NBA 2K25 “New Gen” Gameplay Enhancements Revealed

Written by Brandon Hofer on August 01, 2024

News: There are going to some changes in NBA 2K25 and the team over at 2K Sports has given us a glimpse.

Today, 2K announced new gameplay enhancements and features bringing authentic on-court action to NBA 2K25 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. ProPLAY, 2K’s groundbreaking technology that translates authentic movements from actual NBA footage into immersive gameplay, continues to evolve and expand in NBA 2K25 with an increased animation library that delivers 2K’s most true-to-life basketball yet. Updates also include an all-new dribble engine powered by ProPLAY and additions like Signature Go-To Shots, Shot Canceling, Shot Timing Profiles as well as a brand new defensive cutoff system, updates to the Contest System and more.

Gameplay innovations featured in NBA 2K25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S & PC include:

Gameplay, Powered by ProPLAY: 9,000 new ProPLAY animations have been added to NBA 2K25 pulling from real-world NBA footage to seamlessly translate actual NBA moments into authentic gameplay. Featuring 1,500 dribbling animations, 1,100 signature shot animations from most rostered players from the 2023-24 NBA season, and more than 1,300 new off-the-ball animations, including 150 new signature motion styles, NBA 2K25 delivers the most realistic gameplay to-date.

All-New Dribble Engine: NBA 2K25 features one of the biggest changes to gameplay in 15 years with an all-new dribble engine powered by ProPLAY. Now, with the power of ProPLAY, NBA 2K25's dribble engine generates dynamic motion from real-world NBA footage to create a new and more authentic feel. This update means players will experience a more lifelike movement that is one-to-one with how NBA players dribble in real life.

Offensive Innovations: Creativity, personalization, freedom, and accessibility are the cornerstones of NBA 2K25 offensive updates, catering to both newcomers and experts alike. Features like Pro Stick Rhythm Shooting, Custom Visual Cues and Shot Timing Profiles give players the ultimate customization over how they shoot the ball as they balance the risk-versus-reward of their choices. Other updates include a new Shot Canceling feature that allows players to break out of any advanced shot at any time to transition into other moves. They have also taken last year’s Dribble Breakdowns a step further with Signature Go-To Shots which features dribble-into-shot combos, directly translated from NBA footage - another feature Powered by ProPLAY.

Defense Wins Championships: NBA 2K25 features a brand-new defensive cutoff system that empowers defensive-minded players. Dynamically change direction using the right stick to control a player and quickly slide laterally into position to cut off an offensive player’s attack. The Contest System received significant changes and now uses a dynamic weighting system, rather than a fixed one, that evaluates the impact of defense at the start of the shot versus the release and computes the proper coverage impact accordingly.

AI Gameplay: AI gameplay has been improved across all platforms to play a more complementary role with updates to Court Spacing, Offense, Defense, Coaching, and the AI Difficulty to elevate the overall experience.

Learn 2K: NBA 2K25 features a new Learn 2K mode that lets players learn everything from the basic mechanics of 2K all the way through how to execute the most advanced moves. Whether players want to try out the new Rhythm Shooting, learn the hundreds of moves, play mini-games, run drills, or work through practice scenarios, Learn 2K is an educational tool built to make NBA 2K25 more accessible for all.

NBA 2K25 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch will also come with enhanced gameplay including Shot Timing Profiles, Shot Canceling, new AI Gameplay and more. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements in the coming weeks to reveal even more of what’s new in NBA 2K25.