NBA 2K26 features yet another revision of The City, an interactive environment full of challenges to tackle and hoops to shoot. While The City has been a major mode in recent NBA 2K games, it’s usually a somewhat divisive feature. NBA 2K25 attempted to address complaints about bloat, and 2K26 further streamlines things with a compact, highly accessible world.
All the same, The City is far from simple, and it can be a lot to wrap your head around when jumping into the game. Here’s everything you need to know about what to expect from The City and how the feature has changed since the last installment of NBA 2K.
NBA 2K26 The City Mode Changes
Overhauls To Streetball, MyCAREER, & More
NBA 2K26 is making a number of major and minor changes to various game modes. Instead of three Streetball courts, NBA 2K26 focuses on one Street Kings location, where you can earn 40 levels of rewards. The Track is returning with a greater variety of vehicles than before, rewarding winners with major VC hauls.
Pro-Am Summits will provide 3v3 and 5v5 tournaments twice a season, starting with an event on September 21 and 22. Qualifying for a Pro-Am summit simply requires playing 10 Pro-Am games during the lead-up in the same season.
MyCourt receives some updates with new drill options to practice NBA 2K26‘s updated gameplay mechanics. You can also customize the court floor with cosmetic rewards or your own designs.
This year, MyCAREER takes players on a journey from small-town Vermont to the NBA. While you can still choose your college if you want, you can also place your fate in the hands of the draft process. You can also participate in a number of passion projects to represent your interests off the court.
Twice each season, selecting a new Key Game set will introduce new storylines to MyCAREER. If you become a championship contender, the MyCAREER story in NBA 2K26 can extend to the Playoffs.
One additional advertised feature that can be helpful across a number of game modes is the addition of Swap Build. This allows you to simply switch between MyPLAYERs without leaving the City, making the whole process a lot more convenient.
NBA 2K26 Seasonal Parks In The City
A More Grounded Take
The Park is a major part of NBA 2K‘s history, and NBA 2K26 is emphasizing a return to roots with Parks. This year’s are intended to feel more grounded and realistic than other recent ventures, although they’ll still be accessed through a gigantic basketball at the center of the city.
Parks will correspond to seasons in the game, rotating out every six weeks. Season 1 will kick things off with the new Skyline Park, while future seasons will feature both new and returning Parks.
Parks feature plenty of opportunities for competition. Park players with the highest REP will be marked as MVPs, and you’ll get 5XREP and 5XVC for defeating them. Setting and defeating win streaks is another way to make your name in Parks, and breaking long streaks will net you major VC bonuses.
NBA 2K26 Introduces Crews To The City
Teaming Up With Friends
Crews are one entirely new feature in NBA 2K26, replacing Affiliations and letting you team up with other players to net communal rewards. If you want to go big, Crews can include up to 50 players. You can rep your Crew and the progress you’ve made with it on your MyPLAYER nameplate.
Crew prizes include custom logos, branded Crew clothing, cap breakers, a Max +1 Badge Perk Slot, VC and REP multipliers for playing with your Crew, unlimited boosts, and more. These can be earned across 30 Crew levels in total.
Challenges & Leaderboards In The NBA 2K26 City
Climbing The Ranks In The City
All-new Challenges offer a variety of objectives covering gameplay in the City, starting with some Beginner objectives that onboard players. Beyond that, Daily, Seasonal, and Lifetime Challenges provide diverse levels of goals and rewards. Completing Challenges can earn you exclusive cosmetics, with some Lifetime Challenge acquisitions being usable across all game modes.
Leaderboards are another way to track your progress in the City. Mode leaderboards cover wins across a variety of modes, Geo Rank leaderboards celebrate wins by region, and Crew leaderboards keep track of the standout crews. The REP system also offers a number of new rewards.
As in past years, The City is only available on new-gen consoles, so those getting NBA 2K26 on PS4 or Xbox One will unfortunately be missing out. Although NBA 2K26 is out now in early access, players will likely need more time with the City before there’s much of a community consensus on how thoroughly NBA 2K25‘s problems have been addressed.
Regardless, it’s not an exact re-tread of the previous iteration, and some of the changes definitely sound appealing. There’s a lot to try out in NBA 2K26, and if you do get hooked on any of it, you could see some nice rewards for accomplishing Challenges in The City and climbing the ranks of its leaderboards alone or with a Crew.
NBA 2K26
Systems
- Released
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September 5, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone / In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
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Visual Concepts
- Publisher(s)
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2K
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
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Yes – PS5/Xbox Series only
- Cross Save
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Yes – same console family (e.g.between PS5/PS4, or Xbox Series/Xbox One)
