With the release of NBA 2k23 last week, tons of players are back to hitting the virtual court. Whether it be in MyNBA Eras, MyCareer, MyTeam, or other modes, players have been excited to get back to getting buckets all day long. With this new game comes a host of gameplay changes. While many of these were talked about in the lead up to release, some of the finer changes understandably went unmentioned. That is, until Mike Wang, Gameplay Director for the NBA 2K series, sent out several tweets laying out some NBA 2K23 gameplay improvements. These tweets came both in the lead up and the immediate aftermath of NBA 2K23’s release.
NBA 2K23 Gameplay Changes You May Not Know
The tweets started on August 3. In the first tweet, Mike talked about adding a setting where players could customize their ideal release point for shots. This has been seen now that the game is out. Players are now able to adjust if their perfect release point is very early, early, late, or very late. This is a great option for players to be able to tune the shooting to what fits them best.
#NBA2K23 Didn’t make it in time for the CR, but working on adding a new controller setting to let you customize where your ideal release point is in your shots (early near takeoff or late closer to the wrist flick.) Still working out the kinks but gonna be 🔥
— Mike Wang (@Beluba) August 3, 2022
Signature Requirements
Wang also revealed MyPlayer ratings requirements for certain signature shots and dribble moves. Signature shots are locked to certain sizes, such as smalls, wings, or bigs. Each shot has a grade associated with four categories: release height, release speed, timing impact, and defensive immunity. Wang tweeted out a chart with (at the time) work-in-progress ratings for each signature jumper. These could be somewhat different compared to what is currently in the game, but the general concept is shown.
For the signature dribble moves, Wang initially said the requirements were similar to last year. However, in a response to this tweet he said, “the people have spoken. Amending this tweet… Going to push some sigs up to 90+.” Later that day he tweeted, “The highest ball handle requirements will be 92 for Curry and Trae’s sigs. Some other players were pulled up to 90 also (Dame, Kyrie, and others).”
Post players also got some updates as well. The Driving Dunk rating now dictates how easy it is to block a dunk attempt. Flashy dunks like windmills and tomahawks are harder to block. On top of this, these flashy dunks also help fill a player’s takeover meter faster.
Shimmy fades, hooks, drop steps and post hop shots are all now controlled by double throws of the Pro Stick. Wang also put out the dunk ratings requirements for NBA 2k23. The vertical rating requirements are for current-gen consoles only.
Dunk requirements for #NBA2K23 since some have asked. Vertical requirements are new gen only. pic.twitter.com/U0wBGfxroQ
— Mike Wang (@Beluba) August 12, 2022
Adrenaline Boosts and Other Shooting Changes
The addition of adrenaline boosts was a big change in NBA 2K23. Players have three adrenaline bars below them that are used up when players do things that consume large amounts of energy. According to Wang, these boosts will be consumed when defenders attempt a block or steal. When you use up your boosts on defense, you will get a drop in your steal and block ratings. These boosts are restored on shot clock resets. You can also get one back by sitting and waiting long enough.
The biggest change in NBA 2K23’s gameplay is shooting. Since the game released, we have all seen just how difficult shooting is in this year’s game, and we can’t say Mike didn’t warn us. Wang said “… if you plan to shoot a lot of 3’s, I personally would try to go mid to high 80’s at a minimum.” Wang also revealed that a player’s shot will be faster when defenders are close and slower when a player’s energy is low.
Changes to Badges
Finally, Wang put out several tweets about the badges in this year’s game. Wang said “Most, if not all, of the returning badges have been re-tuned or reworked in some way. If something was OP in 22, don’t assume it will be again in NBA 2k23 also. Some of the weaker badges were buffed also.” The Claymore badge gives a boost if players spot up for a shot, starting at 1 second and increasing to a max of 4 seconds. If the player moves the boost goes away and the timer resets. The Bullet Passer badge has been removed, so the speed of a player’s passes is now determined by the pass accuracy rating.
Hopefully if you have been struggling getting used to NBA 2k23’s gameplay, these bits of information will help you get the hang of it. What do you think of the changes to this year’s gameplay? Do you enjoy the increase challenge in shooting? Hop into our Discord and let us know how you feel. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news.