Most of the blog post is outlined in a list due to the massive onslaught of new features, so we’ll design our recap in similar fashion.
The City
A sprawling metropolis able to support hundreds of MyPlayers at once. It has all the courts, shops and event opportunities one could ask for. Rookieville: A beginners area for new MyPlayers to prove their skills before gaining access to the full city. Boroughs: Boroughs are home to the new Affiliations. All MyPlayers join one of four factions with unique courts: the North Side Knights, South City Vipers, Beasts of the East and Western Wildcards. Events Center: An event-focused building meant for LTMs and competition between boroughs. Garage Hoops: Approach hoops on the sides of buildings and take some shots with the personal ball you carry around the city. Catch the attention of other players to challenge them to 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, HORSE and more. VC multipliers guarantee sweet rewards for your first five games each day. People of the City: There are NPCs with rotating quests every four to six weeks that feature tough AI foes. Win to get some rare clothing. Gatorade Training Facility: Has the usual workout equipment as well as Rental Courts on the second floor. These are private courts for friends and people you meet online. Pink Diamond Plaza: A new building where Triple Threat Online takes place.
Affiliations
After a few games in Rookieville, you advance to Pro 1 level. Changing Affiliation will reset you to this rank. You can only earn your full rep yield by playing games on your court. Rival Day Conquest: Every five weeks a two-week tournament kicks off where Affiliations compete against one another. At the end of week five, Affiliations are seeded and organized for a tournament. Rival Day Championship: On week six the championship begins. You’ll get a purse of VC and your mayor gets to decorate the city. Mayors: Mayors run in six-week terms and can outfit courts with Affiliation videos, custom playlists, court designs, mural designs and a uniform selection. Mayors are real players.
MyPlayer
Players carry around a ball used for pickup games or showing off dribble moves. The city has trick spots for skateboards and BMX Bikes. There’s a new eye-catching bike called the Chopper. Hair, accessories and apparel can be changed in shops.
In other words, the City sounds like a greatly expanded take on the Neighborhood that offers lots of opportunity for repeat engagement through regular tournaments, rotating quests and in-game events. What we still don’t quite know, however, is how all these new features relate to the rest of MyCareer. While the City mostly revolves around representation in the Park, what about those who want to play through a scripted story? Does Pro-Am mode factor into the City at all, or has that been folded into Affiliations as well? Despite these lingering questions which will presumably be addressed in a future blog post, there’s a lot here for fans to dig into. There’s been high demand for the return of Affiliations, and this is certainly one of the most interesting takes on the concept that we’ve seen so far. The only question that remains is, which Borough will you decide to make your new home in the City?
NBA 2K21 is available on Xbox Series S/X November 10 and PS5 November 12.
What are your thoughts on the City and Affiliations returning in NBA 2K21? Which of these new features are you most excited to try for yourself? Tell us in the comments section!
