NBA 2K24’s city is better than ever, 2K’s VP of NBA development Erick Boenisch tells GLHF, with two new factions and a refined approach to rewards. Rep is back as well, with some improvements that give you more to think about when planning your character.
Boenisch says the team wanted to make a ‘fantasy vacation escape’ in the sports game, so they drew inspiration from Miami for NBA 2K24’s city and brought it to life with close attention to detail. Beaches and byways are full of people, lifeguards patrol the sands, and you’ll even find people playing casual ball on the sandy beach courts.
NBA 2K24’s factions are Rise and Elite, two rival teams with fantastically themed arenas Rise plays on an Atlantis-themed court, with extravagant statues and water motifs, and Elite sets up in a nightlife-inspired futuristic arena, with brilliant neon lights and, Boenisch says, “all the good vibes at night.”
You start as an unaffiliated player, so you’ve got time to check out which faction appeals to you the most before making your choice. The factions face off once per season, and the winning team gets little memorials scattered throughout the city that highlight top performers during the finals.
Boenisch says the rep system is more streamlined in NBA 2K24. You start as a rank 1 rookie and work your way to the top 10, but rep carries over every year now and no longer resets like it used to. Affiliating yourself with a faction earns you special rewards as you level up your rep, and what you get depends on which faction you joined. These rewards help boost certain performance stats, such as ball handling, so you might want to think of the broader picture for your custom player before choosing an alliance.
Finally, the city introduces a few new modes. One is Streetball Quest, a string of single-player matches against tough opponents with unique objectives, and you get takeover perks if you win. There’s also Starting 5, an online mode where you play against another player in your same position – a point guard, for example, or a power forward
NBA 2K24 launches for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC on Sep. 8, 2023. If you’re looking for more about the upcoming game, check out our coverage of its new features, the Mamba Moments mode, how WNBA has changed, and what to expect from MyCareer this time.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
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