NBA 2K26 not only brings gameplay improvements, but it’s also expanding the MyCAREER mode. It goes beyond on-court grind into a more narrative-focused Career mode. Overall, it’s much better than what we had in NBA 2K25.
Passion Projects is one such feature in MyCAREER mode where your agent manages your off-court opportunities. They are a fun and unique side-objective in MyCAREER mode, but it has gotten a lot of players confused.
This is your ultimate guide on how to complete your passion projects and unlock the rewards that you are passionately grinding for.
Solution to the Tier 6 Problem: A lot of players are getting stuck on Merchandise Tier 6, where it asks you to complete your Passion Project, but there is no Passion Project to complete. If that’s the case, all you need to do is play 1-2 official matches and make sure you have completed 2 out of the 6 key games.
What Are Passion Projects
In NBA 2K26, Passion Projects are basically side-quests that run parallel to the MyCAREER mode. In simpler terms, these are opportunities that the agent works on, and you have to complete objectives to be able to profit from that opportunity.
They mainly exist to improve and enhance the narrative side of MyCAREER as well as give you fun and exciting rewards. A good example is the challenge to recruit NBA stars — such as Cade Cunningham — to join or found your own Club League.
It basically adds more layers to your career progression beyond just game stats and basic endorsement deals.
How Passion Projects Work
Passion Projects are built into the “Out of Bounds” storyline of MyCAREER mode. It’s an overarching arc of the MyCAREER storyline where you take a player from a small-town player to an NBA star. As you progress, your agent sets up projects that parallel your court performance.
They are usually in the form of objectives or side quests that you need to complete to complete that Passion Project. They are quite different from standard career milestones, like scoring a certain number of points. Passion Projects require specific missions, like recruiting club teammates or meeting certain performance thresholds.
Passion Projects are tied to Merchandising Tiers. We will talk about how to unlock them later. But you get your first Passion Project after completing your Merchandising Tier 1. The process keeps repeating: you complete a tier, and a Passion Project unlocks.
Of course, both tiers and Passion Projects help progress the story and give you some exciting rewards.
Passion Projects are agent-driven. Your agent manages your off-court opportunities and presents you with these Passion Projects. So, sometimes if you are not getting Passion Projects, just wait for a while, and your agent will reach out to you.
Steps To Complete A Passion Project
Passion Projects are straightforward in theory but can feel tricky in practice because they depend on a mix of gameplay performance, story triggers, and agent interactions.
To get started, you first need to unlock Media Availability, or in simpler words, Endorsements. To do that, you need to complete ‘’Franchise Player: Become A Starter,” where you need to outperform your teammate two times.
Completing that objective will unlock Media Availability, then just go and meet your Agent, and he will give you the first Merchandising Tier.
How To Complete Passion Projects
Upon reaching Merchandising Tier 1, you will need to complete its objective. These objectives are mainly done in the open court.
Once you are in the open court, you will get “Dion’s Challenges”. These are required to progress. These challenges are very specific, like assisting a teammate on a basket. Just wins won’t count; you need to complete these challenges.
Once you have completed the challenges that complete your Merchandising Tier 1, you will get a text from your agent. Go ahead and meet with him, and you will unlock Passion Projects. Then, just talk with him, and you will get your first Passion Project objective.
Now, all you need to do is complete the Passion Project Objective. The objectives are quite simple, like talking to a certain player.
Passion Projects and Merchandising Tiers go hand in hand. You complete a Merchandising Tier, and the next Passion Project will unlock, as well as the next tier. First, complete the Passion Project, and then the next tier to unlock the next Passion Project.
You don’t need to get confused, as when you complete a tier or Passion Project, you will be reached out to by either your agent or teammate, talking about the next steps.
Rewards You Can Expect
You are probably asking yourself if the grind is even worth it. Well, the answer is yes, and here are the rewards you can expect.
| Reward Type | Details |
| VC (Virtual Currency) | VC is the main currency in NBA 2K26, and of course, completing any quests or projects will reward you with some. |
| Endorsement Progress & Reputation | Completing these projects helps unlock higher-tier endorsement deals, increasing your MyPLAYER’s fame and earning potential. |
| Story/Cutscene Unlocks | Many Passion Projects trigger key narrative moments, offering immersive cutscenes and storyline progression in the Out of Bounds arc. |
| Access to Higher Merchandising Tiers | These projects are tied to endorsement tiers, meaning completing them pushes your MyCAREER progression. |
Tips To Complete Passion Projects Easily
Despite being an interesting part of MyCAREER, Passion Projects can get a bit grindy, so here are some tips to help you complete them easily.
Play To The Objective, Not Just The Scoreboard
Everyone wants to be the ace of their team. However, Passion Projects have specific requirements that you need to complete to progress. Winning or scoring more baskets won’t help you progress.
Instead, focus on the key objectives. For example, if a project requires assists to Colby Starks, prioritize running plays that get him open. Just focus on completing the trigger requirements to move the story forward.
Use Game Settings To Your Advantage
If you are struggling to complete a specific objective, then you can try lowering the game difficulty to make things easier. Another thing you can do is increase the quarter length to give you more opportunities and time to complete the quest.
Be Patient With Story Triggers
More often than not, even if you complete the requirements or quests, the next project might not show up. This is a key problem in Tier 6, where the objective of the tier is to complete your passion projects, but you don’t have a passion project to complete.
This type of thing will happen quite often, where you won’t see the next project. In this case, just play a few of your season games, and the next trigger will happen automatically.
