NBA 2K26 Review – Smoother Hoops, Messy Wallets
NBA 2K26 polishes on-court feel with ProPLAY and cleaner animations, but PC players still wrestle with crashes, server issues and aggressive monetization. Worth a try on sale—or on console if you hate troubleshooting.
I had fun on the court — when the game let me play. Visual Concepts tightened animations and ProPLAY brings feel back, but PC users should be warned: crashes, HUD resets and pay-to-progress systems still spoil a lot of the shine.
At its core NBA 2K26 does what the series does best: satisfying dribbles, snappy shot timing and recognizable player playstyles. ProPLAY translates real NBA footage into movement tweaks, so size-ups and drives feel weightier and more varied. MyCAREER and the City keep the social grind alive — cosmetic progression and microtransactions are baked deep into that experience, and the Superstar/SLAM editions pack VC and Boosts if you want a head start. MyTEAM still scratches the collector itch with card packs and modes, while MyNBA offers a fuller franchise management experience. On PC I noticed better animations and smaller install size compared to 2K25, but performance is inconsistent: some reports and my own runs show crashes, shader-load delays and controller quirks. Netcode and server problems pop up in Park/MyPark matchmaking, and anti-cheat plus rogue inputs can lock players out or make matches unplayable. If you stick to offline MyNBA or MyLeague, you’ll get a lot of value; online play is fun but often interrupted by bugs, cheaters or connection issues. Overall, when the game runs it can be one of the most rewarding basketball sims, but system stability and monetization choices keep it from being a clean win.
NBA 2K26 is a fun basketball sim hampered by PC instability and aggressive monetization. Play offline or wait for fixes — when it works, it’s very satisfying.
Pros
- On-court feel improved — tighter animations and ProPLAY make plays more rewarding.
- Deep modes: MyCAREER, MyTEAM and MyNBA offer hours of content for different tastes.
- Smaller install and better PC touches compared to 2K25 when it’s stable.
Cons
- Persistent crashes, shader load times and controller/input issues on PC.
- Aggressive monetization and pay-to-progress design that affects online experience.
Player Opinion
Players praise the smoother movement and realistic player styles — many say the gameplay itself finally feels rewarding again. But complaints flood in: PC optimization, frequent crashes, HUD resets, and rampant cheating are recurring themes. The community is split on MyCAREER and MyTEAM: some enjoy the grind and cosmetic toys, others call the economy predatory. If you liked recent 2K titles but want a playable, less frustrating version, wait for patches or buy on console; if you only care about offline modes, you’ll get your hours for the price.