I don’t have any issue saying NBA 2K24 is the most graphically impressive sports game around, and that NBA 2K24 in-season likeness updates have been lacking this year.
Derrick White is finally bald as of today’s update, so our long national nightmare on that front is over. However, 2K has been extremely slow with the likeness updates in a sport that really rises above others in the style department because of the impact of shoes, hair, and various other elements.
Part of the appeal of the NBA in some circles is discussing a variety of these style topics, on top of it being important simply for realism’s sake. As the graphics get more impressive, the demands also get more challenging, and I assume tweaking the NBA 2K models gets more challenging in some regards as the fidelity goes up.
NBA 2K24 In-Season Likeness Updates Are Lacking
That said, the changes have come slower in-season this cycle, and when your favorite team is not getting updates, some people really start to take notice. This lack of updates can flow through various aspects of the game, and I don’t want to belabor things or point out everything that hasn’t been updated, rather just point to a couple areas where it’s most noticeable.
Player Likenesses
I’ll start with the obvious and it’s player likenesses. Derrick White did get updated today, but you don’t actually see his “bald” update unless you go and edit the roster and change his “Accessories” which then means you can change from the original (immense forehead hidden by headband) to the bald look with the Hairstyles option.
But it’s not just hairstyles. I have a current picture of Luka in the game (see above), and he doesn’t have a headband. Perhaps that’s a two-fold issue because it’s not just his headband, it would also be his hairstyle at this point. I know hair is a real pain the butt in video games, but it’s still one of the most recognizable players in the game not being up to date.
The Mavericks are a good controlled way to handle this overall because players like Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. also aren’t updated. Kyrie has longer hair and a shorter beard in the game, while in real life he’s now rocking shorter hair and a longer beard. Tim Hardaway Jr. has a similar issue.
If you go beyond the accessories and facial hair, then body structures also feel outdated at points. Victor Wembanyama is obviously very unique in terms of how he’s built, but he’s already one of the most known players in the NBA, and he doesn’t look right in NBA 2K24. His shoulders are too broad and that Slenderman style isn’t quite right. 2K had this broad-shouldered issue on a larger scale years ago (AD was always a good case study for when they started to get it right), but it doesn’t mean things are perfect.
If you filter down one more level, then you get to the broader issue with slower updates and it’s that folks like Jonathan Kuminga — admittedly, more of a role player — are multiple styles behind.
This is Kuminga’s look in the game. It’s not accurate. He had cornrows for a large portion of the year, but now he has short hair. 2K hasn’t had either of these looks for Kuminga as of yet. (That said, the Warriors jerseys do have the new Dejan Milojević commemorative patch.)
Arenas
The other element that goes beyond players hits on jerseys, courts, and so on. Color schemes in 2K games have been, I’ll say “weird” for simplicity’s sake, for a couple years now. It pops up in discussions on OS in various ways, but I’ll get to the point and just point to the Mavericks’ home court this season in real life vs. NBA 2K24.
As you can see, it’s a very subdued court with a gray tone. Here is the same court in real life:
Now, I don’t think this is actually a color palette issue, this is likely either 2K getting the wrong art from the Mavericks/NBA when that’s all shared as the game is being developed, or they simply goofed it up. The coloring issue usually is more noticeable with reds and so forth, but the point remains that this court is wrong. It’s been wrong all year and it has not changed.
Again, it’s small potatoes in a sense, but these sports games want to be living, breathing things. On top of that, they want to be yearly games. In other words, they have the dual responsibility of enticing us to buy the game each new cycle, but also continue to play the game (and hopefully spend money even!) throughout those other moments between new releases.
I don’t envy the art team on any sports games, and NBA 2K24‘s art team probably has it the worst because the bar is that high, but it’s absolutely fair to say the lack of updates is very noticeable this year and it does take away from the experience for some hardcore hoopers out there.
