# NBA 2K26: what players say

As of 28 October 2026, 66% of 26,112 player reviews of NBA 2K26 recommend it.

> Players credit NBA 2K26’s basketball and its offline modes, and most fault thin PC lobbies, crashes and the pressure to spend.

Developer: Visual Concepts. Publisher: 2K. Released 4 September.

## In short

Players say the on-court basketball feels solid, with pace and movement that match the modern NBA, and give the offline modes the most credit. Most reviews are about the PC version’s problems, from lobbies that fill slowly without crossplay and latency that turns shot timing into a guess, to crashes and freezes, and VC that gates upgrades in MyCareer and MyTeam. Offline players who can buy it on a deep sale get the most from it.

## What players say

Players praise the basketball and the offline modes. Thin PC lobbies and latency, crashes, VC spending and shot timing draw the complaints.

We read these reviews in full on 20 October.

- 80 most helpful reviews: 12 positive, 14 mixed, 53 negative, 1 off-topic.
- 40 latest reviews: 12 positive, 3 mixed, 10 negative, 15 off-topic.

- **The on-court basketball feels solid.** Gameplay gets the most credit, with pace and stats that match the modern NBA and better movement and passing animations than last year.
- **The offline modes earn the most praise.** MyNBA, the story mode and the single-player career get the most credit.
- **MyCareer can be played without spending.** Upgrade costs are lower than last year, and an overall above 90 is reachable through play alone. Spending is optional for a steady progression route.
- **PC lobbies are thin and latency breaks timing.** No crossplay leaves PC lobbies slow to fill, and latency turns shot timing into a guess.
- **VC and pay-to-win pressure run through the game.** VC gates upgrades, looks and MyTeam packs, and the pay-to-win pull runs through MyCareer and MyTeam.
- **Shot timing and defence feel unfair.** Shot timing feels like luck online, defenders get beaten without a fight, and defensive calls feel random.
- **Crashes and freezes hit PC players hard.** Crashes mid-game and freezes make PC play unreliable, and some updates have broken the game for a stretch.

## Questions

### Is NBA 2K26 worth it?

Most players say not at full price. As of 28 October 2026, 66% of 26,112 reviews recommend it, and offline players call it worth buying on a deep sale.

### Is NBA 2K26 pay to win?

Players say VC-driven upgrades and packs favour spenders, in MyCareer and MyTeam especially. Upgrades can still be earned through play, with a long grind.

### Does NBA 2K26 have crossplay on PC?

Players say it doesn’t, so PC lobbies fill slowly.

### How does NBA 2K26 run on PC?

Players split. Crashes, freezes and shader failures come up often, while some mid-range PCs run it without trouble.

### What PC do you need for NBA 2K26?

The minimum is a Core i3-9100 or Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1060, Radeon RX 5500 XT or Arc A580. The recommended setup is a Core i5-10600 or Ryzen 5 3600X, 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 2070, Radeon RX 5700 or Arc A770. It needs 110 GB of storage.

## Sources

160. Steam: NBA 2K26, store page and user reviews: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3472040/

Page: https://creativecult.digital/games/nba-2k26