MyTeam 2K23

[Raps in 4]

MyTeam News came out today.

Here's the link to the Courtside Report: https://nba.2k.com/2k23/nl-NL/courtside ... am-reveal/

some pointers:

introduction of Clutch Time offline
introduction of Triple Threat Co-Op
introduction of Exhibition mode
introduction of Trophy Cases with special challenges and rewards
return of Leaderboards
3 starter cards: Ja Morant, Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler (evo's)
5 Dominations out of the gate (including some Eras influences)
Pink Diamond Scottie Pippen Level 40 reward
75 levels of Collector Level
no more contracts

[Andrew]

Breakdown from my front page post:

• Contracts have been removed completely. They are not replaced by any similar consumables.
• With the removal of contracts, single player games can be restarted without penalty.
• Triple Threat Online: Co-Op allows up to six gamers to play 3v3 games to 21 on The Rooftop.
• Whether you play cooperatively or competitively, you'll be player locked in Triple Threat Online: Co-Op games. There are Co-Op and Competitive rewards ladders, similar to single player Triple Threat.
• Player lock is also available as an option in all other modes.
• Unlimited now features Season Points, ensuring every game progresses towards ranking up. Leaderboards have been added, and will reset at the beginning of each new Season.
• The $250,000 MyTEAM Tournaments will be returning this year, with the finalists squaring off in person.
• This year, MyTEAM begins with a Triple Threat game using the three Starter cards, before choosing one of them.
• All three Starter cards are also Evolution cards. As in NBA 2K22, completing Lifetime Agendas will unlock the ability to add the two other Starter cards.
• After opening the Starter kit, MyTEAM tips off with a game on the Clutch Time court, providing an immediate opportunity to evolve the chosen Starter.
• More Lifetime Agenda items have been added to allow for quicker progress out of the gate. One of the early rewards is a 90 Overall Fred Jones card, earned by playing 10 games in any mode.
• A single player version of Clutch Time debuts this year. Take your best starting five and play against the CPU in an attempt to win ten games without losing three in a row, in a single five minute quarter matchup with a 14 second shot clock and four point line.
• Following a win, there's an opportunity to break open one of the new Prize Balls to claim a reward. They can also be used in special events to earn exclusive rewards throughout the year.
• Inactive cards can be sent on Exhibition Missions, which will earn rewards after a set amount of time expires. This provides a passive way of earning additional rewards with cards you're not currently playing with.
• Each team will have a Trophy Case, providing a way of earning their all-time best players. These include 15 Event Cards, showcasing key moments in franchise history.
• All current players in the '23 NBA: Series 1 collection will be available in the Token market, by way of Option Packs.
• Scottie Pippen will be the Level 40 reward in Season 1. A Free Agent Giannis Antetokoummpo card is available at Level 1, to get the ball rolling on the Season.
• There will be a revolving set of base cards in NBA 2K23 MyTEAM. Every two weeks, a new Volume of cards will be released, including special "Select" versions.
• Takeover cards have also been added this year. They will cycle weekly, and be available via the various reward systems in the mode (Daily Login, Wheel spins, etc).
• Triple Threat Offline rewards refresh each Season with new ladders, rather than requiring more and more wins.
• Current Gen Triple Threat games take place on a new court based on Next Gen's Pink Diamond Plaza, while Next Gen will allow matchups and defensive settings to be changed on-the-fly. The penthouse court also has a new night time variant.
• Domination will launch with five sets of 33 games: Current NBA, Golden and Modern Age Historic Teams, NBA Champions, and All-Time Teams. As usual, each set has 99 Stars, with rewards to unlock.
• The era-specific presentation from The Jordan Challenge and MyNBA Eras will also be utilised in Domination, when playing against those classic teams.
• Stars are now earned by defeating teams by a set number of points.
• All of the Challenge categories from NBA 2K22 will return.
• A new lineup helper will indicate whether or not your current lineup meets the requirements of a chosen Challenge.
• Certain Challenges will also utilise the aforementioned era-specific presentation.
• MyTEAM: Limited also returns, and features even more unique lineup rule sets. Every ring in a Season can be earned this year, and rewards are collected at the end of the week rather than the end of the Season. Once again, era-specific presentation will sometimes be used.
• Draft mode now allows entry using MyTEAM Points, if you run out of Draft Tickets. Starting lineups can now be adjusted after drafting cards, and each Draft kit has its own Ascension board with rewards.
• Uniforms, logos, and player coaches will be borrowed from The W.
• "The 100" has been removed from Triple Threat Online, in favour of returning to the 10-game or 3-loss format from NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21.
• There are over 75 levels in the expanded collector level rewards, and there will be an emphasis on collecting different types of cards in addition to players.
• The Agenda Tracker has been added to the pause menu for convenience.
• Defensive settings can be saved, so that they don't have to be changed every game.
• Card Grading returns, and Reward cards can also be graded this year.

[Andrew]

To follow up with some impressions, the removal of contracts is huge. As someone who's dabbled with MyTEAM (and Ultimate Team in NBA Live in years past), I completely support that move. In the end, they were pointless busywork that didn't really add balance or challenge to the mode. Getting rid of them and opening up the ability to restart single player games without penalty is preferable. They added nothing, and so nothing of value was lost.

I'm guessing "The 100" in Triple Threat Online didn't turn out to be as popular as they hoped, or perhaps it was somewhat divisive within the MyTEAM community. It seemed like an interesting idea, but sometimes the established format is best. Looking at the new cards and whatnot, I can see ways that are obviously going to "encourage" people to buy packs, and to that point, VC. It's a recurrent revenue-generating mode, after all. With that being said, MyTEAM has generally been more fun to play with No Money Spent than MyCAREER, and if they're going for accessibility and fun, that'll probably still be the case.

Bringing the era-specific presentation into the mode is a great touch as well. It wouldn't be "wasted" if it was only used in the new Jordan Challenge, but since they've gone to all that effort, it makes sense to utilise it in other modes. Quality of life features like saving defensive settings and lineup checkers for Challenges are always welcome. MyTEAM was already in pretty good shape, but I'd say it's good news all around.

[ThePointForward]

If it's truly just contract removal, that's great and would bring me to MyTeam proper. I'm somewhat worried that there may be some "fatigue mechanic" even if it's not a consumable thing.
The game seems to be more intriguing to me this year as mostly a single player user, but if I'll pick it up, it's probably going to be around Christmas anyway, since we're starting an apartment renovation on 19th.

[Raps in 4]

If it's truly just contract removal, that's great and would bring me to MyTeam proper. I'm somewhat worried that there may be some "fatigue mechanic" even if it's not a consumable thing.
The game seems to be more intriguing to me this year as mostly a single player user, but if I'll pick it up, it's probably going to be around Christmas anyway, since we're starting an apartment renovation on 19th.

I don't think there is a fatigue system or anything. They said nothing will replace it.

[Andrew]

Since they didn't mention it, I'm guessing there'll still be injuries, which I'm not a huge fan of either. I mean, if people are going to defend OP cards and whatnot with "It's a fantasy mode", then my counterpoint is that injuries can definitely be removed using the same logic. As far as contracts go though, they're apparently not replaced by anything, so that's going to be really freeing.