Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Pro, Amiga Action, Mega Action, ST Action, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has also hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and can regularly be found guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch shows. Believing that the reader deserves actually to enjoy what they are reading is a big part of Paul’s ethos when it comes to gaming journalism, elevating the sites he works on above the norm.
NBA 2K27’s full reveal introduces historical MyCAREER eras and co-op play – here’s what we know so far
By Paul McNally
2K has fully revealed NBA 2K27, detailing sweeping changes to MyCAREER, The City, MyNBA, MyTEAM and the action on the court.
There is an awful lot to unpack on this, but the headline addition is undoubtedly MyCAREER Eras. Players will no longer be limited to beginning their journey in the modern NBA and can instead attempt to build a career alongside some of the greatest names in basketball history.
Five starting points will be offered: the Magic vs Bird Era in 1984, the Jordan Era in 1991, the Kobe Era in 2003, the LeBron Era in 2010 and the Steph Era in 2016.
Each includes period-appropriate teams, rules, presentation packages, locker rooms, score displays and broadcast filters. Historically locked rosters, trades and player movements are designed to keep each version of the league broadly following its real-world timeline.
Era Moments will challenge players to recreate or surpass major achievements from each period, with rewards spread across a dedicated 40-level progression track.
NBA 2K27 brings co-op to MyCAREER
Those choosing the modern route will instead play through Fire & Concrete, an 11-chapter story that is said to be more than twice the length of last year’s MyCAREER campaign.
The story follows the player from high school through the G League and into the NBA, including a visit to the newly recreated Rucker Park. Rapper and actor Vince Staples appears as MP’s cousin Cam, while a player’s performance will now affect their eventual draft position.
For the first time, a friend will also be able to join a MyCAREER game through the new Running Mate system. The second player controls Trace Miller, a custom teammate introduced during the G League portion of the story who remains alongside MP throughout their NBA career.
Trace can be developed using nine different build templates, with attributes, Badges and abilities upgraded through play. The feature is optional on a game-by-game basis, with the AI taking control whenever a friend is unavailable.
Both players will receive their own VC and Season XP when playing together. Co-op requires both participants to own NBA 2K27, while crossplay is limited to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Female MyPLAYERs arrive in The City
NBA 2K27 will also allow players to create a female MyPLAYER and compete throughout The City for the first time.
Male and female MyPLAYERs use the same underlying framework, with height, weight, wingspan, attributes and Badges determining performance. Female MyPLAYERs can participate alongside male characters across every multiplayer mode available in The City.
The MyPLAYER Builder has also been substantially reworked. It now includes 53 Badges, including 19 new additions, and introduces Badge Tokens, changeable Badge Loadouts and a Synergy system capable of pushing Badges beyond their usual maximum.
Players who do not want to construct a character from scratch can choose from 40 Signature Blueprints based on combinations of NBA and WNBA athletes.
The new NBA 2K HQ companion app will launch for iOS and Android on August 21. It includes the complete MyPLAYER Builder, allowing players to prepare and share builds before early access begins. The app also handles face scanning, Crew management, messaging, progression tracking and daily rewards.
The City heads into the night
The City returns with a nighttime, neon-lit appearance, although its central layout remains largely unchanged following positive feedback about NBA 2K26.
Instead, Visual Concepts has concentrated on adding and updating places to play. The REC will cycle between five environments, including a high school gym, outdoor court, private gym and crowded arena. The Theater has moved outdoors, while Ante-Up now takes place on a rooftop court.
Rucker Park will feature in Fire & Concrete and Street Kings, while seasonal parks will include four new locations and remastered versions of popular NBA 2K17 courts.
Crew HQ provides teams with their own base containing practice courts, voice chat, private matches, ranked competition and seasonal tournaments. Casual Corner, meanwhile, is intended to give newcomers a less intimidating route into online play through skill-based matchmaking and a mixture of PvE and PvP activities.
NBA 2K27 rebuilds offence and defence
On the court, NBA 2K27 adds more than 7,000 animations captured through ProPLAY, which converts footage from real NBA games into in-game movement.
New attacking options include step-through moves, up-and-unders, expanded dribbling customisation and a Dynamic Layup Engine. The Dunk Meter now continuously evaluates defensive positioning from take-off through to the finish, adjusting its timing window accordingly.
Defence has received redesigned hands-up controls, additional cut-off animations, an overhauled shot-contest system and new physical collision technology.
AI-controlled players should also behave more intelligently. A new Set AI framework is intended to ensure elite facilitators such as Nikola Jokić remain at the centre of their team’s offence, while game plans can adapt to favourable matchups during a game.
MyNBA, MyTEAM and The W are changing too
MyNBA is receiving more than 20 community-requested changes, including four-team trades, a nine-asset trade limit, cash considerations, contract buyouts and the return of Eurostash contracts.
Updated collective bargaining agreement rules bring Second Apron restrictions, performance-based contract incentives and more detailed free-agency negotiations. MyNBA Legacy provides another way to play, placing players in control of a locked legendary athlete across a franchise universe that can now last up to 100 years.
MyTEAM adds a Player XP system that allows individual cards to become stronger through use. The Exchange will accept almost any Player Card, while Triple Threat Online and Clutch Time Online return as part of a rotating selection of multiplayer modes.
The Auction House will also be unified across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, increasing the number of cards available and removing the delay between winning an auction and receiving the card.
MyWNBA and The W have not been left behind. The W introduces flexible Build-as-You-Go progression, five Team Badges, 12 Teammate Badges and expanded play-calling. MyWNBA will inherit MyNBA’s franchise management systems, including its trades, drafting and adjustable simulation settings.
NBA 2K27 launches on September 4, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. Deluxe and Ultra Edition buyers receive early access from August 26.
