This year, we’re breaking boundaries with our first-ever co-ed City, allowing male and female MyPLAYERs to compete side-by-side on the hardwood and the blacktop. Whether you're a rookie honing your skills in the all-new Casual Corner, a dedicated squad climbing the competitive ranks inside your very own Crew HQ, or a streetball legend battling bosses at the iconic Rucker Park, there is a stage for every hooper. Let's break down exactly what’s waiting for you in The City in NBA 2K27.
For the first time ever, we're introducing a co-ed City, where you can create a female MyPLAYER and compete in The City alongside our global community of hoopers.
All MyPLAYERs—male and female—are built on the exact same framework. Your height, badges, attribute ratings, and wingspan are strictly determined by the MyPLAYER build you create, not your appearance. We're keeping the playing field perfectly level because the only thing that matters is how you ball.
To help you show out, we’re dropping thousands of women’s apparel options in 2K27. Customize your ‘fit from head to toe with everything from high-end designer brands to gritty streetwear and WNBA favorites.
All game modes within The City are completely co-ed, granting you full access to The REC, The Theater, Street Kings, Park, Proving Grounds, Ante-Up, Starting Five, plus the all-new Crew HQ and Casual Corner. Form your Crew, chase the W, and make your mark across every corner of The City.
One thing to note: Female MyPLAYERs are a City-only experience. All game-enhancing rewards, like the MyPOINTS Accelerator, can be earned through The City, for all MyPLAYERs.
To learn more about the ability to create female MyPLAYERs, be sure to check out the MyPLAYER Builder Courtside Report. For those who want to play out their WNBA career, The W returns in NBA 2K27 with mode improvements, see here for more.
2K27 sets the stage for primetime action in The City—after dark.
Under the night sky, The City lights up its connected, highly accessible layout with a brilliant neon glow. Even with all of the eye-catching accent lighting, finding your Crew and getting in a game is faster and more seamless than ever.
Inspired directly by community feedback, The REC, The Theater, Ante-Up, and Seasonal Parks all feature brand-new environments.
Every single run at The REC now looks unique, rotating randomly between five different environments available right at launch.
High School Gym: Take over a high school gym, pack it with fans, and electrify the crowd with dunks worthy of a hoops mixtape.
Outdoor Court: Draw a crowd at the local park and become a neighborhood hero under the lights.
Private Gym: Take a moment away from the spotlight and build team chemistry when no one’s watching. Run your sets and get to your spots.
Crowded Arena: On this stage, you’ll feel the pressure and the weight of every possession. Feed off the crowd’s energy and own the moment.
Season-Themed Venue: Every Season this venue will feature an updated court floor and jerseys. In this compact space, the crowd will feel like they’re the sixth man on the court.
We’re taking the action outside. The Theater moves under the stars on a dedicated city block for a fresh, open-air setting.
Push your competition to the edge of the Ante-Up rooftop. Floating high above the clouds, this towering court boasts a sleek infinity edge and an undefeated view of the surrounding skyscrapers. Play like an All-Star against a stunning nighttime backdrop.
Seasonal Parks return in 2K27 and rotate every Season, featuring four brand-new locations alongside HD remasters of classic 2K17 Sunset Beach, Old Town Park, and Rivet City. Season 1 kicks off at Lion & Vine Park, an urban proving ground located at the epicenter of a high-traffic area.
Regardless of where you play, The City offers the ultimate competitive playground around the clock.
In 2K26, Crews gave you a new way to squad up, earn rewards, and show out as a unit. In NBA 2K27, we’ve completely raised the stakes.
Crew HQ is your dedicated home base in The City, acting as the team-based equivalent to your individual MyCOURT. Step inside to talk strategy with built-in voice chat and practice with your squad on 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 half courts, plus full 3v3 and 5v5 courts. When you’re ready to challenge rival Crews, hop into matchmaking for competitive 3v3 and 5v5 runs. Climb the leaderboard, earn Crew XP, and check the individual breakdowns to see exactly who’s pulling their weight.
Customize your Crew’s uniform and logo, and watch it hang proudly in the Crew HQ rafters, where every member's jersey is immortalized. Wins come and go, but a jersey in the rafters is legendary.
Crew HQ brings the heat with Ranked Crew Games across six distinct tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Top Ranked. Ranked Crew Games will match players with Crews that share the same rank, or the next closest rank if a Crew with the same rank is unavailable.
Each day, your Crew is placed on a leaderboard against 39 other Crews in your tier. You have seven days to prove you belong. Rack up the Ws to reach the next level, or take the L and risk relegation.
During the final weekend of each Season, a massive divisional tournament kicks off, inviting Crews to battle for a title and exclusive prizes. At the start of the next Season, every Crew drops two tiers and must fight their way back up to defend their turf.
Beyond ranked matchmaking, the Squad Showdown Kiosk inside your Crew HQ lets you host your own private runs and league play. Invite members from other Crews and play with or against them in casual matches. We’ve taken everything you loved about Pro-Am and integrated it directly into Crew HQ, creating a more team-focused, highly competitive environment.
We’ve also upped the Crew XP rewards track based on community feedback. 2K27 launches with 40 levels of Crew progression (10 more than last year), and starting in Season 2, we’re adding five new levels every single Season to ensure your squad always has something to chase.
We focused heavily on making 2K27 as accessible as possible. If you’re a rookie just learning the sticks, you need a space to practice your skills and face off against other players at your exact level.
Welcome to the Casual Corner. Upon entering The City, new hoopers can build confidence in this optional, rookie-friendly hub, and run 3v3 and 5v5 games before taking on the vets in the wider community. Game modes here are assigned based on your Overall Performance tier, or “plate color.” You'll start at the Casual tier and get a feel for the competition to learn the ropes, before graduating to face real players.
Casual (Black): Games are against easier CPU opponents, giving you the space to learn your build, find your jumpshot, practice your dribble animations, and get some Ws in.
Hooper (Bronze): Your teammates are now real players, but your opponents are still CPU. This is a good stage to start learning how to play alongside others, whether you queue with friends or hop in with randoms.
Baller (Silver): Both teams now have human players. This is where Casual Corner introduces you to real competition for the first time. Time to see what your game looks like against others.
Pro (Gold): Same format as Baller with another step up in opponent strength. You are ready for the rest of The City.
MVP (Purple) or Hall of Fame (Red): You have outgrown Casual Corner! CPU opponents are back, now at their highest possible ratings and Badges. VC, Season XP, REP, and Badge progression are no longer earned here. The REC, The Theater, and the rest of The City are waiting.
If you’re a returning 2K26 veteran, your highest Overall Performance tier carries over on day one. But when you feel ready to put your skills to the ultimate test, you can leave and skip ahead into The City at any time.
Street Kings returns as the premier 3v3 mode where you and up to two friends battle CPU bosses across the most unique courts in The City. Street Kings in NBA 2K27 features three courts: The Hollows, Claremont Court, and the legendary Rucker Park court.
Rucker Park, the storied Harlem blacktop and streetball mecca, has been faithfully recreated down to the last detail. It’s also a key point within this year’s MyCAREER story: “Fire & Concrete.” Follow in the footsteps of NBA stars, drop memorable performances, and become a blacktop legend.
The weekly Street Kings tournament kicks off with a play-in round based on your seeding, followed by a grueling best-of-five bracket. Everything culminates in a single-elimination championship game to 21. Opponents and rules refresh every week, so stay ready. Progress through 40 levels of rewards, including the wild apparel and cosmetics Street Kings is famous for.
Stay on your toes for Court Crashers. At a random point in any game, a legendary boss player can pull up and take over the court. You have to face them on the spot—bring them down and secure a massive reward. Plus, run alongside a new featured set of VIP teammates every day to earn even bigger bonuses.
Starting 5 puts your MyPLAYER on the court with four AI teammates as you compete against another human player and their AI squad. In 2K27, Starting 5 features a new board game-style progression system, with each board containing 16 game slots.
Highlight slots on the board will require you to play with a specific team. Non-highlight game slots are completely open, allowing you to pick any team you choose. Your progression and team selections will differ depending on your MyPLAYER:
NBA Teams: Male MyPLAYERs will pick a current NBA team to play alongside. Your board includes specific "highlight game" slots that lock your team selection to a required squad. Completing these highlight games is how you unlock Historic teams. As you complete full 16-game boards, you will unlock All-Time teams.
Archetype and Icon Teams: Female MyPLAYERs will pick from 40 mixed-gender rosters. These include teams built around specific archetypes (such as a three-point shooting or defensive team), as well as "Icon teams" made up of the top NBA and WNBA players who have played in cities like Chicago or Los Angeles, and completing full 16-game boards will unlock more Icon teams.
Completing a full 16-game board awards a VC bonus for both paths. Once you complete all boards and unlock every team, you will become a Starting 5 VIP, earning a special VIP icon next to your name on the Starting 5 leaderboard! Even after reaching VIP status, completing 16-game VIP boards will continue to award a VC bonus.
Brand-new to 2K27 is Daily Rivals, a nonstop battle where every single game shifts the standings.
Each day, you're grouped with 39 other players based on your skill level and play frequency, ensuring the competition is always tight and the pressure stays on. Win or lose, every game you play counts toward your spot on the board.
You earn a reward each day just for showing up, but the higher you place, the better the gear you take home. Finish in the top three and win a Rivals Ticket, earning you a chance to land some of the rarest swag in the game.
Rep your street cred with Player Medals, a new way to flex in 2K27. Earn these by completing Lifetime Challenges or reaching massive stat milestones in The City, then show them off during pre-game intros so your rivals know exactly who they're dealing with. Opponents and teammates will see your medals in pregame lineups, matchups, matchmaking lobbies, and the post-game winner's circle.
Medals are unlockable across all game modes, so you can earn them no matter where you like to hoop. Head to the Lifetime Challenge menu for a full overview of every available medal and the requirements to unlock it, including tons of new Lifetime Challenges available to complete in 2K27. There are nearly 300 unique medals to unlock across 5 tiers, from Beginner all the way up to Elite & Mastery.
Once unlocked, you can equip any medal you want. Choose how you want to be represented and which achievement you want to show off. Playing in The REC? Equip your “8K Assists in The REC” medal to show everyone you’re a team player. Switching to the Park? Equip your “50 Game Win Streak” medal to show off your dominant consistency.
We’re also doubling down on your hustle. 2K27 features 40 REP tiers at launch, doubling the amount of rewards you’ll earn in the exact same amount of time you did last year. You'll earn more rewards, more often, meaning the next unlock is always within reach.
The City has long been both a proving ground and a social hub for the NBA 2K community—and this year, we’ve completely leveled up the playing field.
From competitive co-ed gameplay to a stunning after-dark environment, this year’s City is energized with the new Crew HQ, an inviting Casual Corner where players can perfect their skills, the addition of Rucker Park’s legendary court, and much more. Show off your MyPLAYER throughout The City and compete with friends as you climb the leaderboard and dominate the Park.
To top it all off, be sure to download the NBA 2K HQ app, starting August 21, to stay connected to NBA 2K27. The app features the full MyPLAYER Builder, so you can create new builds from wherever you are, and comprehensive social features so you can chat with your Crew and make sure everyone stays locked in.
*NBA 2K27 includes optional in-game purchases and paid random items. Online play requires an Internet connection and NBA 2K Account. Console online play requires separate paid subscription. Crossplay is only available on PS5 & XBOX Series X|S.