Tag Archives: MyGM

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some reflections on how we ignored the red flags of the original MyGM in NBA 2K14.

These are controversial times for gaming. The Steam Machine underwhelmed with its specs, and has had gamers understandably balking at its price. Sony has announced that the end of physical releases of PlayStation games is coming in January 2028, which has led to more backlash than they were anticipating. And, most recently, EA Sports were forced to walk back their attempts to gouge College Football 27 gamers at every turn. Needless to say, their attempts to implement microtransactions in single player modes had not been warmly received!

Of course, this is what companies like Electronic Arts and Take-Two have been striving for over the past couple of generations: ramping up microtransactions, and the pressure to spend. There has been plenty of criticism of modes like MyTEAM and Ultimate Team, and the grind-or-pay aspect of MyCAREER, and rightfully so. When I read about the attempts to monetise Dynasty in College Football 27 though, I was reminded of the original MyGM in NBA 2K14. Although the replacement for The Association was innovative and included some nifty attention to detail, it also brought Virtual Currency to the mode. In hindsight, we overlooked some glaring red flags.

Read More »

Patch 5.0 is out now for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of NBA 2K26, with the PC patch to be released on February 20th. As always, it should come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

In addition to preparing NBA 2K26 for Season 5 in MyTEAM and MyCAREER, Patch 5.0 includes a handful of likeness updates, fixes a couple of hangs and crashes, and resolves some other issues found throughout the various game modes. Corrections have also been made to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ arena, and the Denver Nuggets’ home uniform.

You can find the full release notes for Patch 5.0 below, as well as in the NBA 2K26 update history in our Wiki. Feel free to share any thoughts on the latest update in the comments below, and join in the discussion here in the Forum.

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #617 of the NLSC Podcast!

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation of NBA 2K games – and their PC ports beginning with NBA 2K15 – saw some fantastic hits, but also a couple of disappointing misses. With that in mind, how would we personally rank the eighth gen NBA 2K releases? That’s the challenge before us this week, as we take a look back and rank NBA 2K14 through NBA 2K20 from worst to best. As you’ll hear, it was tough to separate a couple of the generation’s best NBA 2K titles that have also become some of our all-time favourite basketball video games, but between gameplay, modes, content, and overall vibe, we had ample criteria to devise rankings that we stand behind.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 45:23 — 31.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

Patch 4.0 is out now for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S version of NBA 2K26, with the PC patch set to be released this Friday in time for Season 4. As always, it should come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

Unlike the mysterious update back in December, we do actually have patch notes this time around. In addition to preparing NBA 2K26 for Season 4 in MyTEAM and MyCAREER, Patch 4.0 includes new RealVoice player interviews, likeness updates, and corrections to classic jerseys. There are also technical fixes for issues throughout the game modes, and a couple of PC-specific updates to improve performance.

You can find the full notes for Patch 4.0 below, as well as in the NBA 2K26 update history in our Wiki. Feel free to share any impressions in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum!

Read More »

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on revisiting games in which I mostly played MyCAREER, and enjoying some fresh experiences.

When it comes to our impressions of basketball games with an array of modes, what we play is a significant factor. After all, while the underlying gameplay mechanics are obviously the same, their suitability and our tolerance for any issues can vary from mode to mode. There have definitely been games that were more enjoyable in certain modes, depending on the tuning and whether or not we could alter it. As such, if you mostly stick to one mode, you may not be aware of some of a game’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s why we can remember the same games very differently.

After really getting into MyCAREER in NBA 2K13, it became my mode of choice for the next seven years or so. That’s not to say that it was the only mode I played, but when it comes to NBA 2K on PlayStation 4 and PC, many of my fondest memories are of MyCAREER and its connected experiences. I don’t regret that, as it represents hours of fun on the virtual hardwood. At the same time, it does mean that there were modes and content I wasn’t able to truly enjoy, since levelling up a MyPLAYER and playing through an NBA season is a huge commitment. To that end, revisiting some of those games and playing something other than MyCAREER has been refreshing.

Read More »

Patch 3.0 is now available for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S version of NBA 2K26, and will be out on PC on November 28th in time for the tip-off of Season 3. As always, it should come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client – come the 28th in the case of the latter – or checking for updates manually.

In addition to preparing NBA 2K26 for Season 3 in MyCAREER and MyTEAM, Patch 3.0 includes more player likeness updates and technical fixes. It also adds support for the NBA’s new heave rule, and addresses an issue with 3-second violations in The City’s game modes. Apart from that, there have been no major changes to the gameplay. Additionally, the PC update will also include further optimisation tweaks for better stability and performance.

Full release notes for Patch 3.0 can be found below, as well as in the NBA 2K26 update history in our Wiki. Feel free to share any impressions and other thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum!

Read More »

Patch 2.0 is now available for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of NBA 2K26, with the PC patch coming this Friday. As always, it should come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

Season 2 is set to tip off in MyTEAM and MyCAREER this Friday, and as previously promised, it’s brought the first major update for NBA 2K26. In addition to preparing NBA 2K26 for the new season in those modes, Patch 2.0 includes a variety of technical fixes, as well as a handful of gameplay tweaks.

Some of the key changes in Patch 2.0 for NBA 2K26 include adjustments to rhythm shooting and shot contest logic, tweaks to Takeover effects, and fixes for dribbling glitches. A number of hangs and other bugs have been resolved, and team art has been updated and fixed in both current and historical eras. A number of new player likenesses have also been added, including new face scans, tattoos, and hair updates. There are also some PC-specific fixes, including improved keyboard support and optimisation for better performance.

You can find the full release notes for Patch 2.0 below, as well as in the update history for NBA 2K26 in our Wiki. Please feel free to share any thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum!

Read More »

Patch 1.2 is now available for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S versions of NBA 2K26. As always, it should come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

As with the previous update, Patch 1.2 doesn’t make any changes to the gameplay in NBA 2K26. The developers have stated that the Season 2 patch is set to contain a larger number of fixes, improvements, and content updates, which has generally been the case in recent years. Patch 1.2 does address another handful of technical issues though, including disconnections in Pro-Am games, MyTEAM glitches and performance, and a couple of other bugs.

Full patch notes can be found below, as well as in the update history for NBA 2K26 over in our Wiki. Feel free to share any thoughts in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum.

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #594 of the NLSC Podcast!

With NBA 2K26 right around the corner, a community event has given us all a detailed look at this year’s game in action. Although we’re reserving final judgement until we get our hands on the sticks, we have a few thoughts about what we’ve seen so far. We also discuss what some of the influencers who attended the event are saying about the game, in particular how they’re shouting down valid criticisms in rather disrespectful ways. We also react to the Courtside Report on MyNBA and MyGM, and join the community in picking some of our all-time favourite basketball nicknames. Some of our choices probably won’t be surprising, but we also shout out some creative monikers that don’t get enough credit.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 53:29 — 37.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

As you may have seen, the latest NBA 2K26 Courtside Report covers MyNBA and MyGM. Not surprisingly, it isn’t as lengthy as the insight into MyTEAM, but there are some interesting additions this year.

Playoffs mode is now available online and supports up to 16 users, each controlling a team. MyGM has 30 team-specific storylines, and some other new RPG elements. Different simulation speeds allow for swifter progress or deeper trade logic, and simulation has been sped up in general. As previously noted, Dynamic Banners will be added as you win championships, though only in the Modern Era. Player DNA now also allows one MyPLAYER to be inserted into each custom roster, and MyWNBA includes the expansion Golden State Valkyries.

Once again, I’d encourage you to read the Courtside Report for a full breakdown of what to expect in NBA 2K26 MyNBA and MyGM, but I have summarised the key points below. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum!

Read More »

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some reflections on at long last returning to my roots as a franchise gamer, following a very long detour.

It’s been a long time coming, but I’m finally an active franchise gamer once again! Dig into the archives, and you’ll find that I was eyeing a return to franchise modes way back in October 2017. I was all set to ration my time between MyCAREER, 2K Pro-Am, MyTEAM, and MyLEAGUE. Franchise was also an option in NBA Live 18, but I wasn’t completely sold on the “streamlined” approach. In the end of course, it didn’t matter. I soured on NBA 2K18, preferred Ultimate Team in NBA Live 18, and committed to making it to the Hall of Fame in MyCAREER come NBA 2K19.

And then, I got hooked on NBA 2K14 MyCAREER! That remains in my rotation as I’m still having a blast with that career seven seasons in. However, I grew up playing old school season modes and then franchise modes, so they’ve been responsible for so many of my all-time favourite basketball gaming experiences. Indeed, this is why I’ve often considered myself a franchise gamer who has been taking a detour, but at this point, there’s no denying that I’m a career and card collecting mode gamer as well! My love of franchise gaming never truly went away though, and now that I’m back into it, I expect it’s going to be a significant part of my time on the virtual hardwood.

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the controversy that surrounded the NBA 2K14 server shutdown.

The unfortunate reality of games with online features is that at some point, support for those titles will end. Obviously, this is a useful way for companies to push us towards buying a newer release, but in all fairness, it’s also understandable that the servers are shut down once a game’s userbase has largely moved on. Naturally, this happens even quicker with annual sports games. As much as we hate to lose online support for older classics, most gamers do move on every year, making it difficult to justify the expense and effort of maintaining the servers indefinitely.

It’s still a bummer though, especially when we’re locked out of save files and content that should be able to function in a limited capacity offline. While we’re never pleased to see the end of online support, the NBA 2K14 server shutdown ten years ago proved to be particularly controversial. Not only did it impact the way that Take-Two handled online support for future titles, but it also hinted at future controversies with a lack of communication and goodwill when it comes to the NBA 2K series. To that end, it was a significant event with lasting ramifications! Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #542 of the NLSC Podcast!

As the NBA 2K25 preview season rolls on, this week we’re reacting to reveal of the Steph Era, some of the other additions to MyNBA, the return of MyGM, and some enhancements to The W. We also read out some reactions from the community, from their thoughts on the new era to which one they’re planning on playing. Suffice it to say, opinions on the Steph Era are divided – as we discuss, there are issues with the starting point if nothing else – but we’re generally in favour of the idea. To that end, it inspired a session of NBA 2K17 where we took on LeBron’s Cavaliers with Steph’s Warriors. We recap that session as well as a game of NBA ShootOut 2004, and also touch on some more NBA roster trivia.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:10:36 — 48.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

As Dee and I discussed in Episode #541 of the NLSC Podcast, last week we learned what’s new with MyCAREER and MyPLAYER in NBA 2K25. In this week’s NBA 2K25 Courtside Report, we’ve gained an insight into MyNBA and MyGM.

To that point, MyGM is returning in NBA 2K25. While this RPG-based take on franchise play has remained in the prior gen version of NBA 2K, it’s making its first appearance on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and will of course be in the PC port as well. It includes backstories, attributes, and Perks, basically replicating MyPLAYER Builds in GM form.

Confirming what many of us predicted, the new addition to MyNBA Eras is the Steph Era, tipping off with the 2016-17 campaign. All of the previous eras, and of course current season franchise play, are returning. MyNBA Eras has also received a few other enhancements in NBA 2K25, including streamlined staff management, and a new era-specific hub/information screen.

I’ve summarised the key points from the Courtside Report below, but by all means give it a read for the full scoop and additional developer commentary. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in our NBA 2K25 Forum!

Read More »

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five things that should never cost VC to equip or use.

When we talk about what basketball video games should and shouldn’t do, it does pay to think about the business side of things. Granted, that shouldn’t be our concern as consumers, but as far as feasibility or the likelihood of certain ideas, it’s something we have to keep in mind. After all, “get rid of all microtransactions” would be a fantastic suggestion in my book, but it’s just not going to happen! Sadly, including freemium mechanics in Triple-A games has proven to be too profitable for companies to not do so if they can get away with it, so it’s not a realistic request or expectation.

With that being said, I’m ultimately always going to advocate for value for money, fairness to consumers, and a quality experience when it comes to basketball video games. Again, I’m going to tailor any suggestions based on what we know is highly unlikely or unrealistic, but I’m on the side of gamers, not the suits and billion dollar corporations. Unfortunately, there are too many people who excuse or even outright shill for recurrent revenue mechanics, which has emboldened NBA 2K to place more and more content behind VC paywalls. It’s done nothing to enhance the experience for us, so to that end, here are five things that we should never have to spend VC on.

Read More »