NBA 2K22 has arrived, and that means an exciting opening rush as players flood into The City and the 2K Cruise Ship, Cancha Del Mar.
We break down the official NBA 2K22 release time for each time zone, the pre order rewards that were available, and all of the latest news and new features coming this year.
LATEST - It's finally here!
NBA 2K22 is officially available, live, and ready for anyone to play!
If you placed a pre order ahead of time, you'll have access to a flurry of bonus items, but even players who purchase now could get major rewards with the 75th Anniversary Edition.
NBA 2K22 Release Time
NBA 2K22 has a unique launch schedule that will release at different times in different regions. This of course means many will try the trick of changing their console region to get into the game early - which we can't test just yet whether this will work or not.
NBA 2K22 will go live at the following times in the following time zones:
- EST - 12am Friday, September 10th
- CST - 11pm Thursday, September 9th
- PST - 9pm Thursday, September 9th
For international time zones, NBA 2K22 will instead release at 12am local time - which means some regions will get access to the game early!
New Features
NBA 2K22 offers a ton of new features across its game modes and general gameplay. Beyond the baseline upgrades, there are also tons of major upgrades exclusive to next gen.
Here are some of the biggest new features coming in NBA 2K22.
Gameplay
NBA 2K22 will include new dribble moves, a new shooting meter and shooting system, new dunk and alley-oop systems, more Pro Stick integration, and defensive movement.
The City (Next Gen)
The real home run of NBA 2K22 will be The City, which is being expanded with more locations, points of interest, NPCs, quests, houses, and opportunities as well as new game modes.
Matchmaking is in full gear in The City, which means players won't have to wait for next courtside. There will also be improved housing as your career progresses, and all kinds of activities including bike racing.
The Neighborhood/Cancha Del Mar Cruise Ship (Current Gen)
Instead of The City, current gen players will still have The Neighborhood. This time The Neighborhood will be at sea, however, on the Cancha Del Mar cruise ship.
The Neighborhood lacks the polish and excitement surrounding The City, but it does feature some new additions, and the new location could prove interesting. These new additions include new points of interest, new quests, and more.
New Badges - MyPLAYER Builder
Those looking to jump right into MyCAREER after putting together your MyPLAYER will run into some new tools to play with. This includes 17 new NBA 2K22 badges, and some reworked returns for others from NBA 2K21.
Look through the full list of 17 new NBA 2K22 badges here - but some highlights include:
- Limitless Spot-up: Ability to hit logo-range 3’s off a catch and shoot
- Hyperdrive: Boosts the speed and effectiveness of moving dribble moves
- Quick Chain: Boosts the ability to quickly chain dribble moves together
MyCAREER
NBA 2K22 MyCAREER will offer a new story allowing players to choose their path to the NBA - whether through college or the G League.
This will also include new integration with The City for next gen players, and the Cancha Del Mar Cruise Ship for current gen players.
MyNBA (Next Gen)
MyNBA features a number of nice upgrades to add more depth to the game mode. These include more detailed MySTAFF controls, better game planning, a new UI, and new menus.
MyNBA will still remain a next gen exclusive in NBA 2K22, which is certainly frustrating for current gen players that enjoy the Franchise style game modes.
MyLeague/MyGM (Current Gen)
Instead of the above, current gen gamers will once again have MyLEAGUE and MyGM.
2K have yet to elaborate on any improvements to these two game modes, so we don't have high expectations for new features outside of some minor tweaks.
Pre Order NBA 2K22 Now
NBA 2K22 pre orders will only be open for a little while longer, and players that miss the window will miss out on some great rewards come launch day.
With several NBA 2K22 editions to choose from, here are the pre order rewards for each:
NBA 2K22 Standard Edition
- 5,000 Virtual Currency (VC)
- 5,000 MyTEAM Points (MT)
- 10 MyTEAM Promo Packs (delivered one a week)
- A Boost for each MyCAREER Skill type
- A Boost for each Gatorade Boost type
- Luka Doncic MyPLAYER Jersey
- 95 Rated Luka Doncic MyTEAM Free Agent Card
NBA 2K22 Cross-Gen Digital Bundle
- 5,000 VC
- 5,000 MT
- 10 MyTEAM Promo Packs (delivered one a week)
- A Boost for each MyCAREER Skill type
- A Boost for each Gatorade Boost type
- Luka Doncic MyPLAYER Jersey
- 95 Rated Luka Doncic MyTEAM Free Agent Card
NBA 2K22 75th Anniversary Edition
- 100K VC
- 10K MT
- 10 MyTEAM Tokens
- Sapphire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant MyTEAM Cards
- 22 MyTEAM Promo Packs (Receive 10 at launch, then 3 per week for 4 weeks)
- Diamond Jordan Shoe MyTEAM card
- Coach Card MyTEAM Pack
- 10 Boosts for each MyCAREER Skill Boost type
- 10 Boosts for each Gatorade Boost type
- 4 Cover Athlete T-Shirts for your MyPLAYER
- MyPLAYER backpack and arm sleeve
- Custom-design skateboard for MyPLAYER