2K hosted a developer session featuring executive gameplay producer Mike Wang on Tuesday, August 2.
During the hour-long session, myself and a group of journalist learned about most of the new gameplay features coming to NBA 2K23. Many of the other features were provided to us in an advance look at the first Courtside Report, which you can read here.
There are several potentially impactful changes coming to the game this year. Here are the 10 that stood out most from the presentation.
Double Pro-Stick Flicks
NBA 2K23 will introduce new gameplay commands called double throws and switchbacks. Double throws are two, quick successive flicks of the right stick (which have different high-level attacks and actions attached) and a switchback is a flick in one direction, followed by a quick flick in the opposite direction. A different set of attacks and actions will be attached to that mechanic.
The new rim-hang command is a double-throw, with a down-down command on the rim hang. For New-Gen, the rim-hangs are physics based and gamers will be able to control how they hang on the rim. In Play Now, MyNBA, MyGM and career contests in MyCareer, you can get a technical foul for excessive rim hanging, but not in the PARK or in Pro-Am.
MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR
New Layup Package
This year’s game will introduce new layup packages for several players: Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson, Nikola Jokic, Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James and more.
James and Antetokounmpo will have power layup moves to simulate their physical drives and finishes.
Adrenaline Boosts
In an attempt to nerf users who abuse dribble moves and the turbo button for less-than-realistic results, 2K23 introduces the concept of adrenaline boosts.
According to the Courtside Report: “There are three available boosts per player, per possession, shown as three small bars under the stamina meter. Boosts are consumed every time you perform a hard go or explosive sprint launch. Once your three boosts are gone, you’ll notice that your speed and acceleration decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession. As with dribble combos, it’s important to play smart basketball and be efficient with your movement rather than zig-zagging back and forth aimlessly trying to get around the defense.”
This change could be a game-changer in every mode across the entire title.
Signature Jump Shot Ratings
In NBA 2K23, each signature jump shot is rated in four categories:
● Shot Speed- How quickly the shot gets to its ideal release point
● Release Height - How high the shot is released
● Defensive Immunity - How effective the shot is against defensive contests
● Timing Impact - Adjusts shot windows to reward good timing at the cost of an increased penalty for bad timing
Users will have to play around and research the jumps shots they choose for their MyPlayers and in MYNBA and MyTeam, these ratings will have an impact on the effectiveness of players.
Shot Meters and Feedback
There will be a total of 15 different shot meters in the game–including some from previous versions of NBA 2K. Some of them will have to be unlocked in Seasons. Also, the shot feedback will came a smidge later than it did in NBA 2K22.
This change was implemented to prevent the killing of the drama that exists in real life when a shot is released and players jockey for rebound position.
Shot Contest Percentages Reworked
The mechanic that determines how covered a shooter is has been reworked. Per the presentation, it is far more accurate than it has been in the past.
One-on-One Defense
This year, defenders on the perimeter and in the post will have the option to play their assignment straight up, shading left or shading right. There is a meter that depicts which defensive approach is being taken.
If the ballhandler attempts to dribble through the defender’s body, they will stop, stumble, fumble the ball or perhaps draw an offensive foul.
Strips and Blocks
Blocks have been refined to be more realistic in NBA 2K23. The dev team has also implemented a few more strips and poke-away animations for smaller guards to use to contain their opponent.
New-Gen’s New Badge System Explained
New-Gen is debuting a new, tiered badge system. According to the Courtside Report, here’s how it works:
“This year, we’re moving to a tiered badge system. There are 16 badges per attribute category: eight in Tier 1, four in Tier 2, and four in Tier 3. Tier 1 badges are the least powerful for your player, but also cost the least amount of badge points. Costs go up as you climb the tiers and acquire the more impactful badges. The basic idea is that you’ll need to equip a certain number of badges in the lower tiers before you can equip badges in the highest. The motive behind this change was to encourage players to make some tough choices when creating their badge recipes, make loadouts more valuable as a feature, and bring a better overall balance to the badge game in general. Along with the tiers, we’re also introducing “Core” badges, which are four unique badge slots (one in each attribute category) that can be filled with badges that don’t count toward your badge points. Each badge will have a challenge requirement that, once met, will allow the badge to be placed into a core badge slot.”
Here are the new badges and the ones being removed:
FINISHING
○ Slithery - Makes it easier to gather through traffic, avoiding collisions and strips
○ Masher - Increases ability to finish inside layups over defenders
○ Aerial Wizard - Ability to successfully complete alley–oops and putbacks
○ Bully - Like Giannis and LeBron, able to finish strong by bulldozing through traffic
○ Removed: Hook Specialist
SHOOTING
○ Agent 3 - Ability to hit difficult 3PT shots off the dribble
○ Middy Magician - Improved ability to knock down mid-range jumpers off the bounce or out of the post like MJ
○ Amped - Reduces the shooting attribute penalties when fatigued and when moving excessively prior to shooting
○ Claymore - Increases a spot up shooter’s ability to knock down catch and shoot jumpers the longer they remain stationary prior to shooting
○ Comeback Kid - Improved ability to shoot perimeter jumpers when trailing in a game
○ Hand Down Man Down - Makes an outside shooter even deadlier if opponent fails to get a hand in the face
○ Space Creator - Formerly a Playmaking badge, it now boosts the ability to hit step-back jumpers and hop shots, and also will cause defenders to stumble more often
○ Limitless Range - An old favorite returns, making shooters more effective with any shot attempt from deep 3PT range
○ Removed: Chef, Hot Zone Hunter, Lucky #7, Mismatch Expert (moved to playmaking), Set Shooter, Sniper, and Limitless Spot-Up
PLAYMAKING
○ Killer Combos - Improves a dribbler’s effectiveness with size-up dribble moves (basically a combination of last year’s Quick Chain and Tight Handles badges)
○ Clamp Breaker - Helps ball handlers win more 1-on-1 body bump confrontations (the counter to Clamps)
○ Vice Grip - Improves ball security immediately after securing a rebound, catch, or picking up the ball. Great badge for bigs!
○ Mismatch Expert - Formerly a shooting badge, this badge now helps smaller guards break down taller defenders when mismatched 1-on-1
○ Removed:
Bullet Passer, Downhill, Glue Hands, Stop & Go
DEFENSE/REBOUNDING
○ Anchor - A crucial badge for last line of defense bigs, improves ability to block and contest shots in the paint
○ Boxout Beast - Helps rebounders win boxout battles on both offensive and defensive rebounding situations
○ Work Horse - The Pat Bev badge that boosts your ability to hustle down 50/50 balls and play hard-nosed defense without getting tired
○ Glove - Named after legendary defender Gary Payton, helps you strip players as they gather for shots and poke the ball free from ball handlers
○ Challenger - Improves the effectiveness of perimeter shot contests
○ Removed: Defensive Leader
New Team Takeover Design
The way Team Takeover is acquired has changed for NBA 2K23. According to the Courtside Report:
“For NBA 2K23, Team Takeover works as a cooperative team system with the entire team sharing a single meter. Each player on the team has an equal portion that they’re responsible for filling up by performing well on the court and being good teammates. Once each player has filled up their portion of the meter, Team Takeover automatically fires off for the entire team. The new design makes a lot more sense and does a better job representing what it means to be hot as a team and to take over the game as a unit.”
AI Improvements
When playing the CPU, the AI has been designed to use a wider variety of dribble moves and ways to attack a defense. The AI playcalling has been tuned to run the plays that have been most successful while abandoning the ones that have been shut down.
On defense, specifically in transition defense, the CPU can now identify the ballhandler and the ball has been stopped on the break, which allows the anchor to get to their primary defensive assignment.
Also, the “No Threes” setting is said to work as intended.
NBA 2K23 Release Date and Platform Availability
Gamers and fans will get their hands on the September 9 on PS4, PS5, Google Stadia, Xbox Family of Consoles, PC and Nintendo Switch
