NBA 2K23 Primer: Everything You Need To Know Before You Play

NBA 2K23 will be the latest iteration in the world's premiere (and basically only) basketball sim. As with every instalment since 2K21, 2K23 will once again come to both last-gen and current-gen hardware. And if you're excited to play, here are the things you need to know beforehand.

(Photo : NBA 2K website)
nba 2k23 banner

Preorder Bonuses

As with every other 2K release since the dawn of... well, everything, you're going to get bonuses when you preorder 2K23 early. And each edition will have different bonuses, as expected. Here's what you could expect from each edition, as shared by WCCFTech:

Digital Edition ($59.99 for Last-Gen and PC, $69.99 for Next-Gen)

5000 VC
5000 MyTEAM Points
10 MyTEAM Promo Packages (1 package delivered per week)
One upgrade for each MyCAREER type
One upgrade for each type of Gatorade upgrade
Devin Booker MyPLAYER kit
FREE Agent DevinBooker MyTEAM Card valued at 95
EXCLUSIVE: 2000 VC and 1 MyTEAM pack if you pre-order from Amazon.

Michael Jordan Edition ($99.99 for All platforms)

100,000 VC
10,000 MyTEAM points
10 MyTEAM tokens
Ruby Michael Jordan and Sapphire Devin Booker MyTEAM cards
23 MyTEAM Promo Packs (10 at launch day plus extra Amethyst pack, then two packs delivered per week for a total of six weeks)
Free Agent MyTEAM option package
Diamond Jordan Shoe MyTEAM card
Ruby Coach My TEAM card package
10 upgrades for each MyCAREER type
10 upgrades for each type of Gatorade upgrade
4 Athlete cover T-shirt for your MyPLAYER
MyPLAYER backpack and armband
Personalized skateboard for MyPLAYER
A 2 hour Double XP token

Championship Edition ($149.99 for All Platforms)

With the Championship Edition, you get all of the perks of the Michael Jordan Edition, but with two more freebies:

MJ themed go-kart
XP boost 10% on progress in MyTEAM and MyCAREER

The official NBA 2K23 release date is set for September 9th globally, barring any future delays (we doubt there will be, though).

NBA 2K23 Gameplay Additions

Perhaps the biggest addition to this year's NBA 2K is the return of the vaunted Jordan Challenge, which was first seen way back in 2K11. Here is the reveal trailer for the returning Jordan Challenge mode, which features several of the most iconic games from the iconic basketball legend's career:

As you can see there, here are some of the games you could expect to play within the Jordan Challenge:

"The Arrival": 63 points vs the legendary 1986 Boston Celtics in the playoffs
"Got Next": Jordan's amateur (collegiate) Olympic team plays against NBA stars
"The Shrug": Jordan hits six threes in the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals

These are just three of 15 total challenges that you'll get to play in the Jordan Challenge mode, which is one of the most anticipated aspects of NBA 2K23's gameplay this year. Aside from that, it looks like all games in the mode will have a retro screen filter on them to further enhance the experience.

These filters will make you feel as if you're watching a live broadcast of Jordan's games from the 80s and 90s - something that hasn't been seen in the franchise's retro modes since NBA 2K12's Greatest Players mode.

To cap things off, 2K promises a few other NBA 2K23 gameplay tweaks and additions for this year. According to the NBA 2K blog, players can expect upgraded combo moves to the Pro Stick that affect how you finish dunks, layups, and other shots.

The Pro Stick upgrades also affect dribbling animations too, as expected. But dribbling is a little different this year, as NBA 2K23 will no longer allow you to dribble too much with one player. Spamming dribble moves will make the offensive player's stamina much, much quicker, affecting their overall explosiveness and quickness for the rest of the possession. Here's a video describing how it works:

What About PC?

As with 2K21 and 2K22, PC players are once again left in the dust with 2K23's last-gen version being the version to be released on PC. But hey, there's still mods.

Either way, running 2K23 on PC looks to be not too hard if you have a computer that has been built during the last ten years or so: