NBA 2K27
NBA 2K27
Game
Game2025
NBA 2K26
Developer Visual Concepts
NBA 2K26 is a 2025 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. Based on the National Basketball Association (NBA), it is the 27th installment in the NBA 2K series and is the successor to NBA 2K25 (2024) and the predecessor to NBA 2K27 (2026). The game was released for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on September… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
360 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
52
Mixed
148 positive · 134 negative
95% range 47–58%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 148 | 134 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 10 | 58 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
11,801 of 16,482 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
53% recommend · 116 yes, 101 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 217 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (21,675 of 33,728 positive).
Players praise the offline single-player experience as the series' best. [1][2][3] Many complain about aggressive microtransactions and a focus on monetization. [4][5][6] Some report being permanently banned without explanation. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
Do not buy this game if you value your time and progress. I was permanently banned after 150 hours of completely legitimate gameplay with no specific explanation. I was grinding Street Kings and Open Athletics to complete an in game specialization quest that 2K themselves put in the game, and their automated anti-cheat system flagged me for it. I submitted a detailed appeal explaining exactly what I was doing and …
- [5]
This is my first 2K game. I took the plunge after getting baited by some friends. The basketball itself is decent. My issue is with everything else. Every element of this game feels tailor made to waste your time and squeeze you for money. The multiplayer menu is an open world for no reason other than to waterboard you with advertisements. Do your weekly chores at the Gatorade™ Fitness Center for in-game player …
- [1]
Let me make something very clear. If you play this game for the single player campaign, you will not be disapointed. The gameplay is excellent. The balance between human and computer is extremely well balanced. I have not purchased a 2k NBA game for many years based on the reviews. I have skipped form NBA 2K13 to NBA 2K26, and despite a few minor issues off the court, the rest is so much better. If you are reviewing …
- [2]
Offline gameplay is at series pinnacle Coming from 2K24, the gameplay on offer (as of early 2026) is a marked improvement. Fast breaks are actually fast, stars play like stars & there's clear differentiation between players (speed, size, strength, etc.). I'd often smile at all the little moments and details, and by-and-large, the game runs smoothly (outside of the Steam Deck) using current-gen graphics. Locked in …
- [4]
I have really enjoyed two aspects of this game...my NBA franchise and black top. Both of these modea are worth the price of the game... Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING, is utter ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ trash. 90% of the game is 2K trying to get you to buy VC for your MyPlayer, there are constant updates for MyPlayer...it is so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ANNOYING TO UPDATE MY ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ GAME ONCE A ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ WEEK. I wish sports …
Summarised from 34 of the 298 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
The crowd is split on NBA 2K26: 116 recommend it, 101 don't. Which camp are you in?
Critics, per Wikipedia
IGN has rated the game an 8/10, praising its smooth gameplay. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated NBA 2K26 for "Sports Game of the Year" at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. By August 2026, the game sold over 12 million units.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 360 · most liked firstDo not buy this game if you value your time and progress. I was permanently banned after 150 hours of completely legitimate gameplay with no specific explanation. I was grinding Street Kings and Open Athletics to complete an in game specialization quest that 2K themselves put in the game, and their automated anti-cheat system flagged me for it. I submitted a detailed appeal explaining exactly what I was doing and identifying legitimate background programs like Discord and a RAM optimizer that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is legit trash. Been playing 2k for over a decade and every year it just gets worse. The AI in the game is perhaps the most offensive aspect of the game, save for the never-ending force feeding of micro transactions. Defensive switches are mindless and completely against what real basketball is like. Your teammates wont shoot the open looks, but in double coverage will attempt a step back that bricks off the backboard. Your player will randomly move in a direction you dont input. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Genuinely a hostile experience. That's the mantra. That's the title. 2k26 at its core is fine enough. It's one of those games that's satisfying until it's not. You get the hang of it, the execution of a perfect three pointer, the effective screen and fades. The fun of being your own player, with your own stats, and your own skills, the fun of being the manager of your chosen franchise with a draft starting from the bottom with the current roster. But beneath that, the floorboards are…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is my first 2K game. I took the plunge after getting baited by some friends. The basketball itself is decent. My issue is with everything else. Every element of this game feels tailor made to waste your time and squeeze you for money. The multiplayer menu is an open world for no reason other than to waterboard you with advertisements. Do your weekly chores at the Gatorade™ Fitness Center for in-game player power. Wear your State Farm hoodie for an XP boost. Watch this 2KTV MasterCard ad…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classic 2K, improve some things and ruin the other. Game feels like playing on rookie in all modes. No defense whatsoever, every court in park is infested with meta cheeser squads that use the same animations and same gameplan. One sits in corner while two others play endless pick n roll until defender eventually bumps into screener which is then followed by closed eyes 3. Even if you full contest it only registers as 4-10% contest which does nothing for offensive player. Constant crashes,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →refunded because this DEI ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ company picked the worst player in the history of the WNBA to be on the cover instead of the Best player to ever play the game Caitlin Clark.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Donovan Mitchell says his 46-point game was inspired by a kid talking trash to him on ‘NBA 2K26’ 🏀 "This kid pissed me off today … He called me washed up … He said he hasn't seen a highlight from me in a minute. I told him, 'We'll see’”
neutral · AI labelView post →NBA 2K26 might genuinely be one of the most aggressively lazy sports games ever made. I got it for $5 and still somehow have all this to say. The SECOND you launch the game you’re hit with an unskippable cinematic for a MyPlayer story nobody on planet earth asked for. Every menu has another animation. Another cutscene. Another forced pause. Another “look at our presentation” moment like they reinvented basketball. Brother I am trying to play a video game, not attend a corporate seminar. And…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me make something very clear. If you play this game for the single player campaign, you will not be disapointed. The gameplay is excellent. The balance between human and computer is extremely well balanced. I have not purchased a 2k NBA game for many years based on the reviews. I have skipped form NBA 2K13 to NBA 2K26, and despite a few minor issues off the court, the rest is so much better. If you are reviewing online play, I cannot comment.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let me be clear. I have been playing this game since 2k, back in 1999. I have played in Leagues on Console in the past. I get banned constantly in the forums for discussing the cheating issue on here because the MOD is a spineless 2K employed ♥♥♥♥. He KNOWS the problems with this game. Almost everybody (NOT ALL but MOST) that considers themself "elite" and "comp" in the Park, Theater, and Rec are cheating. One way or another they are cheating. 90-95% of the red plates are faker than Kim…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sometimes I boot up 2k, pop open a bottle of wine, take my clothes off and just shoot around with LeBron for hours
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2k please, I beg of you to add crossplay we need a bigger player pool. The game is dead because of the lack of players. You can't even find quality matches on PC. bring in Xbox and PS players the solution is that easy. No more wait times - which can be 30 mins+ or not at all finding a game. 2k if you want more more money add crossplay! More players = more money! Xbox and PS can play against both consoles, so why can't PC have the same opportunity. Just lazy for not adding it to be honest The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There couldn't be a more greedy company. A company that fixes VC glitches at lightning speed but doesn't address any other issues, all while being so focused on people's wallets. Cheats are still rampant and nothing happens. And by the way, ♥♥♥♥ that 50x rep arm sleeve. The game is full of legends. They've ruined our gaming experience. Enough of you treating this community like idiots just because you're unrivaled in basketball games. The community isn't innocent either; you're the ones who…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its not crossplatform which i didnt know so if you think this is crossplatform dont get it
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →got permanently banned for violating terms of service for no reason. never specifically explained what in the ToS i violated either. fix your ♥♥♥♥ game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're looking at this on sale and wonder if it's worth that 10 bucks? No, it isn't. It's a casino with a little basketball game attached. They don't care about the basketball, they don't care about you, they only care about getting kids addicted to their gambling apps.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good but make it crossplay so i can play with consol players
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a mycareer only player, I dont even touch the multiplayer experience, bought this game just cause of the playoff hype and now for some reason I got a permanent ban? I have no idea what is going, 2k please fix your game...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Upvote is mostly because there's an option to start the game in offline-only mode without Easy Anticheat, which makes the game load faster and play much more stable than normal. EA's games still force you to load their anticheat before you even get the choice to choose an offline mode. Obviously this doesn't mean anything if you actually care about online, personally I don't (especially not that money-grubbing lootbox mode). But if you just wanna play some basketball without a kernel-level…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a pay to win basketball MMORPG, if you like it or not. Because we have: - A virtual currency, buyable with real shmoney, that determines character stats, animations, clothes and everything basically - Seasons with season passes with 3 different tiers, that you have to pay for, no conversion - An unbelievable long grind if you don't want to spend anything - Daily quests for you to log in daily, as well as very long term quests that reward you with like a hat or some shi - A…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →WARNING THIS IS A ROBBERY! If you really like basketball simulation and have a little brain this is not the game for you. This is a game only for kids who like to play like iso monkeys and want to give money. Defense in this game does not exist, I literally stand in front of a player with my hands raised and 99 perimeter defense he has a maximum of 5% cover, another situation I jump the player has a red contest and still shoots lightly, is that normal? Not to mention the fade shots from half…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☐ Good ☑ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☑ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☑ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →> What’s worse is that despite him spending $32,000, he’s still not obtained all of the best cards in the game. This is ok, but balatro is gambling. > NBA 2K26 also releases on Setpember 5, 2025, which will make all of his purchases pretty useless if he was to move on to the next game. bruh
neutral · AI labelView post →Very bad optimization on CPU side. Even if you have top level hardware, it doesn't matter. During the gameplay, your pc fans turn to hairdryer.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought it on sale for 20 bucks. Bought it for offline play mainly. For that it's worth it. The new rythm shooting with stick is awesome easy to master when you found your custom jump shot. On sale i can recommend it but online, even on pc and console there's an cheating epidemic going on so beware. Graphics and animations this year are spot on. Easily the best looking 2K till today. Shooting is extremely easy compared to older titles though people still cheat like crazy. This…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →August 2025 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights Thread from Circana - NBA 2K26, Mobile, and Nintendo Switch 2 drove 11% spending growth in August when compared to a year ago, helping lift total projected spending across video game hardware, content and accessories to $4.7B.
neutral · AI labelView post →Offline gameplay is at series pinnacle Coming from 2K24, the gameplay on offer (as of early 2026) is a marked improvement. Fast breaks are actually fast, stars play like stars & there's clear differentiation between players (speed, size, strength, etc.). I'd often smile at all the little moments and details, and by-and-large, the game runs smoothly (outside of the Steam Deck) using current-gen graphics. Locked in with the right sliders (recommend "barons sliders"), using real-world tactics and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like modding 2k to make it as realistic as possible and playing myleague, other than that I wont touch anything else.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →anyway i am “reviewing” this “video game” when it “releases” so much as the definitions of any of those words can apply to NBA 2K26
neutral · AI labelView post →Fix this dumb ahh game. why do my settings reset every 3rd game?!?! constantly turns my meter back on and resets my animations. this game is trash dont waste your money.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well I play My Career and don't touch multiplayer so I can't comment on that, but I'm having a blast, have a full up roster of different builds for different moods, Only downside is the random freezes I get sometimes, Has caused me to lose a game when its the 4th quarter with just minutes left. All in all, I just smoke a bowl and play some basketball. Maybe y'all should try that. :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ghost of Yōtei was the third best-selling game in the US on PS5 in 2025 (behind NBA 2K26 and Battlefield 6) Via @matpiscatella.bsky.social (Circana) #PS5 #GhostofYotei #Battlefield6 #PlayStation
neutral · AI labelView post →It's very clear at this point...2k is not going to change. The game is just going to keep doing the same thing with minimal changes while ramping up the greed and just flat out bad choices over and over. The game is so lazily developed and thrown together, and it shows in so many ways unfortunately. 10+ years playing 2K, but at this point it just feels like a scam and nowhere near worth it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I will break it into two sections, Good and Bad thing about 2K26: Positive side: You will enjoy it. It is easy, and every build can be used without feeling left out on something overpowered ( apparat from steals). You feel rewarded for your effort. Shooting is easy and you can green everything if you time it correctly. Dunking is very over powered if used correctly. Being a lock is very easy. You can shove people away the 3 point line just having on ball menace badge on HoF or better. Just in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best basketball sim. Hands down. I don't care about the online part of the game. The single player experience is amazing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have really enjoyed two aspects of this game...my NBA franchise and black top. Both of these modea are worth the price of the game... Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING, is utter ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ trash. 90% of the game is 2K trying to get you to buy VC for your MyPlayer, there are constant updates for MyPlayer...it is so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ANNOYING TO UPDATE MY ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ GAME ONCE A ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ WEEK. I wish sports game would strop trying to fleece their customers....just make a game and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NBA 2K26 ups its game on Sept 5 with: 🏀 Lifelike player fidelity 🏟️ Arena atmosphere 💬 Energetic commentary 🎉 Vibrant pageantry Full details from 2K: play.st/4mzx53I
neutral · AI labelView post →i just need it to be cross play with console it takes to long to get in any game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've played the last two games on PC and have been utterly disappointed, 2k26 takes the cake though. I'm predominantly a REC player and that has become completely unplayable at this point. It's a split between the in game play being absolutely unpredictable and making no sense what so ever with random events always happening that don't make sense and the lack of ability you have to play defense in the game. Can't get 1 block to save your life no matter what your defensive ratting is. 90% of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game always crashes! Spent 2 weeks troubleshooting it with 2K and they had no solution. Now stuck with nothing and can't get a refund because I troubleshooted for more than 2 hours, which is over the max hours of game play for Steam. TERRIBLE...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's good if you just play story mode and ignore all the cheating PVP modes, you will get enough points by playing NBA games to upgrade your character over 90 without buying a bunch of VC, plus your challenges and endorsement awards. It's worth playing if you actually enjoy nba games and development of your character, not the 21 point tryhard Street games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The only thing not monetized in this game is the "Purchase VC" Confirmation Window. Expect that to be a paid feature in NBA 2K27. 10/10 will be milked by sports slop again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only play MyCareer. Gameplay feels way smoother than 2K25. Story has been improved. The city is smaller but doesn't lag and performance is smooth. I recommend getting the game on discount.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i used to hate basketball but when i played on a team IRL i really liked basketball so my grandpa bought this game and it was LIT and i loved it the graphics are amazing it is just a great game. And you can litaraly go into the past NBA and see Jerry West! JERRY WEST!and soooooo many more great retired NBA players
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is sorta fun sometimes. It mostly sucks. There's a reason this garbage is usually on sale for -86% off - Pay to win - Sluggish controls especially when playing online cross-platform with consoles - Crashes a lot or just freezes and needs to be ended in task manager - No way to reconnect to an online match, if the game crashes you get an automatic loss on your record - If you ALT-TAB during a match it's an automatic loss on your record - Playing online you are capped at 60 fps to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Same as every other 2k, just gave it positive review because I enjoy playing it with my brother.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great basketball game - monetized by actual goblins but that seems to be the state of affairs today.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Definitely the best 2K in a long time. Gameplay is smooth and does a great job at simulating the pace and stats of the modern NBA. They also added a bunch of players to classic teams as well. If you are interested in single player, this is one of the best titles in recent years.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#NintendoSwitchOnline members! From Aug 7 at 10am PT to Aug 13 at 11:59pm PT, you can download and try the NBA 2K26 game at no additional cost. Learn more: ninten.do/6012aEUE0
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't buy this game every year this was my 2nd NBA 2k game i bought and it is staggering how much pay to win is in this dogsht of a game. And you could say that's how it is every year but that not a valid reason why it should stay this bad. I will never buy any other game from them in the future. Offline game modes are limited and gets boring fast, online is full of pay to win players or just straight up cheaters. I will not waste any more money on this company's games anymore and neither…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →much better than recent installments just needs either crossplay or a larger player base
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This app is farm of money, it's a pay to win game. The whole game is bad overalll, this game dosent really feel responsive to your movement. overall, it can get fun at times. 6/10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun however it should be crossplay with console i cant play with my friends because of this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#NintendoSwitchOnline members! You can now download and try the full NBA 2K26 game at no additional cost until Aug 13 at 11:59pm PT. Learn more: ninten.do/6015a1Og7
neutral · AI labelView post →Game wasnt cross play and wasnt really a fan of the game because of that
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of the worst games ive ever played - yet its alright for 2k standarts. MyPlayer has no crossplay -> empty lobbys (noREC at all) toxic comunity and cheaters Middy Post Fades go crazy with ryhtm shooting. offline its alright and omg this game LAGS. it LAGS randomly and the only way to stop it is to restart games, even if you ingame
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TOO MANY CHEATERS, SERVERS ARE ♥♥♥♥, DEFENSE IS NONEXISTENT, SHOOTING IS SO EASY THIS YEAR
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I used to play NBA2K a lot on Playstation. And I always liked this game, but paying 60-70 euros every year is not for a new game, but really just for some kind of update. I took the opportunity to try this game on PC when it was free for a week and was really disappointed, there was nothing new that I should pay 70 euros for. I would not buy this game even if it was on sale, because 2k27 will come out soon and there will be no one to play this game with anymore. The worst thing was that I had…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Coming from someone that's enjoyed playing and watching basketball but had no familiarity with the NBA video games since NBA Jam this game has been massively frustrating. I'll be the first to admit I don't have any real idea how to handle my character but after having spent the past 6+ hours playing the MyCareer mode on the easiest difficulty and having major issues controlling my player and getting them to do what I want I'm calling it on this game. The player feels sluggish and clumsy, not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As an old-school player who only plays offline MyNBA full seasons, 2K is a great basketball experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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