The gameplay for NBA 2K25 will receive a major overhaul according to the development team, thanks in large part to ProPlay.
NBA 2K25 will release in a little over a month, as confirmed in July. There hasn’t been many details confirmed yet, but 2K and Visual Concepts have begun to fill in the blanks.
On August 1, the NBA 2K25 team unveiled the gameplay-themed Courtside Report. In it, the development team confirmed what’s ahead regarding gameplay changes.
According to the development team, this year’s game will look and feel significantly different.
The evolution of ProPlay and dribbling
Last year, 2K introduced ProPlay. ProPlay allowed the development team to take real game footage and translate into animations. It’s receiving an upgrade for 2024.
As part of the evolution of ProPlay, NBA 2K25 gameplay will include over 9,000 new animations, 1,500 dribbling animations, and 1,000 signature shots from most rostered players from this past NBA season. The gameplay team confirmed that the dribbling engine has been overhauled, which hadn’t been done in 15 years.
This new engine, per gameplay Mike Wang, will be more consistent, as it generates dynamic motion from real-world NBA action. And, it’ll be powered by ProPlay.
“The previous engine served us well…what the new dribble engine, the engine itself creating dynamically all the transitions and all the motions that you’re going to see…the best part about that is it’s not done by human error,” Wang told media in late July.
The 2K team also expanded on the dribble breakdowns from 2K24 with signature go-to shots. Players who hold the right stick up will get an explosive move or series of moves that will go towards the shot.
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To complement this and prevent locking into a shot, shot cancelling will be added. Wang stated that any of these shots can broken out by releasing the right stick, flicking it to do a dribble move, or driving with the left stick.
“It’s really going to allow players to do some amazing hesitation moves…and there’s really selling because we’re actually going to a shot,” Wang stated regarding the addition.
Shot timing has also been reworked, as low, normal, and high risk-reward settings have been added. These are shot timing profiles, which allow players to set the risk-reward for how shot timing affects missed shots. Wang told the media this will benefit those who want to customize their shooting experience.
Other additions to NBA 2K25’s gameplay include custom visual cues, a new defensive cutoff system activated by dynamically shifting the right stick, and pro-stick rhythm shooting, which allows for recreation of real players’ moves.
Early access plans for 2K25
2K also confirmed details for an early access period, a first in the PS5/Xbox Series X era of the game. Individuals who purchase the game before September 6 can play the title early, beginning on the 4th. This is part of 2K’s Early Access Tip-Off.
On top of that, the roadmap for 2K25 was also unveiled. MyCareer, MyTeam, and MyNBA details will be released later this month.
Be sure to check out what else has been confirmed for NBA 2K25.
