NBA 2K25 will make open shots function like open shots

I remember the admittedly arcadey days of the NBA Live series, playing matchups with my college buddies and having Pete Maravich torch me for 100 of his team's 112 points. I freely admit these stats had no basis in reality. However, many people playing NBA 2K are concerned that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.

Getting wide open in NBA 2K24 is a surprisingly small part of hitting a successful shot. The shooter needs to get reasonably good timing, indicated by a green shot meter. Said timing is widely different for each individual player. Player badges also have a say in shot timing and success.

Oh, and there is a bonus if you turn the shot meter off, meaning you're confident enough to trust your knowledge of shot timing. Some YouTube tutorials calculate how all these factors work mathematically and good grief, wasn't the shooter in this scenario wide open? I don't do this much math at my job, which includes playing NBA 2K. If I don't, does anybody else really want to? After all, how often do you see Steph Curry miss completely uncontested shots?

NBA 2K's designers are trying to find a happy medium here. The more casual player understandably expects it to be easier to hit an uncontested jumper. The more competitive player wants a system that creates a skill gap and rewards players for mastering game mechanics. While these viewpoints conflict, neither seems to be an incorrect way to view the game.

NBA 2K25 addresses these issues with a setting in its shot timing profiles. Changing it to "Low Risk-Reward" acknowledges smart shots and allows more forgiving shot timing. Players who have perfected their shot meter timing will likely prefer "High Risk-Reward." Gameplay director Mike Wang explained on X that the low-risk setting will make you a competent shooter as long as you're taking smart shots. But if you're good at shot timing, you'll be handicapping yourself by using it.

Of course there's more, we're talking about NBA 2K. A new feature called rhythm shooting challenges players to use the right analog stick to mimic a shooter's real-life motion. Players who master this style will shoot a higher percentage than a player using buttons. Players will also be able to cancel shots, and possibly use that opportunity to transition into dribble combos or other moves.

NBA 2K25 releases Sept. 6 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam.