I know what you are here for. I know what you want. The answer is yes. Does NBA 2K26 feel good? Yes. Has it improved over the last few years? Yes. The majority of your questions can be answered with that one simple word. “Yes.”

NBA 2K26 has upped everything (even sometimes in the slightest but definitely noticeable way) this season. From gameplay tweaks to features, nothing has taken a step backwards. So let us get into it!

MyCareer – A Big Step Up

I’ll admit that a few of the past MyCareer storylines haven’t kept me too invested. We did some cool things like drop some music, get our fashion show on, and more but it wasn’t always interesting. This year, I’m happy to say the storyline is pretty dang good! Starting out as a relatively unknown high schooler looking to catch the eye of a scout to send us to the next level, MP moves from his small town to the big city to compete with the best of the best. In my time, I got to travel to Europe and dominate the league and gain the respect of my teammates.

The only minor complaints I have about the Out Of Bounds career mode this season are the fact that you have very limited choices in how your responses go, and the other is that MPs voice seems way too mismatched for the build I had. Now that could just be me, but it looked and sounded very odd. It definitely took me out of the moment at times but I had to realize that this MP was not me, it was MP from Vermont.

Once you complete your prelude to the NBA, you still get to experience more of MP’s story through the rookie year. It all culminates into a fun and great experience, preparing you for the world of the ruthless City. I even had some laughs with some of the conversations through in-game text messages at time. It’s all good fun.

The City – Less Is More

The City feels GREAT this season. More compact and easy to navigate, The City gives you everything right upfront. Looking to get to the Theater? Just a 5 second walk from the REC. Wanting to take a walk through the Central Park-esque MyPARK? Just head to the middle of the City in a flash and you are right into the action. 2K cut down on a ton of the unnecessary open-worldness of the City and made it feel much more comfortable. I’ve said it before that I’m fine with even just a lobby or a menu to get me into games but this is actually a pretty nice experience. I get to see all the OVR 90’s that are about to two handed jam my player into oblivion and I don’t have to wait long to do so.

Your shopping spree obsession is back, and while I do believe a lot of items are a bit high in terms of VC (the virtual currency NBA 2K uses to purchase clothes, attribute points, boosts, etc), there are a ton of options as usual to make your character feel unique on and off the court.

Squading up is also easier thanks to the new Crew system. Think of it as a guild. You are and your Crew can play various modes throughout the City/Park to level up your Crew and earn special rewards. 5% increases in VC/REP, team emotes, and more! Personally, it has been fun to see who is contributing the most XP in our Crew (The Dried Meat Gang. We’re terrible) and unlock all the new things. Another improvement is not having to wait for your friends to lollygag over to the door to start a match. Just bring one member of your squad to the entrance and voila! Matchmaking begins.

Streetball returns and is one of my favorite modes. I like bringing the hype against NBA players (and some custom, but fun, “regular” players) and adding them to my team to be king of the court. The Open Court Athletics mode also pits you in a 5v5 against other NBA players and lets you build up badge progress and net you some VC in the process.

Overall, the City is shrinking but in a great way. I love skating around to wherever I need to be in seconds, and not having to wait long in lobbies makes me a happy 80 OVR.

MyTeam – My Team is Your Team

One of the coolest additions to NBA 2K26 is within MyTEAM. You can now add WNBA players to your MyTEAM roster. This means jerseys, logos, etc, can be used amongst NBA/WNBA players on the same court alongside each other for the first time ever! MyTEAM has been something that overwhelmed me in the past but getting a few games under my belt (even having someone rage quit a Triple Threat match has made me more than excited to keep building my team up to see how far I can really go.

There are additional features like being able to progress your coach, new REP rewards, 5v5 co-op, Breakout: Gauntlet (a brand new mode reminiscent to a Rogue-lite), and more that will keep you entertained for hours.

MyGM – Control EVERYTHING

MyGM is always hard to review. There is SO much you can do and keeping track of everything is crazy. That being said, it is every simulator king’s dream. Pick the best draft picks, crush free-agency, and get your banner up in the rafters! You can now even compete in online leagues, proving that you are the best GM in all the land. Another way 2K allows us to compete for global dominance.

The W – The GOAT?

Honest to goodness, The W has been one of my favorite game modes to hop into this season. With two ways to start your WNBA career, you head up your story and how you want to enter the league. New press conferences, GOAT challenges (just like the MyCareer mode) and VC IN THE W ONLINE. This is big. I loved taking my character into the 3 v 3 in The W Online and having it feel like a completely new and fresh experience. If you’re wondering, I absolutely got crushed in this mode too.

Overall Thoughts – Dunk or Foul?

Now that I got to explain all the modes and my experiences with them, let me tell you if I think NBA 2K26 is worth your time. The presentation is improved in a ton of ways. From NBA quick play games to MyPlayer, it looks as great as you can consistently expect from 2K. New lighting effects make courts POP and shine, which brings you even more into the game. I love running around and looking at stuff in the city/parks and they feel way more grounded and toned this season. Solid improvements there.

The audio gives us a huge mix of tracks this season as well. I have to turn these off when I am reviewing (check out our Twitch or YouTube) so I don’t spend too much time jamming out. However, a lot of the “hold it hold it hold it,” or “mouse in the house, take that” audio lines have been recycled from the past few years. I would love to hear new ambient sounds in the city games as this can lead to it feeling like you’re playing the same thing as the year before, just in a different setting. As far as arenas and such go, top notch.

The gameplay itself. Big deal here. The entire experience feels smooth and like you have more control of what is going on. It is not as “icy” as it has been in the past. This is thanks to the new ProPLAY enhancements that 2K has added. NBA players feel like themselves and your MyPlayer doesn’t seem as doofy as before. Hitting the powered up Rhythm Shooting when your team is flying down the court has never felt so good. Honestly, shooting feels amazing this season and with Green or Miss being back, you really get to learn each style of play. I’m sure some of the shots will get nerfed as I hjave never seen as many 7ft3 centers nail 10+ 3s in REC as I have already but at the time, it is still a blast to witness and play. It FEELS good. That is what we want, right?

VC. It is still there. It still haunts our wallets. I feel a lot of hate can be taken away from VC with a few remedies. Hear me out here.
2K comes out every TWO years. Keep that VC cycle going and last a little longer, also gives time to innovate and give new features time to cook.
Transfer VC from game to game. If I drop 20 dollars for 75k VC and don’t spend it all, it should come with me (or some cosmetics. Think Call Of Duty for this. CP travels between games).
Build reset. If I spent all this time and energy (and money) on a build and it ends up not being suitable for online, let me hit 90 OVR and use the “Rebirth” as a way to change my set up. That would save a bunch of headaches as well as that starting anxiety of creating a fresh start.

So should you buy it? Short answer. Yes. Remember I mention that key word at the start of this review. NBA 2K26 is an incredible game with a million features. The online portion is still as tough as ever (people will out pay you to be the best, keep that in mind), the franchise modes are as micromanagement as possible, and it looks freaking great. 2K keeps making steps to the ultimate experience that will eventually extend to us living in the City in virtual reality. Until then, 2K26 is a great video game for basketball enthusiasts from every league.