NBA 2K26 is attempting to push the franchise further into the future of sports gaming with a bold new gameplay reveal. At the center of it all is a major leap forward in realism, driven by the evolution of ProPlay and a completely overhauled motion system that promises to make every dribble, shot, and screen feel more authentic than ever.
Of course, these are big promises. And it’s not like developers and publishers don’t always push gameplay “innovations” to the forefront of their games’ marketing each year. Do I have my concerns? Well, yes, especially considering this game is still releasing on older hardware such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Regardless, the gameplay reveal for NBA 2K26 looks promising at face value, so we’ll go off that.
In this article, we’ll summarize our impressions of the NBA 2K26 gameplay reveal trailer, as well as what’s talked about in the Courtside Report.
Better Motion Is A Sticking Point
Building on the foundation that has been laid over the course of the franchise’s last two games, 2K26 intends to introduce a completely rebuilt ProPlay motion engine. Using real NBA footage, this new animation system animates every movement to resemble what you see in real life in as close to a 1:1 ratio as possible. And, to be fair, I can totally see this working exactly as intended.
For as much grief as I’ve given the 2K series over the years for being one of the most shamelessly pay-to-win games on the market, at its core, there’s an extremely good basketball game in there — one could even call it great. When it comes to realism and animations, NBA 2K has long been ahead of all of its competitors in the sports gaming market. So this kind of “lifelike movement” sales pitch is something I have no problem buying into.
So long as the days of “skating” down the court are over, I’m completely cool with 2K implementing a wholesale change when it comes to motion.
Rhythm Shooting And Shot Control Are Supposedly Better
2K has supposedly refined the shooting system for NBA 2K26. First up is rhythm shooting, which now emphasizes tempo and timing more than previous titles. Fast flicks create quicker releases, while slower inputs generate more deliberate motions. This should allow shooters to adjust on the fly, while also coming with its share of caveats.
Shot timing across all modes has also been overhauled. In most competitive settings, it’s now green-or-miss, which I’m not sure how to feel about. Yes, I understand that the community will want perfect shot timing to be rewarded in competitive modes. But green-or-miss just feels so absolute, and I prefer a bit of nuance in my games.
When I’m playing MLB The Show 25 and I get a perfect out, it certainly stings. But this happens in real-life baseball all of the time. The same applies to basketball. Yes, a perfectly weighted shot will almost always sink. But lousy shots that bounce big off the rim find their way in, too. Does anybody remember that Kawhi Leonard shot in the playoffs? Or what happened to the Knicks against the Pacers a few months back? I feel eliminating these shots is a net negative and removes some of the fun, but I’m not a crazy online guy in 2K anyway, so maybe this isn’t made for me.
Beyond that, layup timing has been made to be permanently enabled, which should create a skill gap even for players who prioritize interior play. So, I guess that’s a decent compromise.
Defense And Physicality Are Priorities
Anybody who’s watched the NBA over the last few seasons has surely noticed that long-range jumpers are in style. However, physicality still plays a massive role, which is why Nikola Jokic has emerged as one of the more dominant players in recent memory.
Looking to capture this omnipresent aspect of basketball, NBA 2K26 has made changes to defense that rely less on guessing and more on reacting. With improved collision detection and system-driven body-up mechanics, defenders can now engage in more organic and reliable physicality. Interior defense has been tuned for stronger aerial contests, and rebounders can now time their jumps more effectively by using a new green feedback meter.
There are other things that have been promised, such as smarter AI and coaching tools. But those are best left for a more detailed breakdown on what single-player gameplay in NBA 2K26 will look like.
