NBA 2K23 is a popular topic in October, as it coincides with the start of the US pro basketball season. Although the game has been released since September 9, some players may wait until the new season to start playing. For those who are waiting, a guide to the game is available, including the trailer, player ratings, and features.
When Will We See the First NBA 2K23 Trailer?
The first NBA 2K23 trailer was released in early July, but it only confirmed Michael Jordan as one of the four cover stars. The first gameplay footage was released a couple of weeks later, and it is also available to watch. You can access all this information and more by using GR’s NBA 2K23 guide.
Can We Pinpoint the NBA 2K23 Release Date Yet?
Certainly. One advantage of annual sports titles is that their publishers tend to follow a consistent release schedule. For example, NBA 2K20 was released on September 6, 2019, while NBA 2K21 was released on September 4, 2020 (excluding the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, which were released in November). NBA 2K22 was released on September 10, 2021, and all of these dates fell within the first two weeks of September, and on a Friday.
Based on these past release dates, it was predicted that NBA 2K23 would also be released within the first two weeks of September. As predicted, NBA 2K23 was released on Friday, September 9, on several platforms including PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Were There NBA 2K23 Pre-order Rewards?
Inevitably, yes. Visual Concepts has also announced the five different versions of NBA 2K23, in addition to confirming its release date on Friday, September 9. You can check all of them on the official 2K Sports website. The great news is that no matter which version you choose, you will also receive these additional benefits:
- 5,000 Virtual Currency
- 5,000 MyTEAM Points
- 10 MyTEAM Promo Packs (delivered once a week)
- A Boost for each MyCAREER Skill type
- A Boost for each Gatorade Boost type
- Devin Booker MyPLAYER Jersey
- 95 Rated Devin Booker MyTEAM Free Agent Card
Who Is the NBA 2K23 Cover Star?
While not as hyped as the Madden 23 cover star, being selected as the box athlete for the 2K series is still a great privilege. Usually, more than one player is chosen for the honor. For NBA 2K21, Zion Willamson and Damien Lillard appeared on the cover of the current-gen and last-gen versions, respectively, while a Mamba Forever edition was created to honor the late Kobe Bryant. In the previous year, Luca Doncic and Candace Parker shared the honor, with Parker being the first female player to appear on the box.
This year, NBA 2K23 has four cover stars. The basketball legend Michael Jordan is featured on both the Michael Jordan Edition and Championship Edition, while female basketball legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are featured on the Gamestop-exclusive WNBA Edition. The contemporary favorite Devin Booker is on the cover of the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition.
Who’s on Top of the NBA 2K23 Ratings List?
Interestingly, BetUS, a US-based betting firm, opened a unique market towards the end of 2021, offering odds on NBA 2K23 player ratings. Customers could wager on whether a player’s overall score in the game would be higher or lower than what was suggested by BetUS. It’s important to note that there’s no evidence that they had access to any insider information, which would be against the law. However, they did release a list of their predicted top ten players in NBA 2K23.
- Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) – 97
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) – 97
- LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) – 96
- Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) – 96
- Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) – 96
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – 96
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – 96
- James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers) – 96
- Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) – 96
- Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) – 94
Did BetUS accurately predict the top ten players in NBA 2K23? To some extent, yes. They were only wrong about one player, Damian Lillard, who was replaced in the top ten by Ja Morant. The player ratings database was released by Visual Concepts in August prior to the game’s release in September, and the following were the top ten players according to their ratings:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) – 97
- LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) – 96
- Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) – 96
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – 96
- Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) – 96
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – 96
- Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) – 95
- Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers) – 95
- Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzles) – 93
- James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers) – 92
What New NBA 2K23 Features Are There?
Visual Concepts has made two major improvements to NBA 2K23. The first improvement involves artificial intelligence enhancements and improved controls, which allow every player build to feel more authentic. The second improvement is an increase in game accessibility. According to gameplay director Mike Wang, 2K basketball has always been about the simple fact that you can play the game using only two buttons. To achieve this goal, Visual Concepts has modified the shot feedback indicator, which only indicates the quality of your shot timing after the ball goes in or misses the hoop. The team takeover mechanic is less arcade-like, and jump shot animations have been modified to improve their appearance.
What Was on the NBA 2K23 Wishlist?
The Reddit NBA 2K forum is a valuable source of credible suggestions for improving the game series. Its moderators collect the best ideas and present them to the publisher, 2K, for consideration in the game. We compiled the top suggestions from the forum prior to the announcement of NBA 2K23. While fans were satisfied with the available modes, they desired gameplay adjustments that would take advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. JimboCruntz suggested that the game should be slowed down slightly to make player speed more realistic. He also recommended fixing the block mechanic to reduce the number of chase-down blocks and increase the number of blocks resulting from poor offensive choices. Additionally, rebounding should be improved to better reflect how NBA players react to the ball’s movement.
Remove speed boosters, he said further. “Players should practise dribbling instead of looking for random super-speed animations if they want to become dribble gods. Observe an NBA contest as well. Players don’t miss because Kawhi stands in their path at random; rather, he must play defence in order to defend. The green zone for firing should change in size AND location depending on the situation.
Indeed, when it came to adjusting the on-court action, better shooting was a recurring theme. EarvGotti stated that “open shots vs. contested shots need to be balanced a little more.” “Open shots are currently being made at an absurdly high rate, which is fine. But if that’s the case, there ought to be a greater penalty for challenged strokes. At the moment, guys are jumping really quickly when doing Base 3, Set Shot 25, and Base 98. On such a basis, contests don’t properly register. Shot competitions must be more robust in order to fairly penalise making poor shots as opposed to making successful shots. Please, if you guys produce one last patch for NBA 2K22, provide a boost to outside shot competitions.
There was a push to see more attention given to classic games over on Operation Sports (opens in new tab). Please give the historicals more attention, even though I know it’s not a top priority.KobeDropped81 implored, “The top three or four players from each vintage team, please. If necessary, pay a member of the modding neighbourhood. Over the past two years, incredible work has been done on Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki. It demonstrates that changes are conceivable. Why not devote the same time and energy to the other legends? Since NBA 2K16, the majority of these players have the EXACT SAME appearance. On the 2014 Clippers, why does DeAndre Jordan sport a lengthy ponytail and dreadlocks? Stephon Marbury as well? It doesn’t make sense.”
Will We See NBA 2K23 Cross-Play?
According to a recent FAQ, NBA 2K23 will allow progress to be transferred between consoles of the same family, such as PS4 to PS5 and Xbox One to Series X, but crossplay between different platforms will not be possible.
In May, EA tested crossplay in FIFA 22 between PS5 and Xbox Series X using Online Friendlies and Online Seasons and later confirmed that FIFA 23 and NHL 23 will support crossplay. Although EA does not develop a basketball game, there is no indication that NBA 2K23 will introduce similar technology in an upcoming update. However, Visual Concepts, the developers of NBA 2K, will need to consider crossplay if EA’s competing games achieve success with the feature. Perhaps crossplay could be included in NBA 2K24.
