Source: 2K Sports / Visual Concepts / NBA 2K25
It’s a new season, and 2K Sports promises that NBA 2K25 will deliver the “biggest changes” to the game’s engine in years.
Visual Concepts, the studio behind the NBA 2K basketball video game franchise, is all-in on its ProPlay technology, which it introduced in NBA 2K24 and will use to introduce tons of new animations into the game.
The studio is promising “the biggest change to our gameplay engine in many years,” plus an all-new dribbling system that will give players even more control than before and the ability to take ankles.
Using ProPlay, 2K says that “stops are higher, launches are more explosive,” bringing more lifelike movement to every inch of the court.
Offense On The Court Levels Up
What you can do offense in NBA 2K25 is taken to another level, thanks to many new mechanics. New tools like shot canceling, signature go-to shots, shot-timing profiles, Pro Stick rhythm shooting, and more make putting the ball in the basket even more fun and exciting.
ProPlay gives players a new weapon: signature go-to shots. Per 2K, this new feature allows players to pull off new dribble-into-shot combos directly copied from actual NBA footage. The moves can be executed by simply holding up on the Pro Stick.
Shot canceling will allow players to quickly transition from one shooting animation to the next, giving players another tool to elevate their offensive game.
Last year’s shooting mechanics were not a hit with players, but 2K is hoping to rectify that with shot-timing profiles. The new profiles allow players to customize their shot-timing windows.
Source: 2K Sports / Visual Concepts / NBA 2K25
New options allow players to customize their ideal jump shot by using shot-taking visual cues in an expansion of the Shot Creator suite.
It will allow players to customize where they release the ball in their custom animation, allowing them to get comfortable and in tune with the timing window and hit more shots in the green.
Utilizing the Pro Stick allows players to take advantage of rhythm shooting by pointing the Pro Stick down to start the shot and then up when the animation reaches its set point.
According to Visual Concepts, many people on the team found the new mechanic to be difficult before later appreciating it after using it for some time. They now have a hard time going back to the previous Pro Stick shooting mechanic.
Defense Is Also Improving
You can’t improve the offense in the game without ensuring the defense can keep up. NBA 2K25 introduces a new movement system that will give defenders movements similar to offensive players using the right stick.
Players can now make faster, tighter defensive cutoffs, allowing them to stay in front of Pro Stick all-star players.
To improve shot contention, a dynamic weighing system replaces the fixed one. Shot contests are now determined by defense coverage at the beginning of the shot.
Also, perimeter and interior defense and height play pivotal roles and determine the outcomes of the shots.
Visual Concepts is also trying to reduce your screaming at your AI teammates thanks to improvements that will provide better in-game mimicking of real-word spacing.
What that means is that your AI teammates should be where they are supposed to be while on the court based on what the offense is running.
New Tutorial System & Playbook Sharing
Source: 2K Sports / Visual Concepts / NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 will also feature playbook sharing, which will allow players to create and share their custom playbooks with the community.
Learn 2K, a new tutorial mode, will help players acclimate to all the new features and older gameplay mechanics.
Ahead of NBA 2K25’s launch, 2K has laid out a roadmap that details the game’s features and modes.
- Week of August 5: MyPlayer and MyCareer
- Week of August 12: MyNBA and The W
- Week of August 19: MyTeam
- Week of August 26: The City
- Week of September 2: Season 1 preview and 2KBeats soundtrack reveal
- September 4: Early access period begins
- September 6: Global launch of NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 sounds like a refreshed experience, and we look forward to picking up the sticks when this game drops.
You can watch the official gameplay trailer below.