The warm up is behind and the field awaits. The season’s standout virtual basketball experience returns, brought to life by 2K and Visual Concepts. A few days once felt like a wide gap, yet today players dive into a hyper-real basketball world with fresh mechanics, vivid detail, all-new animations, the return of the much anticipated “Jordan Challenge,” a thriving online community, and more. Seasons come with rewards, music, and challenges that invite players to compete and win.
another time delivery
As always, plenty of options exist, but the crown jewel remains the My Career mode, now supported by a suite of compelling side features. In years past, the career path centered on an influencer mindset inside the NBA who had to prove athletic worth. This edition changes that dynamic. Players choose their position in the NBA Draft, but not everyone will cheer the pick—the challenge is to earn the locker room’s trust and win over the city as they prove their true value.
Visual Concepts refines the format that first emerged on next-generation consoles. The experience expands with the GOAT Boat, offering more space and new missions. On cutting-edge platforms, players shape the fate of their digital alter ego in a vast, living hub known as The City. This installment builds a city where players roam to customize their avatars, challenge others online, and interact with the career mode through activities, missions, secondary challenges, weekly and seasonal events, and a broad catalog of cosmetic items for My Player. The addition of jerseys from the Spanish national team adds a vivid detail to the dressing options.
Any activity in the shared playground yields rewards that enrich the overall experience, including a streamlined fast-travel system to navigate the expansive map. Another welcome enhancement is stepping into the stadium and engaging in pre-game moments, interacting with the press, and other authentic scenarios that deepen immersion.
My team
Apart from the career journey, the game offers another staple dish: MyTeam. This mode receives fresh features and updated items, including rewards and Starter cards. This season invites players to lead through a curated roster, with options to select stars such as Ja Morant, Jimmy Butler, or Joel Embiid. Cooperative Triple Threat Online returns, while contracts are removed to encourage teamwork in online 3v3 modes. Players can now trade cards from beyond their 13-man squad within a global Showcase Mission. A new method to earn a top player through each series comes via completing a team Trophy Case.
Expansion of women’s basketball
The lineup also highlights the WNBA, which debuts The W, a refreshed look at women’s basketball. This season introduces new ways to explore the league’s growth, challenges, and fresh content. Each Season adds six weekly goals for the community to pursue together. If the group reaches the aggregate goal across four of six weeks, all players receive a reward. Advancing to level 10 in League Popularity within The W unlocks two extra slots for Expansion Squads, enabling city selection, arena building, logo creation, and uniform design. Players can join the All-Star team and participate in the Commissioner’s Cup as well. The WNBA experience this year stands as a highly engaging way to explore basketball culture.
A pleasure to play and watch
The classic gameplay elements are also revised and refined. The My NBA mode introduces Era-based variations that conjure iconic moments with legends and classic teams, offering a chance to rewrite or witness NBA history. This mode acts like a time machine, allowing solo play or a shared experience with friends as players relive or reshape pivotal moments from the sport’s past. Time periods like the Jordan Era or the Kobe era receive distinct updates to recreate the period’s atmosphere. A new filter system mimics the original television presentation, enhancing the nostalgic feel while preserving modern playability.
The game reimagines its 1980s era with tighter transition lanes and a focus on inside scoring when the modern three-point attempts were less prevalent. Watching Jordan’s journey, it’s striking how his feats become even more impressive when replayed under different conditions. The presentation remains unmatched in its graphic fidelity, with a soundtrack that continues to satisfy fans. The visuals, shadows, sweat, and overall fidelity push realism forward, while AI revisions deliver actions that align with plausible real-game scenarios. AI-controlled teammates react more intelligently, positioning themselves correctly, applying pressure, contesting shots, and pursuing rebounds with a new level of sophistication.
save your strength
The defensive system has been overhauled for a more natural feel, with tougher on-ball pressure and smarter pursuit of rebounds. Player archetypes now offer smoother gameplay, new signature moves, and more authentic animations. The most notable addition this year is a set of shot-specific stats that influence shot effectiveness. A new suite of meters and attachments—five new meters plus fifteen unlockables across Seasons—adds depth to on-court decisions. The Pro Stick gains enhanced precision with new combo moves that broaden scoring and dribbling options. Dunks can be executed with exact timing to match the intended effect.
Compared with earlier skill moves and Adrenaline Attacks, combos provide greater ball control and scoring potential. Adrenaline Charges—three buffs consumed during explosive starts—prevent excessive dribbling, preserving balance. The Team area receives a redesign for a shared counter among all members, while primary and secondary zones remain in place. Overall, the changes deliver a more cohesive, strategic basketball experience.
Results
Visual Concepts and 2K have written a fresh chapter for the series, expanding space for the WNBA audience, refining player AI, updating rosters, and delivering a richer mix of modes and historical teams. The game maintains strong visuals, improved performance, and a layered, believable basketball atmosphere. NBA 2K23 stands as a vibrant, responsive, and highly playable entry in a long-running series.
- Title: NBA 2K23
- Genre: Sports
- Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- Producer: 2K
- Distributor: 2K
- Multiplayer: Yes
- PEGI: +3
- Price: consult