NBA 2K24

Beyond the Hardwood: NBA 2K24’s Enduring Grits and Glories in Mid-2025

It’s Wednesday, June 25, 2025, here in Hanoi, Vietnam, and despite the annual refresh of the sports gaming calendar, NBA 2K24, released by 2K and Visual Concepts, continues to hold court. While the anticipation for NBA 2K25 (released September 2024, but this article focuses on 2K24’s state in mid-2025) is fully upon the community, 2K24 has successfully navigated its lifecycle, offering a robust blend of realistic basketball simulation, an ever-evolving MyTEAM experience, and a deep MyCAREER mode that still keeps players grinding for glory. Even in its final active seasons, NBA 2K24 demonstrates the immense dedication of its player base and the enduring appeal of digital hoops, though its online days are numbered.

NBA 2K24: The Swan Song of an Era

Released in September 2023, NBA 2K24 was celebrated for being the most feature-rich iteration of the long-running series under the “NBA 2K” branding before the transition. It introduced advancements that, at the time, pushed the boundaries of football simulation:

• ProPLAY Technology (Next-Gen): Introduced as a key next-gen feature, ProPLAY directly translates real NBA footage into incredibly detailed and true-to-life in-game animations, including signature moves, dribbles, shots, and off-the-ball actions. This technology was a generational leap in authenticity on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, aiming to make every playable athlete feel unique.
• Refined Gameplay Mechanics: The game boasts refined controls for dribbling, shooting, and defense. Mastering shot timing, defensive cutoffs, and new signature go-to shots are crucial for success, offering a competitive edge.
• Diverse Game Modes: NBA 2K24 offered a wide array of modes to cater to every basketball fan:
  • MyCAREER: Create your own NBA superstar, rise through the ranks in “The City” or “The Neighborhood,” and become an NBA legend. This mode integrates RPG elements and has seen continuous updates to its narrative journey and progression.
  • MyTEAM: The popular card-collecting mode where players assemble dream rosters of NBA legends and current stars, competing in various single-player and multiplayer challenges.
  • MyNBA: Take control of a franchise as a General Manager, managing rosters, trades, and team finances, with new RPG elements to engage with the franchise.
  • The W (Next-Gen): Experience the WNBA, building your career and competing for greatness in the women’s league.
  • Play Now: Jump straight into a game with current NBA and WNBA teams.
• Crossplay (Next-Gen): A significant feature for 2K24 was the introduction of crossplay between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, allowing players to compete with or against friends across platforms, fostering a larger competitive pool.

Seasons and Content: NBA 2K24’s Final Push in Mid-2025

NBA 2K24’s content lifecycle is structured around “Seasons,” each bringing new rewards, challenges, and player cards. As of June 2025, the game is in its final active stages, having recently launched Season 8 on June 27, 2024 (as per original launch date, so mid-2025 means this Season is well underway and concluding its content cycle).

• Season 8 Highlights: This season represents the culmination of content for 2K24’s MyTEAM and MyCAREER. It has focused on delivering powerful Invincible Team USA Player Cards, honoring current and historic players.
  • The Grand Prize is Invincible Team USA Tim Duncan. Other MyTEAM rewards include Invincible Kevin Garnett from Clutch Time Online agendas.
  • MyCAREER offers Team USA themed rewards, including a Level 15 Team USA Outfit, Level 20 NBA Mascot, Level 25 Anime Hairstyle, and a Level 30 4-Seater Golf Cart.
  • Players can earn three 100 Overall Player Cards through the Season rewards ladder, including Level 1 100 OVR Dennis Rodman, Level 35 100 OVR Jerry Stackhouse, and a Level 37 100 OVR Wheel Spin for another 100 OVR player. The Level 40 reward is a G.O.A.T. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar MyTEAM card.
• Locker Codes (June 2025): 2K continues to release Locker Codes, offering free rewards like 100 Overall Player Packs, Invincible Deluxe Packs, and 99 OVR Rookie Players. These codes are a key way for players to acquire top-tier cards in MyTEAM, particularly those looking to enhance their roster in the game’s final months.
• Visual and Likeness Updates (for NBA 2K25, but relevant context): While specific live-service visual updates for 2K24 are winding down, the NBA 2K25 Patch Notes (which were being released in June 2025 as teasers for the next game’s launch in September) already detailed extensive likeness updates, new player scans (e.g., Cam Christie, Johnny Furphy), tattoo updates (e.g., Anthony Davis, LeBron James), and hair dynamics updates. This consistent focus on visual fidelity is a hallmark of the franchise, even as attention shifts to the next iteration.

MyCAREER and MyTEAM Trends in 2025

• MyCAREER Grind: Players in 2K24’s MyCAREER have spent months grinding to maximize their player builds and badges. Even as the game cycles out, dedicated players continue to refine their perfect archetypes (e.g., best PG, SG, SF, PF, C builds with optimized defensive and offensive ratings) to dominate “The City” or “The Neighborhood.” However, the community is keenly aware that server shutdowns (typically December 31, 2025, for NBA 2K24 online features) will render MyCAREER progress obsolete, leading many to plan their transition to 2K25.
• MyTEAM Mobile Sync: The NBA 2K24 MyTEAM mobile app continues to allow players to take their card-collecting experience on the go, with progress syncing between mobile devices and PlayStation/Xbox consoles. This mobile companion app is crucial for players who want to manage their roster, open packs, and complete agendas anywhere, demonstrating 2K’s commitment to the mobile gaming market. The app is already hinting at NBA 2K25 MyTEAM features, urging users to transition.
• Live Service Model and Microtransactions: Both MyCAREER and MyTEAM heavily rely on a live-service game model, with new content, challenges, and rewards delivered through seasons and events. However, this has been a consistent point of contention for players. Reviews and community discussions repeatedly highlight that microtransactions (Virtual Currency – VC) play a “significant role” and can “border on outright coercion.” Players often feel pressured to purchase VC to adequately upgrade their MyPLAYERs or acquire competitive MyTEAM cards, otherwise facing a lengthy and often frustrating “grind” that puts them at a disadvantage, particularly in online competitive modes. This ongoing debate about the balance between free progression and paid shortcuts remains a central theme in the NBA 2K community.

Esports and Community Engagement

While the professional NBA 2K League has long since transitioned to NBA 2K25 (released in September 2024) for its competitive season, NBA 2K24 still sees informal competitive play and active communities:

• Online Matches: Players continue to compete in online modes like Unlimited, Clutch Time Online, Triple Threat Online, and Co-Op, striving for bragging rights and MyTEAM rewards before the server shutdown.
• Content Creation: YouTubers and streamers continue to create content around MyTEAM card reviews, MyCAREER build guides, and gameplay highlights, catering to the dedicated fanbase that remains with 2K24.
• Community Hub: Features like the “Community Hub” in MyTEAM allow players to input Locker Codes and stay connected with in-game events.

Player Base and Revenue: Sustained Performance (Before Sunset)

Despite being in its final stages, NBA 2K24 maintains a respectable player presence, particularly on consoles where the majority of its audience resides.

• PC Player Counts (Steam): On Steam, NBA 2K24 (the app ID for the 2024 release) shows 15,314 players right now (June 25, 2025) and a 24-hour peak of 41,378. Its all-time peak (last month, May 2025) reached 56,948 players. While these numbers are lower than launch peaks (e.g., 40,856 in September 2024 for the then-new NBA 2K25, which SteamDB currently refers to as 2K25, confusingly. To clarify, the current 2K25 on SteamDB is what launched as 2K24 in Sep 2024, and the next game will be 2K26.), these figures indicate a consistent core group of PC players.
• Console Player Base: The console player base (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S) is significantly larger than PC, benefiting from crossplay.
• Revenue Contribution: NBA 2K titles are consistently major revenue drivers for Take-Two Interactive (2K’s parent company). While specific 2K24 revenue figures for fiscal year 2025 are part of Take-Two’s overall financial reports, the franchise as a whole is a multi-billion dollar entity, with revenue generated from game sales, Virtual Currency (VC) purchases (used for MyCAREER progression and MyTEAM packs), and Season Passes (Pro Pass, Hall of Fame Pass). Take-Two’s financial outlook for fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, projected total net revenue between $5.57 billion to $5.67 billion, with NBA 2K being a significant contributor.

The Road Ahead: The Final Countdown and Transition to NBA 2K25

The most significant news for NBA 2K24 in mid-2025 is the confirmation that its online servers are scheduled to be retired on December 31, 2025. This means that after this date, all online modes, including MyTEAM, MyCAREER online features, and online multiplayer, will no longer be functional. This is a standard practice for 2K’s annual sports titles.

The focus for the NBA 2K community is now entirely shifting towards NBA 2K25 (the title launched in September 2024). Leaked information and official teasers for the next game (which will technically be NBA 2K26, but the SteamDB data is currently mislabeled) highlight significant features:

• 9,000 New ProPLAY Animations: Promising an even more realistic visual and gameplay experience.
• Redesigned MyGM: With more RPG elements and a new physical “MyGM Building” to explore.
• Shot Timing Profiles: Allowing for more fine-tuned difficulty settings.
• Defense Cutoff System: Giving players more control over net protection.
• “Full Throttle” MyTEAM Season: The first season for the next NBA 2K’s MyTEAM is teased as “Full Throttle,” featuring Pink Diamond LeBron James.