2K Sports has provided a bevy of information up to this point on the new-gen offering on the court, and the last bit of information comes courtesy of a Courtside Report covering everything MyPlayer and a slew of A.I. improvements. So what’s new with the build-a-star mode?
Customization at the forefront is 2K’s goal, and first on the chopping block are presets for each kind of player. Now you have full control over every statistic, though there are still limitations based on your height, weight, and point cap. You won’t be able to max out every individual stat, but you’ll be able to better craft a baller that matches your unique playstyle.
There are also a bevy of new badges, many reimagined from the ground-up for new-gen. Whether you want to be a standing dunk specialist in traffic or a player who shoots from well beyond the arc and sinks deep threes, there’s something for everyone. Visual Concepts shared this list as a sampling of the new or revised badges available:
- Fearless Finisher – Boosts contact layups and decreases fatigue
- Heat Seeker – Boosts takeover progress on inside shots
- Highlight Film – Boosts teammate takeover progress on flashy dunks
- Hook Specialist – Boosts hook shot ability
- Revived Posterizer – Contact dunks!
- Rise Up – Boosts ability to do standing dunks in traffic
- Anti-Freeze – Harder to get cold and lose takeover meter progress
- Blinders – Less affected by peripheral defenders when shooting jumpers
- Circus Threes – Improved ability to hit pull-up and stepback 3’s
- Fade Ace – Boosts all post fadeaways
- Hot Shot – Increases takeover meter faster when knocking down jumpers
- Deep Threes – Dame and Curry range 3 balls
- Rhythm Shooter – Boosts shot %’s out of size-ups as well as 1-step pull-ups
- Set Shooter – Shooting ability gets better the longer you set and wait before pulling
- Sniper – Boosts the ability to hit shots when using Pro Stick aiming
- Stop & Pop Three – For the JJ Redicks who want to pull-up for threes in transition
- Bullet Passer – Gives you the ability to throw laser dots like LeBron
- Relay Passer – Boosts the shooter on pass to assist situations
- Special Delivery – Boosts takeover progress for the passer and receiver off a flashy pass assist
- Ankle Braces – Makes it tougher for ball handlers to break your ankles
- Clutch Defender – Boosts your defensive ratings in clutch moments
- Hot Stopper – Boosts takeover meter for good defensive plays like steals, blocks, and good contests
If you want to know what’s on the outs, here’s what didn’t make the cut, either because they no longer fit or were made redundant: Consistent Finisher, Contact Finisher, Cross-Key Scorer, Fancy Footwork, Fastbreak Finisher, Deep Hooks, Pick & Roller, Relentless Finisher, Showtime, Deep Fades, Flexible Release, Hot Start, Pick & Popper, Pump Fake Maestro, Range Extender, Quick Draw, Steady Shooter, Pass Fake Maestro, Flashy Passer, Lob City Passer, Lightning Reflexes, and Moving Truck.
Takeovers, abilities you can gain when you get hot and, well, take over games, are back in new-gen, but they’ve evolved from eight archetype-based takeovers into twenty-four separate abilities. You can do things like See The Future and know where missed shots are going to land or have Limitless Range and make shots from your team’s logo at half court. You’ll be provided with the ability to set a multi-tier primary and secondary Takeover once you’ve completed your vitals and stats. If you wait for your takeover meter to reach both the primary and secondary, you’ll be provided with a longer, more powerful boost with both abilities.
All of this comes alongside many A.I. improvements – from improving player switching off the ball to enhancing the logic for A.I. defenders to get into position and take charges head-on. The biggest improvement on the offensive side of the ball is called Next-Gen Game Planning. You can plan your team to target only the best players with things like Pick and Rolls through the On The Fly Coaching panel (OTFC). The Adaptive Coaching Engine takes it from there and sets up the plans to match the strategy you’ve called out.
You can read the full Courtside report here.
Excited for all of these enhancements? NBA 2K21 hits the new-gen courts on launch day for each new console – November 10 for the Xbox Series X/S and November 12 for the PlayStation 5 in North America.
Source: Game Informer
