Is NBA 2K25 Pay To Win?

The online portion of NBA 2K25 is one of the most daunting landscapes in the world of gaming, but is it pay-to-win? It’s time to dive in and find out if skills pay the bills or if you can pay your way to the top.

Can You Play NBA 2K25 Online Without Buying VC?

I’m not by any means the world’s greatest NBA 2K25 player, but I’m slowly getting better. After jumping into the terrifying world of online basketball, facing off against a variety of players with OVR ratings in the high 80s and low 90s, I’ve learned one thing — getting good at NBA 2K25 isn’t just about flashing your cash.

Related: How Much VC Do You Need to Spend to Get 85 OVR in NBA 2K25

That being said, players who can pay their way to victory do have an unfair advantage, even if you can stay competitive with them both on the Casual Courts and in more intense matchups at The Rec. Larger players with high overall ratings can easily dunk on you due to their overwhelming speed advantage, but as I learned watching 90 OVR players continuously flub 3-point shots, Skills are still king overall. And to help with that, there are a few things you can do before you hit the courts if you want to succeed, even if you’re a mid-70s OVR-ranked player.

Learn What Shot Timing Profile Suits You

Getting the Shot Timing Profile just right is a skill that will take a fair amount of time. You can’t just walk onto the online courts and expect to dominate. You may find that you’re constantly shooting early, shooting late, or just not feeling the current timing. Experiment and find what works for you, then head to the Casual Courts to engage in friendly play with other NBA 2K25 fanatics. If you’re lucky enough, you may get there before the courts are full and you can shoot around for a while.

Learn How To Play Good Defense

Another thing I noticed while playing online is that not many players follow the simple rules of defense. If you’ve got a good player on the opposite team, stick to them like glue. If someone is already covering that person, you don’t need to double up on them. The number of times I was putting in the work while keeping a close eye on someone, only to have a teammate come up and try to double block and leave someone else wide open was disheartening. Just follow the little arrow on the bottom of the screen and stick to your man.

Don’t Be A Ball Hog Unless You’re Sinking Threes Every Time

Another issue I saw was a lack of ball movement. If you’re not feeling confident or are on a cold streak, don’t be afraid to pass the ball to someone else. Instead of taking five three-point shots in a row and missing every single one of them, pass the ball and keep an eye on the other players. You may be surprised to see that there are plenty of players wide open. One miss doesn’t mean anything; it could just be getting used to the timing. Assists are just as valuable a number as your overall score.

Related: How To Get NBA 2K25’s Only Secret Achievement & Trophy

Polish Up Your Skills And Take Down Those With Fat Wallets

While it’s daunting to face off against players with super high OVR ratings, there’s always a chance to beat them if you’ve been working on your skills and have your character knowledge down to a T. There’s not quite anything that feels better than scoring an Excellent three-point shot on someone who has dumped too much money in the game because they think that’s the path to success.

To be fair, the temptation to dump money into VC is everywhere. A variety of cosmetics are available, and it’s the same currency that you use to upgrade your player. However, if you ignore the microtransaction paradise, work hard through MyCAREER, and keep pushing forward, you can rise to a high OVR without spending a dime. You just need to put in a lot of work to make it happen.

Regardless of whether you jump into the MyCAREER mode to play in the NBA or Rise (or Elite) your way to the top, you can stay competitive with other players just by ensuring that you know the ins and outs of NBA 2K25. Plus, you can grind to the top by playing in the NBA and completing quests, so you can keep up with them for nothing.

NBA 2K25 is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.