Many NBA 2K21 details have emerged via Mike Wang, NBA 2K21’s Gameplay Director. 2K released a Dev Blog and Wang has been tweeting NBA 2K21 info from his Twitter account. We’ve summarized the latest info below, but you can also check the continuously updated NBA 2K21 Gameplay Tracker here.
GENERAL
- Everything in the Dev Blog applies to next gen. But there’s a lot more to talk about as well
SHOOTING
- You can still use the shot button and be very successful. The pro stick just has a wider skill gap.
- Shot Button will work pretty similarly to 2K20, though a lot of re-tuning has been done
- If you turn off the meter, aiming is automatically disabled and the pro stick works like 2K20 (timing based). You need the meter for aiming because the target is dynamic.
- Pro Stick with Shot Meter on gets a bigger shooting boost than turning the Shot Meter off and shooting.
- When you shoot with the Pro Stick , the meter only shows the ideal aiming point which you use the stick to target. You don’t see timing so you have to know your release as if the shot meter was off.
- The key to making layups with the Pro Stick this year = instead of holding the stick to the left or right, hold it the direction you want for a brief moment then quickly rotate it toward 12 o’clock to find the ideal aim point.
- You can turn RS shooting and layups off if you want
- The Jump Shot Creator isn’t gated behind a workout anymore, it’s available from the start.
- By default, you won’t see green lights when playing against the CPU. But you can set the Shot Feedback setting to All Shots if you want to see them like in 2K20.
- There are more jump shooting fouls when you make contact with the shooter on bad/late contests this year.
- The goal is for you to have to be at least in the mid to high 70’s to be a decent shooting threat. If people are consistently hitting as a 51, 2K will make a hotfix.
- Difference between a 99 3pt rating and a 70 3pt rating – there’s a pretty significant difference. Take your avg. 3PT FG% as a 70 and add about 20%.
FINISHING
- If WIDE open you can basically ignore timing and aiming and still hit layups
- Aimed to make a skill gap for Slasher builds. If you can master Pro Stick layups, you’ll have a much better chance finishing at the rim contested and through contact.
- Dunking with Pro Stick are the same as NBA 2K20
DRIBBLING
- Dribbling mechanics major components will be identical between Current and Next-Gen, but there are differences which 2K will reveal later.
- 50 new Size-Ups
BADGES
- Intimidator Badge has been tuned back / nerfed
- Pogo stick is still in the game but it was nerfed
BUILDS
- MyPLAYER Builds don’t transfer over from Current to Next-Gen (revealed earlier). The Next-Gen MyPLAYER Builds, Badges, and Takeovers aren’t the same as Current-Gen, so the saves aren’t compatible.
PRO AM
- Team Pro-Am will use competitive sliders
