Games
NBA 2K22 Release Date, Ratings, and Every Features You Want To Know

NBA 2K22 release date for PS5 and Xbox Series X isn’t quite ready, but it’s showing hints of returning to form two years into the current system generation.
Still, debating a New Year’s resolution? Then look below for all you need to know about NBA 2K22 release date, cover star, trailer, ratings, and new Neighbourhood information. GR’s NBA 2K22 guide is now available.
Watch the NBA 2K22 gameplay trailer
On August 30, NBA 2K22 released a one-minute, 35-second gameplay trailer. It’s low on real upgrades, focusing instead on new animations, face likenesses, and massive dunks — albeit it all looks amazing. You may view it right now:
NBA 2K22 release date: September 10
The 2K22 release date of 2K’s gorgeous baller follows a predictable pattern. NBA 2K18 was released on September 15, 2018, NBA 2K19 was released on September 7, 2018, and NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21 were released on September 5, 2019, and September 4, 2020, respectively. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions arrived later, in mid-November, however that was due to the systems’ pre-Christmas release date.
This year, synchronicity was restored across all formats and generations, with NBA 2K22 release date set for Friday, September 10, 2021. The game is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC — albeit the latter edition does utilize previous-gen technology, which has sparked some legitimate debate.
NBA 2K22 cover stars are Parker and Doncic
Extremely proud and humbled to be the first female cover athlete in the history of @NBA2K
I’m honored to work with a company that’s investing in women and betting on us to succeed. I’m hopeful there will be many more badass females to follow 💪🏽💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/WJan4YE7Qt
— Candace Parker (@Candace_Parker) July 14, 2021
The untimely loss of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant at the age of 41 prompted 2K to defy tradition when it came to the NBA 2K21 cover. In honor of Bryant, the game was released in a special ‘Mamba Forever’ edition with Bryant on the box, while the ordinary editions featured different cover stars for each system generation.
New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson was the face of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, while Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lilliard was the face of the PS4 and Xbox One.
NBA 2K22 defies convention once more, but this time in a completely different way, with Chicago Sky power forward Candace Parker serving as the game’s first female cover star. Parker is the face of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition, however, her cover version is only available in North America. Shame. Nonetheless, it’s a significant step forward.
NBA 2K22 is available in four separate editions. All of them may be found on the official NBA 2K website.

NBA 2K22 – NBA 2K23
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the main cover star for NBA 2K22 “Making the global cover of NBA 2K22 is special for me. I’m proud to represent my country in a special cover that honors the colors of the Slovenian flag. Basketball has given me so much, and I’m excited to give back and work together with 2K Foundations this year to help the lives of young kids around the globe.”
NBA 2K22 ratings see LeBron top spot
Luka Doncic might have been the cover star. However, he only ranks seventh in the NBA 2K22 ratings. And, unlike NBA 2K21, where LeBron James was the sole top player, this year he shares the top spot with Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry, all of whom have overall ratings of 96. (A year ago, James had a 97.)
According to the NBA 2K22 ratings at launch, these are the top 10 players in the game:
Lebron James (Los Angeles Lakers, 96)
Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets, 96)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks, 96)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, 96)
Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers, 95)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets, 95)
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers, 95)
Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks, 94)
James Harden (Brooklyn Nets, 94)
Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers, 94)
NBA 2K22 features offer a deep dive
NBA 2K22 looks brilliantly, frighteningly accurate, much like its predecessor, but 2K promises that it’s also making enormous advancements in terms of gameplay. On offense, you can expect a quicker overall feel, new signature moves, precise jump shooting, traffic dunking, and a higher basketball IQ.
The developer is working on a new shot contest and blocking mechanism for the defense. “Playing suffocating defense on the perimeter and in the paint has never felt more rewarding, giving elite defenders the ability to truly change the outcome of the game,”
In a late August gameplay deep dive, Visual Concepts provided more information on some of these. For example, the game’s finest players now seem really unique: “KD’s big hesi crosses, Harden’s around/thru the leg moves, Steph’s quick machine gun crosses, and Luka’s methodical rock back and forth dribbles are all now under the gamer’s direct control rather than a preset movie,” explains NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang.
The publisher also wants to highlight advancements in defensive AI. “A lot of legacy issues were addressed through complete and thorough rewrites of almost all of the major defensive systems in the game. New on-ball defensive positioning logic gives defenders more consistency in their positioning regardless of their distance from the basket… [also] we now have the ability to have both single and double rotations to take away the first or second passing lanes once help defense is triggered.”
Away from the court, MyTeam — the basketball equivalent of FIFA’s all-conquering Ultimate Team – is often a hot topic. MyTeam Draft debuts for PS5 and Xbox Series X, allowing you to assemble a new lineup from a continually updated pool of players, with MyTeam progress and collections portable between PS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
“Throughout the year in NBA 2K22, new challenges, rewards, and events make every Season fresh and unique in MyTeam, on top of the many new features debuting in MyTeam on Day 1, even more additions are coming throughout the year, including an original new game mode this holiday season.”
The classic Neighbourhood, where you level up your customized character and jump into online matches, has been replaced by the City for next gen. It’s bigger than ever before, and it now includes MyCareer as part of what’s being billed as a single, seamless experience. You can also do side ventures like starting your own fashion business or dabbling in hip hop with your toes – or rather, mic abilities. This is fascinating.
NBA 2K22 fan wishlist
While EA’s FIFA 21 and Madden 21 prioritized visuals in their next-gen debuts, NBA 2K21 celebrated its PS5 and Xbox Series X debuts with tangible gameplay improvements like ‘advanced pro stick’ dribbling and adaptive triggers, such as the sprint button having a reduced effect when a player is low on stamina. The NBA 2K22 features wishlist started with more of the same.
eslimm, a poster for Operation Sports, wants to see player confidence portrayed on the floor, similar to how it is in old NBA Jam games. “Using the gameplay HUD, throughout the game a player [should] heat up or get cold, The HUD would highlight the grades in green or red, showing a boost or decrease in attributes from their original start point.
For example, if D’Angelo Russell’s 3-Point ability is usually an A-, getting cold it’d be a B+ with that grade colored red showing he’s decreased in that category. That way the user knows these ratings have been affected since the start of the game.”
Teams expressing their coach’s tactical methods, according to fellow poster richmo, would provide greater on-court diversity. “Coach tendencies: YES! We had something like this years ago, and it definitely made a difference in team styles. Having coach tendencies would allow you to have one player play a certain way in a coach’s system, but when on a different team/coach he can play either closer or further from his tendencies, without having to edit the tendencies themselves.”
tayjkeithftnu shifted the focus from on-court gameplay to MyLeague on Reddit. “I like that we can override end of the season awards, [but] it would be cool if we could edit Christmas Day schedules and MLK day schedules too, after the first season, Christmas Day games look like a regular Monday night lineup in January.
Nobody is trying to see the Grizzlies play the Jazz on Christmas Day. Give us five slots, and let us have the ability to edit who plays who on those two days. The CPU can generate the rest of the schedule around those days.”
“Free Agents should not be able to just simply reject an offer because the algorithm says it’s below their value. They should just consider the offer. The market drives the price. Maybe most of the league doesn’t have cap space. No NBA player who truly loves basketball will reject the only offer handed to them because it’s ‘below’ their [perceived] value.”
What Time Does NBA 2K22 Season 8 Start?
As the release date for NBA 2K22 Season 8 approaches, excitement is in the air. The new season promises to be even better than the last, with plenty of new content to keep players engaged.
8AM PT / 11AM ET / 4PM BST seems so far away, but it will be here before we know it. In the meantime, be sure to check out all of the new features that have been announced thus far. There’s something for everyone, so no matter what your gaming style is, you’re sure to find something to enjoy.
We can’t wait to see you on the courts come July 1st!
Here’s what you’ll get from purchasing any of the NBA 2K22 versions ahead of time:
- 5,000 MyTEAM Points
- 5,000 Virtual Currency
- 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
These will be the only bonuses you’ll get for purchasing the NBA 2K22 Standard Edition and WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition.
It was just announced that the NBA 2K22 Standard Edition and WNBA 25th Anniversary Edition will include bonus content not available in the Cross-Gen Digital Bundle. In addition to receiving digital copies of the game for both consoles of the same console family, you’ll also unlock exclusive in-game items.
The Cross-Gen Digital Bundle will be available exclusively through digital retail stores, so make sure to get it on your PS4 or Xbox One to receive these bonuses. There’s no cross-save progression between consoles, but your MyTeam account can be used simultaneously on both consoles. This is a great opportunity to show your support for the WNBA and get some exclusive bonus content in return.
You’ve been waiting all year for the release of NBA 2K22. The anticipation has been building for months and finally the day has arrived. You head to the store to pick up your copy of the game and are excited to find out that you can get the 75th Anniversary Edition which nets you some bonus in-game content. Finally, after a long wait, you can start playing with your favorite team and dominate on the court.
- 100K VC
- 10K MyTEAM Points
- 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