There’s a catch, though. The studio is taking its time to get things right, so don’t hold your breath for a single-player mode as far as this year’s concerned. It’s currently slated for a Spring 2027 release, although there’s still a lot of exciting stuff coming in the next few months. There’s that Ranked mode that’s due alongside Voice Chat, both of which could add some flavor to the game and individual matches.

Season 1 is bringing a massive update to the game in August, too, so there’s definitely a lot of mileage on the table for the average player. Of course, the developer is also working on gameplay balance and tuning, bug fixes, and even adding three brand new players on July 3rd. The entire roadmap for the next couple of months is below if you can’t wait to find out what’s next.

https://x.com/NBATHERUN/status/2070290411504255145

Instead of leaning on fantastical mechanics – the gravity-defying firepower of Rocket League’s vehicles, or the absurd irreverence in Pro Jank Footy’s deck of cards – online multiplayer only NBA: The Run promises to capture and sustain your attention through razor-sharp controls and fluid animation. The question is: does it actually deliver on that promise?

Starting with those controls, they’re incredibly responsive, lending a deliberate feel to every action. Be it a skip pass, between-the-legs dribble, or awestriking alley-oop, whether you’re driving to the net or exercising ball-handling wizardry, NBA: The Run’s immediacy puts you in complete control. However, there is, at first, a visual disconnect between your inputs and certain animations. The motion of picking up a loose ball, for instance, doesn’t share the same precision, with your athlete seemingly able to grab the ball as soon as it’s within proximity. Likewise, leaps often see your athlete’s trajectory shift and correct mid-air.

Now, whilst The Run’s animation elasticity can be jarring on first impression, it’s important to frame this design correctly. What Play By Play is shooting for here is intentional, preserving flow by prioritising frictionless momentum over simulation accuracy. So, where passes, jumps, and dunks might not always be executed from the “correct” spots, the animation’s looseness will fix it for you automatically – and it’s a quirk that ensures the game is easy to play.

"Starting with those controls, they’re incredibly responsive, lending a deliberate feel to every action."

And NBA: The Run’s arcade identity is further enforced by brisk, two-to-three minute matches, with a tournament loop usually taking no more than fifteen minutes to reach its conclusion. Alongside constant transitional play, and short countdown timers minimising half-court offence, the idea is for you to enjoy countless quick sessions rather than commit to marathon playtimes. It’s a design intent that’s closer to Fortnite – where you don’t need to be accomplished to join in – than other, more systemically dense sports sims which can feel intimidating to play online.

And, if Play By Play are hoping to reap modern multiplayer experiences for their casual accessibility, they’re looking much further back for The Run’s character-driven influences. Specifically, vintage arcade titles like 1987’s Tecmo Bowl and 1988’s Ice Hockey, where the athletes in those games each had different sizes, strengths, speeds, and traits.

Adopting this framework, in NBA: The Run each athlete is moulded around an archetype. Steph Curry is lethal from range, for instance, while Victor Wembanyama is a defensive tower block and Giannis Antetokounmpo can power drive at will. While distinctions aren’t always as strongly differentiated as these three examples, it’s still important to synergise the particular strengths and weaknesses of your three-man squad. This isn’t, however, so you can chase a preferred playstyle. No, randomly selected rulesets modify the dynamic of each game – three-point alley-oops, unlimited stamina, one-point per basket, and so on – means a lineup that covers all bases is going to function better across a broad spectrum of variables instead of, say, a team composed exclusively of perimeter-shooting specialists.

Whilst these rulesets inject an enjoyable sense of variety, encouraging you to engage with the entirety of the game’s mechanics rather than hone in on sharpshooting or net driving, they can exaggerate imbalance in character archetypes. For example, rules which emphasise shooting from outside the paint become exhibitions in blocking Steph Curry-types, and if you don’t have a Wenbanyama equivalent in your squad you’re practically cooked.

"In NBA: The Run each athlete is moulded around an archetype."

Still, these randomised rules are fun, providing, predominantly, a satisfying offensive flow. Supported by vibrant visual feedback like screen shake and swift crossovers that are executable by a simple flick of the right thumbstick, attacking the net is expressive and readable. Defence, meanwhile, doesn’t feel quite as good to play. Swiping is imprecise, guarding lacks intuitiveness, and there’s a reliance on AI when the player in your command is out of position as the system doesn’t swap to the most opportune defender anywhere-near quick enough.

The intended equal footing between offence and defence, then, doesn’t fully land. The inability to manually switch players seems like a genuine design flaw, limiting your agency in how you go about disrupting an attack.

And the problems with defending are stacked by a handful of readability issues too. During especially swift transitions (which happen a lot), the camera doesn’t always track the ball, and when all six athletes are occupying the key you can quickly lose sight of the player in your control amidst all the visual clutter. Switching the opposing team to grayscale colours only partially fixes the problem. Certain arenas, such as the concrete backdrop of The Philippines’ Tenement Court, make distinguishing players from one another a struggle, and this is despite the coloured ring at your athlete’s feet.

While the chaos is an intentional design choice, on-court readability suffers too much. In chasing constant motion, NBA: The Run occasionally loses clarity of play.

Elsewhere, the game modes available at launch are slim, although Play By Play intends to iterate and expand post-launch. Solo Mode has you take charge of all three athletes, facing off against another solo-human-controlled team, whereas in Squads Mode you’ll control a single athlete throughout each game, with control handed over to two other humans to complete your team. While matchmaking can be slower in this mode, and it takes a pinch more discipline to function as one third of a unit, it does eventually become more engaging than Solo Mode.

"While the chaos is an intentional design choice, on-court readability suffers too much."

There’s an unspoken sense of camaraderie that carries over between tournaments, not least because your three-man team remains intact whether you win or lose. This consistency means that, over time, you’ll mould your performance around your teammates’ particular styles, and vice versa. If you win a tournament, there’s a sense of satisfaction in knowing you’ve done it together. But, this feeling isn’t tangible; it’s more presumed. See, while Play By Play positions The Run as a social experience, there’s a distinct lack of communication tools between you and your teammates. Without in-game voice chat, or even selectable, pre-determined callouts – like the kind found in three-versus-three football game Rebound – then The Run’s social ambition is undermined. The game fosters teamwork, for sure, but it doesn’t fully support it yet.

That’s not to say the game doesn’t emphasise a meaningful user experience. Indeed, with progression tied to performance, with no monetisation at launch, NBA: The Run wants you to earn your status and feel rewarded while doing it. That said, levelling up speed and in-game currency accumulation is heavily skewed towards winning. With cosmetic prices being slightly high relative to earn rate the game risks feeling grindy if you’re stuck on a losing streak.

Yet, through exceptionally responsive controls, momentum-driven matches, and a playloop designed for short, meaningful sessions, NBA: The Run nails a strong arcade identity. Despite defensive inconsistencies, readability issues, and limited modes at launch. Play By Play has crafted a solid foundation which they’ll undoubtedly build upon.

Whilst this isn’t a basketball sim, NBA: The Run still feels authentically like basketball, and you don’t need to be a seasoned baller to know that capturing the spirit of the game matters more than recreating it.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Each match is quick and intense, and progression is simply a part of your journey to dominating courts all over the world in your effort to become the GOAT of the Run. You can choose from a variety of game modes, like Knockout Solos, where you take control of a single player or your entire team, Knockout Squads, where you get to bring your buddies along, or Tournaments, which are the star of the show.

Making it even more attractive is the expansive, 32-member playable roster right off the bat, with some big names like Stephen Curry, Scottie Barnes, LeBron James, Josh Giddey, and many more bringing their talents to the court. You’ll want to set yourself up for success when selecting your team, as each match brings more than a few surprises.

We’ve put together a list of things you should know before you pick it, and there’s also a trailer for you to check out.

With the game trying to reach the lofty heights of legendary titles like NBA Jam, and NBA Street, you can expect that developer Play by Play has spared no effort in making this one feel familiar but fresh. How does it manage to do that? Let’s dive in!

1. A Fun New Format

The Run pits your team of three against three other opponents in street basketball match-ups that occur across three different game modes. You’ve got Knockout Squads, in which you team up with your buddies (with an AI player in case you fall short of three) to beat a similarly built team online. Knockout Solos let you take control of a single character or your entire team of three in matches against online opponents.

And then there are Tournaments, which take the action up to another level.

2. Fast Paced And Fun

As the name suggests, The Run is about winning on the trot, bringing your A-game to the court every time. To that end, the developers have given us a fast-paced format on Tournaments, where each run brings four rounds, with each run lasting for about two or three minutes. It’s designed to keep you diving back in for one more run, with the rest of the game’s features working well to give you a sense of progress.

There’s also the matter of what happens if you lose a round.

3. Failure Isn’t An Option

Aside from the obvious progression-based incentives that come with consistent victories, losing a single match means your run ends, and you’re going to have to start over. It’s another part of how this game was designed to be fast-paced and addictive, emulating the titles that have inspired it. It might seem harsh at first, but you’re barely going to notice the time fly by if The Run manages to deliver on its promises.

4. 11 Iconic Courts From Around The World

The game’s unique art style and cel-shaded graphics (which we always like for their comic book-like sheen) are going to bring a number of popular street courts from various corners of the world to life. From Venice Beach to Harlem and Dongdan, there’s something for everybody to enjoy.

We’re particularly eager to see The Tenement, a location that makes each floor of its surrounding buildings a viewing area for the action below.

5. Controlled Chaos In Each Game

If you thought taking on equally skilled players was challenging enough, there’s another layer to the action that brings unpredictability and nuance to each game. You get randomized rule sets that apply buffs or debuffs to specific actions or player skills, which influence your ability to control the flow of each match.

The right ones could have you dominating the court while the wrong ones could have you scrambling to stay in the game, and it’s going to be a chaotic road to victory in this one.

6. Scoring Your Skills

You’re not just looking to score points against your opponents, though. You’re going to be evaluated on your skill, ability to improvise on the fly, and the chemistry you foster with your teammates. While the details of how those mechanics work are being kept under wraps for now, it’s a great way to encourage players to be as competitive as they can manage each and every time they step into a game.

That system, in tandem with the ones we’ve spoken about, is sure to sustain the fast pace that this one aims to achieve.

7. An Expansive Launch Roster

There are going to be 32 players available for you to choose from when this one drops on June 9, with some big names like Stephen Curry, Scottie Barnes, LeBron James, Josh Giddey, and so many more. That’s quite the roster, and makes us pretty optimistic about this one being as addictive as it claims to be when we consider some of the other stuff that’s later down the line on this list.

There are more players scheduled to be added in the 2026-27 season, so there’s that to look forward to if you jump in and get hooked on The Run.

8. Rookie Variants

There are five players in the game’s roster who bring rookie variants, which are versions from the early stages of the player’s career that come with different skill sets in comparison. The players in question are Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and LeBron James.

The skill mechanic is our next stop, in case you were wondering what all that talk about varying skills was about.

9. Playing to Your Team’s Strengths

In yet another layer of nuance to the gameplay loop, the players you pick for your three-man team are going to influence how well you’re able to adapt to randomized modifiers in each game. Each player comes with strengths and weaknesses, and you’re encouraged to mix and match team compositions to try and anticipate as many eventualities as you can while utilizing any synergies you can strike up as best you can.

That brings a tactical layer to team selection, as you’re going to be looking to secure every advantage you can get to hedge against the unpredictability that this one offers.

10. Masters of Their Craft

A nice touch that’s been added to your team selection UI is the crown, which adds a well, crown, to any skills that an individual player has mastered. There are also star ratings to skills, with most players having access to two six-star abilities (which are the highest ones) that you must use efficiently in matches.

Of course, even that comes with a little twist of its own in what’s definitely a pattern with this one. There are a handful of players who have excelled at specific areas, and have earned widespread renown for doing so.

11. Street Legends

There’s more to look forward to on the player front. You’ve got Streetball Legends, who are elite players who dominate a certain aspect of play while coming with a balanced limitation in another one to make them tactically sound choices with a number of lineups.

You’ve got Shen Tong, Spin Cycle, El Gigante, DJ, and Bobbito who are going to bring a dash of street cred to your team. They also have access to three 6-star abilities instead of the usual two.

12. A Balanced Challenge

Although the action may be past-paced and layered, The Run is designed to ease you into things with a fair learning curve and meaningful paths to progression and more advanced manoeuvres on the court. It’s one of those titles that’s easy to learn but harder to master. It’s a good thing that it’s designed to keep you playing, as there’s no better way to get better at a game than training your muscle memory to do the heavy lifting.

13. Cosmetic Unlocks

You’re going to be pleased to know that only cosmetics are gated behind progression-based unlockables, with skills and anything you need to have an edge on the court being available to you without being dependent on your progression, with the exception of Street Legends.

However, we’re expecting that the lot of them are going to be made available sooner rather than later based on how the game’s marketing is doubling down on its accessibility and addictive nature, which would be very welcome if things play out that way.

14. A Familiar Face In The Commentator’s Box

Bobbito Garcia isn’t just taking to the court as a Street Legend. He’s also going to be your in-game emcee, and he’s apparently recorded over 3000 lines of dialogue spanning over 50 hours for this one.

If you’re familiar with his past appearances in similar titles, you already know that he brings a very welcome vibe to each match, and the sheer volume of lines he’s recorded is sure to offset the fatigue that comes from repetitive dialogues from the box in most sport-based games. We suspect that some of you are going to exhaust all of it sooner rather than later, though.

15. Miscellaneous

If you’re thinking about diving into this one on PC, it requires a 64-bit processor at minimum (duh), while at the time of writing this, the other requirements are yet to be announced. We think it’s important to mention that the developers have asserted that the game’s netcode is designed to sync with the action very well, making gameplay feel quite smooth and responsive.

And that’s about it for this one. We’re pretty optimistic about this one bringing a very refreshing take on arcade-style street ball when it drops for PC and consoles this week. We’re going to be seeing you on the court, so bring your best teams to the game. May the best ones win.