The NBA 2K series has continued to advertise itself as a “simulation NBA basketball videogame” (a.k.a. striving to represent realistic bball on the virtual court). And with NBA 2K esports now a thing and players having their hard-earned cash on the line during wagers, skill and realism in ‘comp’ modes like Pro-Am matter more than ever.
Many fans have witnessed the evolution of NBA 2K badges – which have been in the game for several years now – to the point where they’ve been known to supersede the gameplay ratings and significantly affect gameplay balance. So it’s no surprise really when some OP / cheesy badges make their way into the game with the potential to “break” parts of the gameplay experience that would’ve otherwise been pretty decent virtual basketball.
So keeping all that in mind, we’ve come up with these 6 Badges in the game that’d be a good idea for 2K to either completely eliminate or revamp for NBA 2K24 (which will be released world-wide in September 2023).
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ELIMINATE
Handles For Days Badge
Description: A player takes less of an energy hit when performing consecutive dribble moves, allowing them to chain together combos quicker and for longer periods of time
The Handles for Days Badge was first introduced in NBA 2K20 to represent iso dribble gods like Kyrie Irving, Allen Iverson, and Steph Curry. However, the domino-effect and massive impact of this badge on the gameplay has been mostly toxic (for simulation-style basketball). Here’s how — without the training wheel / no skill safety net effect of the Handles For Days Badge, iso-heavy PG’s wouldn’t be able to dribble around for eternity or run the boring as hell ‘5-out’ set (with co-dependent cones doing their best mannequin challenge in the corners) nearly as effectively.
NBA 2K Gameplay Director Mike Wang hyped up the supposed simulation-saving Adrenaline Boosts leading up to the 2K23 launch, only for it to be significantly neutralized by the Handles For Days Badge and certain glitchy dribble animations. Adrenaline Boosts were a great idea, but with poor execution, and even worse follow-up by 2K. Vaporizing this badge would be a step in the right direction towards what Adrenaline Boosts seemed to be trying to accomplish – more gameplay balance, more ball movement, and more team basketball.
Agent 3 Badge
Description: Improves the ability to make pull-up or spin shots from three point range
The Agent 3 Badge is the main reason fade-away threes are a super common thing in NBA 2K23. On top of that, pulling off the move really doesn’t take much skill at all – equip the badge, then have a speed boost turbo fest towards an open spot without worrying at all about getting any balance needed to shoot or squaring up. There’s nothing wrong with the occasional wide open fade 3 dropping in the game, as that occasionally (at most) happens in the real NBA. The problem occurs when fade threes becomes an over-powered go-to move for your typical Pro-Am baller – made possible by the Agent 3 Badge – when it’s fairly uncommon (because the shot is less likely to fall) in the real NBA.
Bail Out Badge
Description: Passing out of a jump shot or layup yields fewer errant passes than normal. Additionally, helps passing out of double teams
Why remove the Bail Out Badge? Point blank, it rewards and promotes bad basketball. Any competent basketball coach will teach his students that the ‘jump pass’ is “bad basketball fundamentals”. So why is 2K choosing to reward bad basketball? We don’t have the answer to that, but we do know that the Bail Out Badge literally represents the opposite of a skill gap. A skill gap means the gamer behind the controller is being rewarded for real skill – stick skills, IQ, etc. But a badge like Bail Out is exactly what its name implies – bailing out a gamer from the penalty of poor decision making or poor basketball fundamentals while out on the virtual court. The punish/reward system for poor basketball IQ plays in real life should translate the same in the NBA 2K series – and it’s entirely possible by eliminating some badges or other cheesy gameplay elements in the game.
REVAMP or MERGE w/OTHER BADGE
We caught up with the one and only NBA 2K Tutes to get his thoughts on Badges for NBA 2K24:
Post Spin Technician Badge
Description: Attempting to do post spins or drives results in more effective moves, and less of a chance to be stripped
The Post Spin Technician Badge function should be tied up to Dream Shake. All bigs that can do dream shakes should be crafty enough to do post spins (in real life perspective).
Bully Badge
Description: Improves a player’s ability to initiate contact and get to the rim on layups attempts
Not to remove it but rework the stat requirement, strength requirement is too high. Badge point requirement is too high as well.
Masher Badge
Description: Improves a player’s ability to finish well around the rim, especially over smaller defenders
Remove height gap requirement and make it work like Grace Under Pressure. At the moment there’s no badge to represent a guy that will eat you alive deep in the pain on standing layups no matter what height the defender is.
Agree, disagree? Let the 2K Community know what you think or add your own ideas to the NBA 2K24 Wishlist!
