Visual Concepts and NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton gave fans a first look at the massive changes coming to The City in NBA 2K26. This year, Visual Concepts has focused on creating a more accessible and competitive hub, bringing a host of new features to the virtual streets. The City, a central pillar of the NBA 2K experience, now allows players to get into the action faster than ever.
“The City has become the epicenter of NBA 2K and basketball culture,” said Erick Boenisch, VP of NBA Development at Visual Concepts. “Ever since the introduction of the Park in 2K14, it has been our dream to create a place where players can chase the win through competition, community, and status. With things like our new accessible layout, leaderboards, and the new Crews feature, The City is built to give players the opportunity to put Ball Over Everything.”
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Changes to The City experience in NBA 2K26
The revamped City features a more intuitive layout designed for speed and convenience. Players can now see almost every key location from their current position, making it easy to navigate and jump into a game. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, The City runs at 60 frames per second for the first time. The developers shared that this has greatly impacted the game’s visual performance and delivers more fluid movement and camera panning, enhancing the overall experience.
For those who love the classic Park experience, NBA 2K26 brings it back with a seasonal twist. Every season, a new Park will be introduced, including stunning HD remasters of the four iconic NBA 2K16 MyPARKs. These environments feature a more realistic, grounded aesthetic. Players can chase the title of Park MVP, go on a hot streak to get their name immortalized on the court, or earn a streak-breaker bonus by ending another team’s winning streak. For Season 1, players will compete in the brand-new Skyline Park, a vibrant urban locale.
Watch the Trailer
New Competition In The City
NBA 2K26 introduces all-new Crews, allowing players to team up with friends and build their community. Players can create a Crew with their own custom logo and level up together, with rosters of up to 50 members. As Crews complete weekly goals, they will rise through 30 different levels and unlock exclusive rewards like branded Crew clothing, custom logos, and VC or REP multipliers.
The quest for glory extends to the all-new leaderboards and statues scattered across The City. These leaderboards highlight the top players in a variety of categories. A 12-foot statue of the number one-ranked MyPLAYER in each mode will appear outside of that mode’s building, offering the ultimate bragging rights. The new Geo Rank leaderboard also lets players see how they stack up against the best players in their region, earning a custom show-off flair. Crew leaderboards show everyone which team rules The City.
New Features and Refined Modes
But NBA 2K26 isn’t just about the main hub. The upcoming game will add two new competitive modes to keep players engaged.
The Pro-AM Summit: This takes place twice a season, features 3v3 and 5v5 tournaments with elite rewards for winning teams.
Street Kings mode: This mode lets players hone their skills by battling against skilled CPU bosses in a single, conveniently located Roman-inspired arena, which replaces the scattered Streetball courts from last year’s game.
Changes to MyPLAYER coming in NBA 2K26
- New Challenges: Compete in all-new Beginner, Daily, Seasonal, and Lifetime challenges to earn rewards and progress your player.
- Build Swapping: Easily swap between different MyPLAYER builds without having to leave The City.
- Updated MyCOURT: Work on your game in a dedicated space with new features and a place to display your accomplishments.
