NBA fans, it’s time to gear up because it’s finally your time to shine. We’ve seen 2K Games release several sports games throughout the year, but they all pale in comparison to the hype around NBA 2K26. As always, fans will receive the mandatory play testing through Early Access before the full game is released.
But when is Early Access set to release? How long will it be? And how can you get your hands on it? These are all questions we’ll be answering today, so stick around to make sure you don’t miss out.
NBA 2K26 Early Access Release Date
Early Access for NBA 2K26 will begin August 29 at noon ET. This is a great time to familiarise yourself with the game before it’s released to the public. The full game will release on September 5, giving fans seven days of Early Access. It is still unclear whether progress from Early Access will be carried forward to the full launch, since 2K Games has not specified it.
Early Access might sound fun, but it doesn’t come cheap. You’ll need to pre-order either the NBA 2K26 Superstar or Leave No Doubt edition to be eligible for Early Access. Not only that, but players who purchase these editions will also receive several other goodies, like packs and in-game currency. Both of these editions can be found on their website alongside everything else you’ll receive upon pre-ordering either edition.
For hardcore fans of the NBA 2K series, this is a must-have to get that edge over the competition.
Will The ‘New Zealand Trick’ Work For NBA 2K26?
The New Zealand Trick will not work for NBA 2K26. Due to a global release date, players all over the world will have access to the game at the same time. For those unaware of this tactic, it’s basically where you change your console’s region to New Zealand due to it being 16 hours ahead of the US.
Since NBA 2K26 is on a global release, no region will have access before the others, so no need to get your hopes up. The release time is set for August 29 at noon ET, and that’s when the global release will happen across all time zones.
