NBA 2K23’s new gameplay enhancements improve shooting, takeovers, and AI

Developer Visual Concepts and 2K Games unveiled the new gameplay enhancements featured in NBA 2K23, which include changes to shooting and takeovers.

2K Games formally unveiled NBA 2K23 earlier this summer, with a reveal that named Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker as the cover athlete.

The latest title in the long-running sports franchise hits store shelves this coming September. It’ll launch across all major platforms, too, though some features remain exclusive to current-gen consoles.

NBA 2K’s The City hub counts as one such exclusive, as it will only release across PS5 and Xbox Series X|S hardware.

2K Games outlines NBA 2K23’s gameplay enhancements

On the heels of showcasing the first look at NBA 2K23 gameplay last week, a 2K Games press release has unveiled the franchise’s latest innovations.

The new enhancements should drastically improve upon AI, shooting, takeovers, and much more, as detailed below:

• Shooting: This year’s major change is the addition of shooting attributes, which give each signature jump shot its own unique shooting stats that help determine its effectiveness. There are also five new shot meters to choose from, with 15 more that can be unlocked through Seasons over the coming year.
• Pro Stick Enhancements: New Gesture Combos have been added to the Pro Stick, introducing a lot of new weapons for both shooting and ball handling for playmakers. Dunking also received new commands, ensuring players dunk exactly how they want without accidentally firing off an unexpected skill dunk.
• Skill Moves & Adrenaline Boosts: New gesture combos give players even more ball handling and shooting options for their offensive arsenal. Additionally, a new feature to prevent overdribbling is the concept of Adrenaline Boosts. Boosts are consumed every time a player performs a hard go or explosive sprint launch, and once their three boosts are gone, players will notice their speed and acceleration decrease significantly for the remainder of the possession.
• Defense: Defensive gameplay includes major updates aimed at creating more realistic on-ball defense and shot blocking, as well as steals and ball strips. This year, blocks have been tuned to a more realistic level, leading to more predictable outcomes, with the right players making appropriate stops when timing their block attempts well. There’s also a distinct improvement in ball security for good dunkers, and much more.
• Badges: Introducing a brand new tiered badge system for players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, there will be 16 badges per attribute category: eight in Tier 1, four in Tier 2, and four in Tier 3, with the basic idea being that players need to equip a certain number of badges in the lower tiers before they can equip badges in the highest.
• Takeovers: While the primary and secondary Takeovers remain the same from previous games, Team Takeover has been redesigned. Team Takeover works as a cooperative team system with the entire team sharing a single meter. The new design makes a lot more sense and does a better job representing what it means to be hot as a team and to take over the game as a unit.
• AI Gameplay: PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players will notice improved AI ball handling, pick and roll execution, defensive tendencies, and coaching decisions.

Gameplay Director Mike Wang says the above changes will make for a “more authentic” basketball experience.

Additional deep dives about NBA 2K23’s gameplay enhancements will surface in the weeks leading up to its September 9 rollout on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.