.
“King of the Court” the elite tournament
Two new modes will also enrich the MyTeam experience. The “Breakout” mode allows you to discover MyTeam solo, in quick 3 vs. 3 Triple Threat matches, 5 vs. 5 clutch, or a quick game, with rewards to unlock. We can also highlight the return of the auction room, a request from the community that convinced the developers to bring back this option to recover specifically sought-after cards.
The “Duel” mode is a new confrontation mode that follows in the footsteps of the “Unlimited” mode, in multiplayer face-to-face. Matches are played with a full squad of 13 cards at 4 minutes per quarter. The heart of this mode is a progression system over 15 divisions, where the main objective is to win in order to be promoted.
Once players have achieved a certain number of victories in the showdown each week, they will qualify for another mode, “The King of the Court” which will also be a major event of a new nature. Every Saturday for four hours, the best players and the qualifiers will come to face off in oppositions open to the public.
Finally, note that 2KSports has confirmed the presence of the “MyNBA Eras” mode which allows you to immerse yourself in the heart of the greatest “dynasties” in the history of the league (LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Magic-Bird…). Introduced for the first time in NBA2K23, its return was obvious as the story of the “My Career” mode of NBA 2K25 is centered around dynasties.
A new “Era” has been added for the occasion, that of the Warriors, NBA champions in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. Named the “Steph Era”, in homage to the best shooter of all time, it will notably be an opportunity to relive the confrontation of the Curry-Thompson-Durant trio with the Cavs of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
>>> Prices, consoles, goodies… Everything you need to know
As every year, a wide choice of NBA 2K25 editions is available depending on the platforms. The Standard Edition will be available for €79.99 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, €69.99 on PC, and €59.99 on Nintendo Switch. The All-Star Edition will be available for €99.99 on PS5 and PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
This edition includes 100,000 VC and Team content, 10 MyTeam Player Cards (three guaranteed to be 89 overall), three Diamond Shoe Cards, three Takeover Boosters, and an Amethyst Coach Card, as well as MyCareer content including 150 Skill Boosters (25 games), 75 Gatorade Boosters (25 games), a Jayson Tatum Cover Jersey, a Jayson Tatum Electric Skateboard Skin, and a 2K25 Cover Athlete T-Shirt.
The limited-edition Hall of Fame Edition will be available until September 8 for $149.99 on PS5 and PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and PC. The special Hall of Fame Edition includes everything from the All-Star Edition plus a Vince Carter “MyCareer” cover jersey, Season 1 of Pro Pass with 4 Pro Pass rewards, and a 12-month NBA League Pass subscription.
