NBA 2K23 Balls Out with Insane Era Appropriate Franchise Mode on PS5

Well, this is just ridiculous. Truly, truly ridiculous. You may recall NBA 2K23 announcing a Michael Jordan campaign, allowing you to play through several of the key moments from his illustrious career – with period appropriate presentation. Well, on the PS5 specifically, 2K Sports is taking that concept to the next level – introducing MyNBA Eras.

To be clear from the outset: the traditional MyNBA Franchise mode is present and correct, allowing you to pick your favourite current team and play an entire 80-year campaign with them. But the addition of MyNBA Eras means you can also start out in 1983, 1991, or 2002 if you want to. All of the rosters, uniforms, logos, and so on will reflect the period.

The developer’s picked the years specifically based on what was happening in the league at the time, and what the upcoming draft classes included. It means you’ll have the opportunity to change history and sign Michael Jordan, or keep Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant together in LA. Exactly how your campaign plays out is up to you.

The really impressive thing is you’ll have flexibility over rule-changes and other off-season alterations, meaning if you don’t like the way the NBA changed over time, you’ll have the power to do something about it. Furthermore, each era will have its own distinctive commentary team and graphical style, making the presentation feel fresh as the years roll by.

“From the years 1983-2002, your commentary booth is going to consist of Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg, and new addition Mike Fratello,” a Courtside Report explains. “Bringing in Fratello provides a huge boost to the presentation of this era of the NBA as he lived through this entire range as both a coach and a sports broadcaster. He brings to the table many stories and insights that only he can convey with such elegance and grace – his voice brings the past alive once again!

“From the years 2002-2020, Fratello steps aside and makes way for Greg Anthony to provide a more current flavour to the evolving booth. Once 2021 hits, we open up our full multi-team commentary booth with additional sideline reports, guest commentators, the works. For years now, NBA 2K has paved the way for commentary presentation, and NBA 2K23 takes that to the next level this year!”

To finish everything off, 2K Sports has gone in and adjusted the gameplay, to make it more specific to each era, with period appropriate playbooks and strategies. You’ll see the sport evolve as your campaign progresses – along with the court flooring, logos, and uniforms, of course. Even the style of shorts players wear will adjust!

It’s just – incredible! While we know Franchise mode is hugely popular, the reality is that most people will purchase NBA 2K23 for the MyCareer and MyTeam modes. To see this amount of attention and love invested into a feature that only a handful of people will even try is mind-boggling – and yet we absolutely adore the fact that all of this exists. Take a bow, Visual Concepts!