NBA 2K21
Credit: 2K
NBA 2K21 remains my favorite version of the series, but as I mentioned in my review, it is not without issue.
In playing through several modes and observing some objective feedback from the 2K community, it’s clear these five issues across multiple modes are keeping NBA 2K21 from reaching its potential.
Server Stability in The City and MyTeam
It seems this is like a broken record with NBA 2K games, especially in the first few weeks after release. When you consider the next-gen version of the game has only been out for 10 days on PlayStation 5 and 12 on Xbox Series X, it’s really not overly worrisome that the game is still having some lag and connectivity issues.
That said, some of the instances in which users are seeing these issues are unacceptable. The limit on the number of people who can make it into the City is a tough pill to swallow. I’ve heard and been told 2K is working on a fix for this problem, and I’d assume it would be at the top of their list of priorities.
The other serious spot we’re seeing connectivity/lag issues is MyTeam. Because 2K is facilitating the opening stages of their annual MyTeam $250,000 tournament, it makes these problematic spots all the more costly.
NBA 2K League veteran and multiple-time participant in the tournament Jin captured and posted this moment that saw him or his opponent lag out of a recent contest.
If 2K is going to run eSports competitions online, they have to do everything in their power to ensure proper connectivity.
Contact Dunks in the PARK, Rec and Pro-Am
Perhaps one of the most common gameplay complaints I’ve heard comes from users claiming contact dunks are overpowered in PARK, Rec and Pro-Am. The mechanic seems similar even in the NBA portions of the game, but because the number of players with the Posterizer badge aren’t as prevalent, it’s not a problem.
However, in the MyPlayer contests, there probably needs to be an adjustment to give big men a little bit of a break.
Play Now Online Results Recording
One of the most neglected portions of the game is Play Now Online. It has usually functioned properly, but this year, there is an issue with the way results of games are being recorded.
I’ve played multiple games on both Xbox and PS5 on next-gen, and more times than not, the proper result wasn’t recorded, nor did it reflect upon my record appropriately. Quite honestly, if you’re someone who takes pride in your record online, this issue demotivates you to play the mode.
Image Uploader
2K boasts the best customization suite of any sports video game on the market. Part of what makes 2K’s customization options so grand is its image uploader. You can essentially take an image from your computer and add it to your uniforms or court to rebrand a team, or to customize your MyTeam’s appearances. Unfortunately, after you upload an image at NBA 2K’s site, you can’t find it when you search for it within the game.
All of my search results were fruitless, and it appears many people are having the same issue when I sent out feelers on social media. I’ve spoken with 2K about this and they are aware of the issue. A fix should be coming “soon” for the problem.
Tattoos Not Transferring in Custom Draft Classes
Having tattoos added to offline create-a-players was a big win for roster creators, but they aren’t transferring when draft classes are uploaded. I’m not sure if this is a restriction, or an issue that needs to be resolved like the shortcomings mentioned above.
Hopefully, it’s the latter.
I’m still having a blast with NBA 2K21, but the experience would be even better with these things improved.
