NBA 2K21

Most versions were released to heavy criticism, citing the lack of originality in the gameplay and many microtransactions and bugs.

• Title — NBA 2K21 • Developer — Visual Concepts • Publisher — 2K • Series — NBA 2K • Genre — Sports • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer • Platforms — * Windows • Nintendo Switch • PlayStation 4 • PlayStation 5 • Xbox One • Xbox Series X/S • Stadia • iOS • macOS • tvOS • Released — Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, StadiaSeptember 4, 2020Xbox Series X/S November 10, 2020 PlayStation 5 November 12, 2020 Arcade Edition (Apple Arcade) April 2, 2021

A teaser of the game was released on June 11, 2020, during the PS5 reveal event and featured the player model of New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson. It showed a few seconds of pre-alpha, in-engine footage, and showed many effects, such as ray-tracing and shadow details. On June 30, 2020, NBA 2K announced Damian Lillard, of the Portland Trail Blazers, would be the cover for the standard edition on the previous-generation consoles. On July 1, 2020, NBA 2K announced Zion Williamson as the cover athlete for the standard edition of the next-generation consoles. The last covers were released on July 2, 2020, honoring the late Kobe Bryant. The demo for the game was released on August 24, 2020.

MyCareer, a major part of the series, returned as one of the available game modes. MyCareer is a career mode in which the player creates their own customizable basketball player and plays through their basketball career. Players may make a male or female player, although female player creation is exclusively available on next-gen consoles. The Neighborhood also returns to MyCareer, as 2K Beach, in which players can customize their wardrobe, get haircuts and tattoos, and purchase boosts. They can also do workouts and run drills to improve their character's attributes at their current team's practice facility. Progress in MyCareer may not carry over across generations, due to some changes made exclusively for next-gen.

In MyTeam, players collect cards of NBA players (current or past) to put on their team. This game mode has packs (or loot boxes) that can be purchased with Virtual Currency (VC) or My Team Points (MT). Players can also buy cards from each other at the auction house using VC or MT.

In the next-generation release for the game, The MyCareer online staple The Neighborhood mode was rebranded into The City with the return of affiliations from NBA 2K16. Players start in Rookieville where they play similarly low-leveled players before they can choose an affiliation to enter The City. MyRep, the level system exclusive to The City mode, is shared across all MyPlayer builds, so players only have to level up out of Rookieville once for all their characters. Once a player levels out of Rookieville, they are automatically assigned without choice to one of four of The City's affiliations, ranging from the North Side Knights, South City Vipers, Beasts of the East, and the Western Wildcats. Players are free to switch their affiliation, however they are penalized for doing so by their level being reset down to Pro 1, the same level the player was upon leaving Rookieville. Although the player can play in affiliations that they are not a member of, there is a penalty by reducing the amount of MyRep experience gained in matches. Players can participate in quests given by NPCs, which are either single-player 3v3 games against famous basketball players, or playing games against other MyPlayers in The City. The rewards are typically VC and customizations. Every affiliation has elections for a Mayor, which are typically community influencers who are responsible for making videos that display in-game, court designs, in-game playlists, design of murals, and uniform selections. Each mayoral term lasts 6 weeks.

NBA 2K21 features both MyLeague and MyGM from previous games, where the player can take the helm of a franchise and fully simulate an NBA season while making trades, drafting, and playing games with their teams. Compared to prior titles, eighth-generation console releases of NBA 2K21 were left with little changes for their staple franchise modes, MyLeague and MyGM. Outside of roster changes, the main changes focuses with MyLeague Online where certain users can be given different admin controls. WNBA teams were also given more representation as players were now able to play through a whole season with all 12 teams.

In the game's Xbox Series X/S and PS5 release, MyGM and MyLeague were combined and rebranded into MyNBA. Instead of the role-playing aspects such as cutscenes, player morale, and tasks being locked solely to MyGM, they are now individually toggleable under role-playing elements before one starts MyNBA. NBA G League games are also playable as well, however playoffs and the championship for the NBA G League are not featured. The boom/bust system was also revamped, giving more unpredictability to draft prospects and young players in terms of how their career will turn out.

The NBA 2K21 in-game soundtrack uniquely featured songs from cover athlete Damian ‘Dame D.O.L.L.A.’ Lillard, global artists such as Stormzy, Roddy Ricch, Little Simz and more, giving opportunity to independent artists to be featured in connection with United Masters.

• Artist — Song — Other Games • Dame D.O.L.L.A. feat. Snoop Dogg and Derrick Milano — Kobe • The Weeknd — Blinding Lights • Jack Harlow — WHATS POPPIN — Fuser(DLC) • Roddy Ricch — Gods Eyes • Juice WRLD — Let Me Know (I Wonder Why Freestyle) • Anonymuz ft. Denzel Curry — No Threat • Lil Baby — Sum 2 Prove • Stormzy — Bronze • JACKBOYS, Pop Smoke, Travis Scott — GATTI • Polo G, Stunna 4 Vegas & NLE Choppa feat. Mike WiLL Made-It — Go Stupid • A$AP Ferg — Value — EA Sports UFC 4 • Little Simz — Venom • The Strokes — Bad Decisions — Rock Band 4 (DLC) • Pop Smoke — Dior • Lil Tjay ft. Jay Critch — Ruthless • J Hus — Fight for Your Right • CHIKA — CROWN • Rick Ross ft. D. Wade, Raphael Saadiq & UD — Season Ticket Holder • YoungBoy Never Broke Again — Red Eye • Che Lingo — My Block — FIFA 21(Volta) • Tory Lanez — Broke in a Minute • Lauren Declasse — Evisu • Ocean Wisdom x P Money — BREATHIN' • Pure Bathing Culture — Dream the Dare • Chris Patrick — SWISH • Jay Critch — Cameras • Wale feat. Rick Ross & Meek Mill — Routine — EA Sports UFC 4 • Calid B. ft. Simba.Got.It — Balling • Jerreau — SAME TEAM • Tarik — Don't I? • Red Cafe — I Want All the Bags • Boy In Space x unheard — Cold • Abderly — Racks • Stix — Any Other Way • Samwyse — $ & Problems • Chaz Marcus — Balmain Belt • Rae Khalil — THEYKNO FREESTYLE • Malz Monday — How It Is • ELO — Alarm • Sage English — 3 Pointer • Black$tar — Game Time • Erick Lottary — Savage • Irie Da Brat — Work • ill Nicky — Photograph • Zebbo — BALL • Avidince — Wave • Ro$$ Mac — A Dub • Jared Anthony — Mayday • Flight Gang DraE — Hoop Dreams • Kap Peezy — The Next

On November 12, 2020, rapper 2 Chainz premiered five songs from his upcoming album So Help Me God in the game. • Artist — Song — Other Games • 2 Chainz ft. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil Duval — Can't Go For That • 2 Chainz ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again — Save Me • 2 Chainz ft. Latto — Quarantine Thick • 2 Chainz — Lambo Wrist • 2 Chainz ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Chief Keef — Free Lighter

The Next-Gen soundtrack features 150 different songs, more than 100 songs distributed by UnitedMasters. • Artist — Song — Other Games • Lil Baby Feat. Lil Uzi Vert — Commercial • Dreamville ft. J.I.D — Big Black Truck • Digable Planets — Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) — True Crime: New York City, Forza Horizon 4 • Lee Bezel — OFF THE LEASH • Pop Smoke — Invincible • CHIKA — INDUSTRY GAMES • A Tribe Called Quest — Buggin' Out — Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 • AG Club — Columbia • Calid B. ft. Jay Swifta — A.D.E.N. • Dave — Professor X • REASON — Show Stop • Dribble2much — One and Done • GHSTLY XXVII — Trust • IDK & Juicy J — SQUARE UP • James BKS feat. Q-Tip, Idris Elba & Little Simz — New Breed — MLB The Show 22 • Jay Critch — Dreams in a Wraith • Juice WRLD ft. Marshmello — Come & Go • KILLY — OH NO • Koteri — Riot • Lil Wayne ft. Big Sean & Lil Baby — I Do It • Maniscooler x Kamakaze — Shanghai • Ocean Wisdom x Ghetts — LOWRIDER • pineappleCITI — Believe • Popcaan — Promise • Rich Brian ft. Guapdad 4000 — BALI • Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier — Ooh LA LA • Russ ft. Rick Ross — GUESS WHAT • SAINt JHN — All I Want Is a Yacht • Stormzy — Handsome • Sky Katz — Back At It • Tame Impala — Breathe Deeper • Tame Impala — Lost In Yesterday • Travis Barker, Wiz Khalifa — Drums Drums Drums — MLB The Show 21 • Trampolene — Born Again • Tyla Yaweh ft. Post Malone — Tommy Lee • Yinka Diz ft. Calid B and Jay Beato — On God (Prod. Kofi Cooks) •.shy — Break The News • 2xSammy — Ball Harder • 2xSammy — 2 Official • 451 — BEST INTEREST • AB (Antonio Brown) ft. YDtheBest — Home From the N.O. (prod. by Siouyari) • A.G Roid — ON ME • Alexander Charles feat. Bij Lincs — These Days • Alexis Renee — Racks • Anonymuz — Unless • Ariaa — 661 • Ayo Breeze — OverTime • B1uan — BETTER • BK Fire feat dzyre — Armageddon (Remix) • Bryce Oliver — Living Legend • Byrd the Voice — Motivation (prod. by Hellyer) • Chief Armand — Talk Game • Chosen Music — Summit • Christof Hunte — Break Time • CHRYS THOMPSON — Aerials • Craigy F. — Up Now • Create the Culture — Don't Want Me Winnin' • Danny Cisco — daze • Decarlo Tatum Jr. — On Go • Dot Cromwell — MOOD • Dre nello — All Hype • Edo 100 — OVERTIME • Epthemars — Zoom • Erick Lottary — Word • Figuero Jones — Chief Spinner • First Name Shayne — The Motive • Fourtee — Talk to Me Nice • Geechi Da Don — Want It All • Gene Gray — How You Should (Destiny) • Glory — That Boy Good • Hadar Adora — Patience • Holt — Dance With Me • Htiekal — Fast Life • I Am Tonka — I Might Flex • iivrson — Pressure • iivrson — Money Callin • ill Nicky — California • Iman. — Hello • iZZE — Porsche Dreams • JAY VOSS — Take It From Me • JAY VOSS — They Gonna Follow • Jaywop — Carousel • Jevon Alexander — Mamba Mentality • Josh Dominguez — DOUBT • KC Carter — Someday • Kai Ca$h — Ghost • Kai Ca$h — $tunna • Kamau Jahad — The Wait • kj feeds — WORK • Kruize — LALA LAND • KUMAR — Fanatic • KuuL — WIN • Lando Ameen — KAMS REVENGE • Lil Nemo — Run It Up • Loovy. — I DO THIS. • Loretta Mars — Post Up • Lstnite — Bando • Mille Manny — ALL IN • Neo Sohl — Big Dreams • Niko Slim — Solitary • Nique — UP HIGH, DOWN LOW • Noah Sims — Theatrics • O Fresh — Hype • O Fresh — WWW • Orrin — HARLEY • OTW Kilo — Juice • OTW Kilo — Stack That Money • Ponce De'leioun — Be About It • Project88icon — Go Viral • Ron Suno — Ball • Runup Rico — Life or Death • SNUBBS — Masked Up • Solo da Honcho — Black Mamba • SONNY NITEZ — NO TOMORROW • Splash Zanotti — VIBRATE HIGH • Swoosh God — Main Topic • Tariq Lloyd — You vs. Yourself • Tariq Lloyd — Championship Rings • The Royal Waev — Passport • The Siege — Run for Your Life • Tizzy Stackz — Red Light • Trapp Rg — 80's • TRVP BRAZY — Every Season • Vonchi — Finish Lines • Vuccini — Watch • Wes Blanco — Gimmie That • X Nikko — Rendez-Vous • Xpress — Keep Ya Head Up • YSB Tril — Do The Most • YUNG CORY — Movie • YUNG CORY — Hustle • Yurms — I Spy • Yurms — Back in Action • Zachary Jordan — Toy • I.T. Official — China Bulls • Davante FRE$H — Run Up • Kiiing Leo — 2 Step • Carl'eone — I Got Next • Warcub — My World • CRUEL HEARTS CLUB — HEY COMPADRE • Remiri — The Rise • Vinnin — Top of The Game

2K and UnitedMasters launched their 2K Beats: The Search competition and selected 10 artists to join the NBA 2K21 next gen soundtrack. With over 13,000 submissions, winners were chosen by rapper Jadakiss, Ronnie 2K, producers Murda Beatz and Tay Keith. The ten songs were added with a patch in February 2021. • Artist — Song — Other Games • Delly Everyday — Same Game • Caleb Isaiah — Legend • Scotty Valid — UP • Jupiter Ki — $20Mill • Zane Smith — 24 Hours • Kayo Porter — Never Miss • Smoovebeendidit — Hands Tied • Skippa Da Flippa — Win Again • 10k.Caash — Left Knee • A1 Illa — Elevating