NBA 2K21 debuts "The City," a brand new multiplayer setting in a sprawling metropolis

With the release of NBA 2K21 on next-gen consoles just a week away, the latest Courtside Report revealed the game's newest feature, a new multiplayer setting known as "The City." In The City, players can expect to be a part of a vibrant virtual basketball community that will be teeming with fun features to make for the ultimate sports experience. The map will be significantly larger than previous neighborhoods in the franchise, and will house huge skyscrapers, a city center, and distinct boroughs that will be under the control of rival team affiliations. 

Players can look forward to a unique multiplayer experience in The City. Erick Boenisch, Executive Producer at Visual Concepts, took to the Courtside Report site to bring all the latest news on this particular feature. Players will find themselves starting off where else but Rookieville, where they'll have to prove their basketball chops to other players in hopes of advancing through The City.

Affiliations are set to return in this new mode, with each affiliation having a space in the North, South, East and West regions of The City known as a borough. The City will have four affiliations: The North Side Knights, the South City Vipers, the Beasts of the East and the Western Wildcats.  When a player reps up to Pro 1 in Rookieville, they will  be assigned to one of these factions. Players will have to build up their rep and take on rival factions in championship events to fight for rule over The City. Each affiliation will have its own mayor representing them that will be crucial to making your team stand out.

The Event Center is at the middle of The City, housing futuristic courts where all-new events will be held. If traditional basketball is more your speed, however, The City will also have plenty of garage-style hoops around where you can get in a quick 3v3 or a game of HORSE. The City will of course be teeming with people, many of which are NPCs who can provide you with a wealth of quests to go out on. The Gatorade Training Facility has also been expanded to have two levels, giving players access to rental courts on the second floor. 

Finally, The City intends to support hundreds of MyPLAYERs simultaneously. Players will be able to casually dribble their ball around The City, grinding on their skateboards, and brand new hair, accessories and apparel options to make sure that you're able to be your most original self in the game. 

Previous courtside reports have provided further insight into features such as AI technology, the game's WNBA content, and player animation. NBA 2K21 is due for release on next-gen consoles on November 10 for Xbox Series X and November 12 for PS5

Get in on all the NBA 2K21 action by finding out the eight key hints to know before you play.

Freelance writer

Kai Delmare is a freelance journalist and news writer with bylines at GamesRadar+. During her time at GR, Kai focused on writing breaking gaming news and reporting on some of the biggest industry trends.