NBA 2K23 shrinks the City and players are thrilled

NBA 2K23
(Image credit: 2K Games)

2K Games has revealed what players can expect from the City in the new-gen versions of NBA 2K23, and some changes already have players very excited.

The City is set to be "approximately 30 percent smaller" than it was in 2K22, according to the announcement blog. That means you'll have to spend far less time wandering around the virtual hub to get to whichever modes you want to play. There are also now subway stations which you can use to quickly fast travel between locations.

Those changes alone are already going down well with fans on social media, as are the revamped affiliation boroughs and the new Theater mode. The Theater will feature a four event playlist which rotates weekly, giving you a quick way to get into matchmaking for experimental modes. Some of the early events confirmed include Hustle, a 3v3 mode with 12-second shot clocks, and Pulling Weight, where every player will be required to contribute to offense equally.

But there's one caveat to all the current goodwill: the rundown of the new City doesn't make any mention of the Old Gym. That mode proved to be a popular one, as it allowed for 3v3 matches with no squads, making it a quick, easy way for solo players to get into online games without getting rolled over by coordinated teams. Theater modes could effectively replace the Old Gym, but it remains to be seen how players will take to them.

Take the field, court, or track in the best sports games on the market right now.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

Read more
prisim tower standing tall and proud in the center of lumiose city
In classic Nintendo fashion, the latest Pokemon Legends Z-A reveal left out the best part: the Lumiose City map looks great after a massive overhaul in the 12 years since X and Y
A screenshot from Exodus' debut trailer
Mass Effect veterans have another Normandy-type "major hub" in their new space RPG Exodus, but this time it's an entire city
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 preview: Bloodline Showcase, intergender matches, and big roster surprises make for an electrifying mix
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 screenshot showing three skaters performing tricks in mid-air
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 could be making a major change to Pro Skater 4, with the apparent removal of free-roaming in favor of "streamlined goals"
a trainer clutches a ball of light that helps them glode between Parisian rooftops in Pokemon Legends Z-A
Pokemon Legends Z-A remembers it's an open-zone JRPG, adds actual parkour and platforming so you can explore the city
Latest in NBA 2K
A screenshot from the reveal trailer for NBA 2K25: Gravity Ball, showing a group of people stood outside the Gravity Ball building.
NBA 2K25 is taking notes from Fortnite, becoming a strange new digital platform by offering the only way to play the new game from acclaimed Lego racing devs
NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 locker codes guide to free MyCareer and MyTeam items
NBA
NBA 2K23 player grinds for 700 hours, gets a tiny car and four badges
NBA 2K23
Nbasketball 23 tricked unwitting NBA 2K23 buyers before it was delisted from the Xbox store
NBA 2K23
Why I love NBA 2K23 despite not really caring about basketball
NBA 2K23
NBA 2K23 ratings guide with the top 10 players at every position
Latest in News
A screenshot from MindsEye showing a character leaning out of a car, shooting another car with a gun.
GTA veteran says the games industry needs to "get smarter" about what people actually want: "There are so many games, and I think we're starting to feel the effects"
Posing with a rifle in the Fallout 76 Ghoul update
Fallout 76's art director "had to fight really hard" so Bethesda would make the MMO's map bigger than Skyrim's
Minecraft movie image of Jack Black as steve
Don't expect Minecraft to go free-to-play anytime soon, as Mojang says "It doesn't really work with the way we built it"
Yasuke looking over the water to a shrine during sunset in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows has an entire island stuffed with adorable kittens you need to check out, and it's based on an actual Japanese cat paradise
phase zero key art showing zombies in a hallway
Former Witcher 3 and Dying Light devs reveal their Resident Evil homage, complete with PS1-style fixed cameras
Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System was only created because WB Games wanted something to combat Batman Arkham Asylum's second-hand sales, exec says