An annual sports video game doesn’t usually boast a huge number of changes compared to its predecessor. You’d usually get all the roster updates, player ratings and new kits, along with some tweaks to gameplay, plus the odd new feature here and there – but that’s usually about it.

But when it comes to NBA 2K27, pigeonholing it like that would be doing the game an injustice. There’s far more going on here than the usual annual roster of updates and tweaks to gameplay. There are a lot of new features in NBA 2K27.

At the game’s reveal in Los Angeles, 2K detailed key, meaningful changes to gameplay, The City, MyPLAYER, MyTEAM, MyNBA and more, as well as brand-new reveals. I’ve played NBA 2K27 for around two-and-a-half hours on a PS5 Slim, with the work-in-progress build focusing mostly on gameplay. If 2K delivers on all fronts, we could be in for an all-time great.

  • Why we love it- Great refined gameplay with defense and dribbling focused
  • Loads of new features promised

  • Could be the best basketball game ever if it delivers on all fronts

  • Take note- Some matches can be quite low scoring

I’ve played a work-in-progress build of NBA 2K27 at a hands-on preview event for around two-and-a-half hours. The modes available were Quick Game, MyCareer player build, MyCareer Eras, Rucker Park and MyTeam. Of note, I was not able to find a game to play in MyTeam.

Diving into a few matches in Quick Game, I immediately found that defense does feel a lot better. There’s a redesigned hands-up system with much stronger on-ball cutoff mechanics, a new collision system and smarter AI positioning.

This helps defending feel a lot more structured and gives you more of a chance of stopping attacks. It’s noticeable across all areas of the court.

It is a positive change on the whole, but I did notice some AI attacks could be quite stagnant and much slower, as players weren’t moving around as much or trying to work an opening of some sort for the player with the ball. They were almost waiting for the player in possession to do all the work, which brought the pacing down.

This did not happen often enough in my early experience for it to be a significant issue – but it’s perhaps something to keep an eye on. My games against the AI were a lot lower scoring than in previous games too, perhaps also because three-pointers are much trickier to pull off successfully.

Dribbling has been improved as well. There are more than 7,000 new animations included in NBA 2K27 and there’s a vast number of customization options for how you can set up your players to dribble, letting you mix and match movements and different parts of each movement.

It’s incredibly impressive and it looks fantastic out on the court. Speaking of creating players, I was able to build a player in MyCareer and check out the new MyCareer Eras, where players can play in all kinds of different famous eras, creating and reshaping history in some of the most famous periods in the NBA.

In this preview, I took to the first Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls era of the early 1990s, playing as the New York Knicks. I was greeted with a fantastic recreation of grainy film footage and a retro HUD, really successfully giving me that sense of immersion even though I was unquestionably playing NBA 2K27.

It’s a shame that some cutaways show what your created player looks like as if they were in a modern game despite the early 1990s setting, but they were the only moments I was taken out of that immersion. It’s a great feature that adds something new to MyCareer and I’m looking forward to playing through more in this mode.

Finally, I played a handful of 3v3 games in Rucker Park, which has been added in Street Kings. The developers have done a fantastic job of recreating the iconic outdoor court in Harlem and it looks fantastic both during the day and at night.

It’s clear a lot of time and effort has gone into this brilliant recreation. It’s so fun playing this way in a lower-stakes match away from the bright lights of the NBA too.

Other new features and mechanics I’ve not yet had the chance to go hands-on with are in The City. For the first time, male and female players can compete side-by-side, with all players built and based on the same features. Crew HQ is a new addition, which is a home base for you and your friends, and there’s also Casual Corner, an accessible option for players getting to grips with the game or certain mechanics.

In MyPlayer Builder, a female player can be built for the first time and Rebirth is back. A big reveal was NBA 2K HQ, a brand-new companion app that launches on Friday (August 21).

Players can access the player builder, make edits and configure players exactly how they want them to be. Players can also message team members and friends, track progress on crew weekly goals and earn more rewards every time the app is used. Face scan technology in the app has been improved too.

In myTeam, any player cards can be exchanged for the first time. Every card really matters now. There are rotating multiplayer modes throughout the year, starting off with Triple Threat in Season One. Player XP progression is changing too.

There's also MyNBA Legacy, a player-locked save that allows you to pick any player in the modern era, playing through the career of any current player of your choosing.

Developers are also working on improved detection of automated cheating devices, which will go live after launch. Enforcement will be retroactive to day one of NBA 2K27 for those found to be cheating.

And in MyCareer, along with the addition of Eras, there are 11 chapters and the mode is twice the length of NBA 2K26. You can also team up with a friend in co-op, who can hop in and out at any time. Playing in co-op will also contribute to accruing VC and Seasonal XP.

Key specifications

  • Release date:September 4 2026
  • Publisher:2K
  • Developer:Visual Concepts
  • Age rating:16+