NBA 2K22 first gameplay details revealed including a more lively City

NBA 2K22 has revealed some of the new features and improvements it's taking to the court and the city streets.

While 2K is saving some of the specifics for further drops throughout August and September, the company revealed our first top-level look at how NBA 2K22 will play differently from its predecessor in an update on its official website. The biggest changes are centered around The City, a newly revised version of the sprawling MyPlayer social space which first debuted in NBA 2K21 - and will once again be available exclusively on new-gen consoles.

The City has a new layout, and it should feel a lot more bustling thanks to the new addition of NPCs around its blocks - you'll also find plenty of your fellow players out there, of course. MyCareer on new-gen is now set within the City as well, combining the two modes and giving you a fresh chance to meet "new and familiar faces." If you prefer to just pick up and play, you can enter matchmaking buildings around the city to immediately start competing, or queue up for matchmaking sessions across multiple game types, all feeding into your MyPlayer progress.

If you're playing on last-gen consoles or PC, MyCareer will play out in a more traditional standalone mode. But you will have a new social space to explore on the high seas. No, I didn't get possessed by a pirate ghost all of a sudden there; the new Neighborhood is built on the decks of a sailing cruise ship. As in-game seasons pass the ship will dock at new harbors, and you'll be able to head ashore to participate in special events.

Outside of MyPlayer and MyCareer, 2K is teasing some substantial revisions to the core basketball experience with more "skill-based offense" and a "completely revamped shot contest and blocking system" on the defensive side. Meanwhile, the MyTeam mode will bring back Drafts and enable cross-gen progression (within the same console family), and the MyNBA and MyWNBA modes will give you even more control over your franchise with staffing options for scouts, trainers, and coaches.

NBA 2K22 is set to hit Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S on September 22 - we'll keep an eye out for any more details that roll out in the meantime.

See what else is coming up before the end of the year with our guide to new games 2021.