There’s a version of an NBA game that doesn’t care about realism. It doesn’t care about simulation accuracy, broadcast packages, or whether your franchise mode spreadsheets are perfectly optimized. It just wants you on your feet, yelling at the screen, and hitting one more ridiculous move before the buzzer. That’s the space NBA The Run operates in, and after getting hands-on with it, the identity comes through immediately.
What stands out right away is how intentional the path to this game has been. This didn’t start as an NBA project. Play by Play Studios had the foundation back in 2021, but it wasn’t until 2024 that they secured the NBA license, followed by the Players Association in 2025. Now in 2026, everything has aligned into a fully realized version of NBA The Run to be realized this summer.
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It’s also coming from a team of fewer than 20 developers, many with backgrounds tied to Madden and NBA Street. You can feel that influence, not just in how the game plays, but in how it prioritizes energy over everything else.
NBA The Run has had a long journey.
The core loop is built around 3v3 matchups that move quickly and don’t waste time getting to the fun part. Controls are simple enough to pick up almost immediately, but there’s enough going on under the surface to keep you engaged. Special moves, dribbling chains, and character-specific abilities give you room to experiment without overwhelming you.
It doesn’t take long before you start figuring out your style, and once you do, that’s when the game really starts to open up. Before long, you realize that defense can be as fun as offense, 3 pointers aren’t the only pathway to win games, and the next round is another opportunity to improve your playstyle.
One of the stronger impressions from the session was how distinct each player feels. Shot timing, guarding, passing, stamina bar, dunks, and more factor into who you decide to bring to the court. Abilities and stats are tuned to reflect real playstyles, and that carries over into Rookie variants as well.
They’re not just visual swaps; they push you to approach matchups differently and encourage exploration. Rookie LeBron James isn’t the same player as the current LeBron, from the stats down to the character models.
The launch roster sits at 32 players, with unlockables like IP Legends mixed in. Bobbito García is part of that lineup, and his presence on commentary gives the game an extra layer of personality that fits the tone they’re going for. Coupled with famous courts from around the world, you’d be hard-pressed to find two tournaments that play the same.
Each player in NBA The Run is unique to the team.
The main mode, Knockout (KO), is where everything comes together. Matches are built around a 3v3 tournament structure where winners play winners and losers play losers, keeping games competitive regardless of skill level. What keeps it fresh are the rule changes between rounds.
Some matches lower the score cap, others boost dunk values, and each tweak forces you to adjust how you play. It keeps things unpredictable without feeling random for the sake of it. You’re constantly adapting, which makes every run feel just a little different from the last.
There are a few ways to approach it, depending on how you want to play. You can jump into KO Squads and control a single player alongside others, or take on KO Solos where you’re running the full team yourself. There’s also a KO Friends option to set up private tournaments, whether that’s playing with 48 friends or filling things out with AI.
One of the smarter touches is how the game handles disconnects. If someone drops mid-match, the system fills in with AI so the flow doesn’t break. Having experienced a disconnected player during the playtest, the At keeps everything moving, which matters a lot in a mode built around momentum.
Instead of leaning into the usual card pack grind, NBA The Run takes a different approach. There are no microtransactions at launch, and progression is tied to performance. More importantly, developers were adamant that this has been their intention from the start and will continue to be top of mind moving forward.
NBA The Run will launch with no microtransactions.
For in-game currency, you earn Cred based on performance and use it on cosmetics you actually want, banners, throwback jerseys, taunts, and other customization options. There’s no randomness to fight through, and no pressure to chase things you don’t care about.
After every game, players are awarded experience to level their Rank. Rank runs from 0 to 50, with a mastery system after that, unlocking additional content along the way. It’s straightforward and lets the focus stay where it should: on playing. In a world full of battle passes, it is breathe of fresh air.
The developers are clearly paying attention to feedback. Additions like Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard came directly from community response. The team is already talking about what could come next: legends, WNBA players, even celebrities, depending on how players engage with the game.
That approach carries into the technical side too, with crossplay, rollback netcode, and anti-cheat all in place from the start. It’s the kind of foundation that doesn’t just react to current expectations, but tries to stay a step ahead of them, so the experience doesn’t feel like it’s constantly catching up after launch.
Streetball is back with NBA The Run.
What stuck with me most is how easy it is to get pulled into another run. The 15-minute KO tournaments make it even worse in the best way. They are quick enough that you never feel locked in, but just long enough that every decision matters. Matches move fast, but there’s always something to tweak, something to try, or a different way to approach the next game. It builds that loop naturally, without forcing it.
If you’re a basketball fan, NBA The Run is the game you’ve been waiting for. Not in the “hyper-real sim” sense, but in the “just let me play one more run” sense: fast, readable, and constantly giving you a reason to stay in. For a small team, it’s a focused vision, and one that already feels comfortable in its own lane.
And players won’t have to wait long to get their hands on the sticks, as sign-ups are open now for NBA The Run’s first closed beta playtest, running this Friday, May 1, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM PDT on Steam. Sign-ups are open now.
NBA The Run launches in June 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
