NBA 2K21: Covers, Modes, New Features and Trailers for Current Gen

NBA 2K21 has more pressure than usual to deliver a superb experience for players this year. 

The team at 2K Sports has long positioned its NBA franchise as one of the best outright sports games on the market. But this year's release happens to straddle not only the ongoing playoffs from the bubble in Orlando, Florida, but the balancing act that is releasing a game on current-gen consoles and the next-gen consoles when they launch this winter. 

So far, the basketball juggernaut seems poised to handle the hurdles well. 

Given that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is on the cover, that isn't too much of a surprise. And don't forget the "Mamba Forever" edition of the game features the legendary Kobe Bryant:

There's also another Bryant cover for next-gen releases. And speaking of the next generation, New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will be on the cover for the standard editions:

And while player ratings will be the same as what NBA 2K20 has for right now because of the dramatic delays to the league's year, the game isn't holding back on pushing new features in other areas. 

The biggest unavoidable talking point are the changes to shooting. The Pro Stick has been reworked with the intention of giving players more fluid control over the moves a ball-handler can pull off offensively. 

It works just like it sounds, with different hop steps and crossovers tied to different swings of the stick, with alterations included if a player's pivot foot is planted. It's the same story for when players control a defender. 

But the biggest result of such a move is the change to shooting. Under the new control scheme, players no longer essentially play a timing-based minigame while shooting the ball. Instead, it's about accuracy within a cone after triggering the shooting animation. 

NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang still has the best explanation of the change: 

"For NBA 2K21, when you shoot with the Pro Stick, the shot meter changes from a timing bar to a targeting system. So instead of trying to stop the shot meter when you reach the perfect release window, you adjust the Pro Stick in real time to hit the ideal center aim point. The target window resizes dynamically based on player ability, shooting range, and how well the shot is contested and can also shift to the left or right based on the shot’s degree of difficulty. If you miss the target too far to the left or right, your shot will miss in that direction."

Players can turn this off and revert back to old controls, of course. But on paper, it seems like the competitive community might lean more into this idea if it works well because skill should play a bigger factor in the outcome of shots. 

As plenty of gameplay videos showcase, a lot of work has gone into adding more signature styles for the game's biggest players, as well as general fluidity improvements on the court. 

And it wouldn't be a release cycle without plenty of attention thrown at a variety of game modes. 

MyCareer returns with a new cinematic-based story in what is sure to continue the strong reputation for the mode that redefined stories in sports games and has the rest of the industry playing catchup. And the big streetball and customization themes of The Neighborhood return, meaning the continued fun on beaches and otherwise in three-on-three showdowns and other styles of tournaments. 

But arguably the biggest notes pertain to MyTeam, where collections will transition from current-gen to next-gen consoles without issue. 

That's a boon, especially considering some of the big changes. MyTeam leans heavily into industry trends this year in the name of player retention and replayability. Seasons will work just like they do in other competitive online games, meaning challenges and rewards exclusive to one part of the year's calendar. 

And within those seasons, MyTeam Limited is a weekend-only event each week with exclusive challenges and prizes. Competing in these special weekend events gives players a shot at special rewards at the tail end of each season. Given that the presence of weekend tournaments isn't exactly new in the basketball world, it's a wonder such an idea hasn't been explored in the past, and it's sure to be a hit.

Based on the above, 2K21 appears to have the juice to tackle an unorthodox year in a great way, delivering another quality NBA experience, this time across generations.