Tag Archives: Server Shutdown

2K Support has announced that the servers for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will be shutting down permanently on August 20th, 2026. This will mark the end of close to eight years of support following the game’s release way back in October 2018.

Once the servers for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 are shut down, all of its online modes and functions will obviously be unavailable, including the ability to purchase Golden Bucks and the Roster Unlock. Exhibition games, Season mode, the three-point shootout, and the court editor will all remain available offline.

As I discovered the hard way, the PC version of NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 does not back up your data to the Steam cloud. To that end, it’s absurdly easy to lose all of your progress, including the cards you’ve collected and upgraded. Fortunately, it is possible to manually back up the folder containing that data. You can find those steps below; shout out to the game’s page over on the PC Gaming Wiki for pointing me in the right direction here!

While Saber’s partnership with 2K obviously benefitted NBA Playgrounds in terms of content and marketing, some of our worst fears were realised with the monetisation of the sequel. It arguably also ensured that it wouldn’t become competition to NBA 2K, as plans to continue releasing games beyond NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 never materialised. With EA Sports backing out of developing a college basketball game, it’s now up to Play by Play Studios and NBA The Run to provide an alternative to 2K.

In any case, with the NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 servers shutting down on August 20th, be sure to wrap up any online-related business with the game before then. Feel free to share your thoughts on the game and the impending server shutdown in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum.

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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 how the door has seemingly closed on NBA Live.

Although NBA Live has remained dormant since 2019, I’ve still had plenty of reasons to write about it. Older releases have re-entered my rotation, and I’ve developed more of an appreciation for them. There are some that I’d like to dust off more often, and even mod. I’ve talked about the opportunities the series has had, and some of the ones that it’s squandered. I’ve lamented how both the series and its long-time fans deserved better. Above all, I’ve continued to champion the need for alternatives, and noted how despite numerous setbacks, somehow the door has remained open for NBA Live.

However, with the shutdown of NBA Live 19’s servers and no new release on the horizon, it feels as though the door has finally closed. I could be wrong here, and it’s certainly not the outcome that I wanted. I still believe in the importance of having at least two viable sim options on the market, and I’ll continue to advocate for that. Even if a return for NBA Live is as highly unlikely as it seems, there’s arguably still a better chance of that happening than another developer stepping up to try to compete with NBA 2K. For now though, with online support for NBA Live 19 ending and NBA Live Mobile being the last vestige of the series, the door has seemingly slammed shut.

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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 getting into modes late.

As I noted at the beginning of November, there’s a ticking clock on NBA Live 19. With 2025 almost over, we’re getting inching closer and closer to time running out on the final NBA Live release to date. Once the servers are shut down at the end of January, it’ll be a wrap on all modes that require online connectivity. As it is, some of those modes are already inaccessible, or their matchmaking functionality has been disabled. NBA Live 19 Ultimate Team is still playable as of writing – at least on PlayStation 4 – but has lengthy load times as EA Sports gets ready to pull the plug.

For many basketball gamers, the impending shutdown of NBA Live 19’s servers and the lethargic menus in Ultimate Team won’t be a concern. Indeed, it may be a surprise that the game still has online support, limited and declining as it is. It’s something that I’m well aware of though, as I’ve been playing NBA Live 19 quite regularly in recent months, with a keen interest in Ultimate Team after completing The Streets World Tour. Needless to say, I won’t be able to complete everything in the mode before it’s gone forever. That likely would’ve been the case even if I had been playing LUT 19 since launch, but it’s another example of me being late to the party with game modes.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #610 of the NLSC Podcast!

With the NBA Live 19 servers shutting down next January, a recent kick has inspired us to take another look back at the final release in the NBA Live series…at least for now. From new perspectives on the last official patch and the gameplay experience, to thoughts on Ultimate Team, The Streets World Tour, Legends ratings, and depth, we reflect on our overall impressions of the game after giving it another chance. We also touch on developing a greater appreciation for other games upon revisiting them with fresh eyes, Ultimate Team lineups, where NBA Live 19 ranks in the series, and what should be done differently if NBA Live ever returns with a new console/PC release.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 52:06 — 36.1MB)

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!

If you’re still playing NBA 2K24 on any platform, you’ve probably seen the pop-up about the server shutdown that is scheduled for December 31st, 2025. After this date, MyTEAM, MyCAREER, and all other connected modes and online features will no longer be available. In-game roster and tuning updates will also cease to come through upon booting up the game.

It is therefore advisable that you wrap up any business in MyTEAM and MyCAREER in the near future. If there are any community rosters or sliders that you’d like to have, you should download them as soon as possible. As long as you hold onto those files, you’ll still be able to use them after online support ends. Offline modes such as MyLEAGUE and Play Now will also still be functional, though any online features such as Community Uploads for re-branding in MyLEAGUE obviously won’t be.

Note that if you uninstall and reinstall NBA 2K24 after the server shutdown, you’ll be missing the final roster and tuning updates. As far as I know, there’s no way to back up and restore that data on console, so the only way to preserve it is to keep the game installed. However, you can back up sync.bin and other files for the PC version. Please see below for more information on how to locate that folder.

The NBA 2K24 server shutdown follows 27 months of online support. 2K extended support for all of their titles from 18 to 27 months following the backlash when the NBA 2K14 servers were shut down. NBA 2K24 was removed from digital stores at the end of October, so if you want to add it to your collection, you’ll either need to track down a Steam key from a reseller or pick up a physical copy for one of the consoles. For future reference, the NBA 2K25 servers will be shut down at the end of next year, while NBA 2K26 will be supported through to the end of 2027. While that’s still over a year away at this point, it tends to come around fast, so be prepared!

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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 MyCAREER stories that have gone untold…at least from my perspective.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I’m glad to have escaped the basketball gaming habits that had me in a rut. Although I can still have fun with MyCAREER – as my ongoing game in NBA 2K14 clearly demonstrates – I don’t miss the annual ritual of starting over from scratch with a ridiculously low-rated MyPLAYER. I don’t miss diligently doing every extracurricular activity to maximise my VC earnings so that I don’t have to spend money to speed up the process. I don’t miss weathering an awful grind until MyCAREER is fun, knowing that I’ll have to do it all over again next year.

With that being said, I would’ve liked to have spent a bit more time in MyCAREER in recent years, if only so that I could comment on their stories like I have for previous games. Although I’ve been quite critical of some of the MyCAREER stories, I’ve also greatly enjoyed others, and come to appreciate the concept in general. Of course, what I really miss is the ability to go back and experience the MyCAREER stories in recent NBA 2K games. Now that the mode is no longer available in any form offline, a big chunk of eighth and ninth gen NBA 2K releases isn’t available for retro/throwback gaming. And so for me, these MyCAREER stories will sadly remain untold What Ifs.

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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…

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #557 of the NLSC Podcast!

What does “sim” really entail when it comes to basketball video games? There are definitely some myths and misunderstandings, which we’re certainly eager to clear up! This includes how realism affects the virtual hardwood, and how recent games have performed in their approach to the sim style. Talking real hoops leads into us joining the community in recalling the go-to moves that we like to use when we play basketball, whether it’s in an organised league or pick-up. We also recap a co-op session of NBA 2K17 featuring the Ultimate Classic Teams Roster and a couple of quintessential video game teams, and provide a PSA regarding NBA 2K23 and its impending server shutdown.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:00:18 — 41.8MB)

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!

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 the server shutdowns that have taken place in 2024 – or will soon take place – as it relates to basketball gaming.

As gamers, we all know too well that server shutdowns are inevitable. While it’s unfortunate, it’s also understandable. There comes a point where there simply aren’t enough people still playing a game to justify the cost, time, and energy required to maintain online support. We’re also given a clear heads up in the documentation for games. For example, following a change in policy in the wake of the backlash to the NBA 2K14 server shutdown in 2015, we’ve been able to bank on 27 months of online support for each game in the NBA 2K series thereafter.

Still, even when we know that they’re coming, and can understand the reasons behind them, server shutdowns remain a bummer. Most of us are going to be left with some unfinished business, or just be disappointed that we can’t revisit and continue playing a memorable save in a connected mode. To that end, as of writing, we’ve lost online support for one Triple-A basketball game in 2024, while a second will see its server shutdowns happen very soon. Meanwhile, the closure of another online service was a blow for anyone still playing their Xbox 360. As such, I’m reflecting on those server shutdowns, and how my basketball gaming has been (or will be) impacted by them.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #554 of the NLSC Podcast!

What is it that keeps us hooked on the virtual hardwood? This week, we join the community in sharing the reasons why we play basketball video games, ranging from a love of the sport, to bonding experiences with family and friends, to joyful fantasy and escapism. Following on from last week, we and our listeners pick three stars from the 2000s to bring into the modern NBA in their prime. In response to the end of online support for NBA Live 18, we note how the offline version of The One succeeds where MyCAREER fails nowadays. We also share an interesting tidbit about Dr. J vs. Larry Bird, and answer a question about bad basketball video games in another edition of Andrew Asks.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:09:28 — 48.1MB)

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!

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 how it can be extremely difficult to put aside a beloved basketball game that you’re really enjoying.

Basketball games – and sports games in general – have a ticking clock. I’m not talking about the one that counts down while we’re on the virtual field of play, but rather the countdown to the release of the next title. Annual releases give us a year to get the most out of a basketball game before its successor is out, but sometimes, that won’t be enough. After all, an 82-game season on twelve minute quarters will take over 100 hours to finish. That’s certainly feasible for an enthusiastic basketball gamer, but with multi-season play, that may only be the beginning of the journey.

Needless to say, if a basketball game is good enough to keep us hooked even as the next release is on the horizon, then that’s fantastic! We’re not always so lucky, as I can attest to souring on games long before the end of their life cycle. Furthermore, we’re under no obligation to buy the new game every year or to bench a beloved basketball game if we still want to play it. We can always revisit old favourites too, though we’re seeing games become increasingly disposable. With that being said, many of us are still interested in seeing what a new release has to offer, so the need to make room in our rotation ends up clashing with our reluctance to bench a game we’re hooked on.

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The beginning of a new year always sees us bidding farewell to online support for a recent NBA 2K title, and 2024 is no exception. As you will have noticed if you’ve fired up the game since the clock ticked over to January 1st 2024, the NBA 2K22 servers have now been shut down.

2K posted a reminder about the impending server shutdown for the 2021 release back in August last year, and it’s in line with their standard policy of 27 months of online support. As I’ve previously noted, 2K used to only promise 18 months of online support, but controversy in the wake of the NBA 2K14 servers being shut down led to them amending their approach.

Needless to say, with the NBA 2K22 servers being shut down, any modes and features that have online content are no longer available. This includes MyCAREER and its connected modes, MyTEAM, Play Now Online, and roster sharing. Obviously on PC, we’re able to share rosters the old-fashioned way independently of the in-game functionality, but this isn’t possible on console.

While there has been talk of reactivating servers for old games – and it did surprisingly happen for NBA Jam: On Fire Edition in 2022 – it’s generally highly unlikely. Nevertheless, it’s something that we can continue to advocate for as a community, as it never hurts to ask! As for NBA 2K22, while many people have likely already moved on – as is usually the case – we’ll of course continue to support it here at the NLSC as far as discussion, mod hosting, and modding resources.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #506 of the NLSC Podcast!

A class action lawsuit is accusing Take-Two of theft, specifically in regards to NBA 2K’s predatory practices. In particular, it notes the loss of VC balance when the servers are shut down after 27 months. While we aren’t lawyers, we certainly do have some thoughts on the situation, as does the community! We also discuss the use of Cronus Zen controllers, and other methods of cheating in NBA 2K online. After all, as much as a technical fix is in order, there are other contributing factors that must be addressed. Meanwhile, comments on our YouTube channel have proven that people have some interesting interpretations of EA Sports’ famous slogan.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:19:15 — 54.8MB)

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!