NBA 2K Is Selling Us the Same Game Every Year — And We Keep Buying It

Why NBA 2K Keeps Playing in Our Faces — Bring Back NBA Live Already

I’m writing this as somebody who’s been playing 2K since the Dreamcast days. I’m not new here. And yet somehow, every single year, 2K finds new ways to make me feel like I’m paying $70 to get annoyed. The latest? NBA 2K26 is adding a layup meter. Yes, a layup meter.

Now I don’t know if the people running 2K actually play basketball, but for those unfamiliar: a layup is supposed to be the easiest shot in the game. That’s what the word “high percentage” is for. But now, thanks to some marketing guy trying to justify his job, we’re supposed to time layups like it’s a green-release three from the logo.

Let me be clear: this isn’t about realism. This is about control and engagement statistics. 2K loves adding unnecessary difficulty so that casual players get frustrated and either spend more VC or log more hours. But it’s not just that — it’s the fact they keep doing this thing where they take away features just to bring them back like it’s a new invention.

Anybody remember when 2K took out basic dunk animations a few years back, only to “reintroduce” them in 2K22 like they just came up with something groundbreaking? Or how MyPark turned into The Neighborhood, then turned into The City, and now we basically need a tour guide just to play a pick-up game?

That’s been the pattern for years. They strip down the game, sell us half a product, then six months later drop a “season update” with features we had back in 2K17 — but now it’s a “brand-new gameplay experience.”Honestly, it’s exhausting. And I know somebody reading this is thinking, “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.” Fair. But here’s the problem: what other option do we have? NBA Live used to be that option. I’ll say it again — bring back NBA Live.

Say what you want about Live’s graphics or how clunky it felt sometimes, but at least they weren’t running the same three-year-old engine under a new name. NBA Live kept things simple. You picked up the controller and actually hooped. You didn’t have to worry about whether your player’s shirt was giving you a +2 speed boost, or whether your MyCareer cutscene was bugged. It was basketball.

That’s all I want. A basketball game that feels like basketball, not like a second job. 2K doesn’t care about the gameplay like they used to. The focus is all on VC now. Every little thing costs extra. You want to get your MyPlayer right? That’s $50 on top of what you already paid. And don’t get me started on how every mode feels like a grind just to get basic animations and gear you used to have access to on Day 1.

I really miss the days when Live was still in the conversation. It kept 2K honest. Now? 2K’s basically running around unchecked. They know we’ll buy it because there’s nothing else. And now they’re out here trying to convince us that making layups harder is some new feature. It’s a slap in the face to long-time fans. Honestly, there’s only so many years you can keep doing this before people start walking away. Madden’s already feeling that heat. It wouldn’t surprise me if 2K’s next.

Bottom line: I’m tired of the copy-paste cycle. I’m tired of paying full price for a half-finished game. And I’m definitely tired of layup meters. 2K, if you’re reading this: we don’t need more gimmicks. We need gameplay. We need real basketball. And we need NBA Live back, just to keep y’all humble.

Check out my video regarding this now via Youtube

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