I love NBA 2K25's changes to Play Now Online

I played countless hours of NBA 2K24, and not a minute of them were spent in Play Now Online. I can't even put my finger on exactly why. MyTEAM is an often frustrating grind and I am in a love-hate relationship with it. I should have relished an opportunity to get off its treadmill for a mode with actual NBA teams, but I didn't.

I can confidently say I'll be taking the new Play Now Online for a spin. 2K has heard the complaints and is making big changes to its non-MyTEAM modes. PlayStation Blog details the new plays. Leagues return in 2K25. They are a five-level system ranking all the way from Bronze to GOAT level.

All players start in Bronze and will have access to all 30 of the NBA's current teams. Leveling up unlocks other squads including teams from different historic eras. The final rank from Platinum to GOAT will unlock something called GOATED teams, and a new one will unlock each season.

Players rise through the ranks by gaining victory points, but will only be able to use the same team once every five games. That counter resets after leveling up. Using one of the NBA's top teams grants a small amount of points, while using one of the worst awards a large amount.

This system encourages players to learn less powerful teams and will reward the best players. After all, if you can beat the Boston Celtics with the Detroit Pistons you have earned every ranking point you get.

Players who do well in the GOAT league will receive Virtual Currency, an All-Time Team to play with, and those who rank in the Top 100 will receive an in-game logo. The NBA 2K team's research has indicated that the best players want their skill rewarded and acknowledged. It's why the team has worked so hard on a compromise for shooting the basketball.

I enjoy using underrated teams, so I'm eager to find out how good I am at doing so. I'm sure NBA 2K will still have more microtransactions than I'm comfortable with, but I'm liking a lot of what they have announced so far.