NBA 2K25 will be played on the Playstation 5 version or Xbox series X/S version of the game. Cross-play is only available between these two versions of the game. View NBA 2K25 PC FAQ for more information.
Overview
Review the NBA 2K Rulebook.
Season Format: Best of Three (Bo3)
Join the lobby. Within the 30-minute grace period, select Ready Up.
Communicate via Match Lobby Chat.
Matches must take place on the Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X|S version of NBA 2K25.
Home Teams will create private matches and send invitations.
Spectators are approved using Match Lobby Chat per Section 7.7 Match Spectating of the league’s Competition Rulebook.
If there are any issues, finish the current game, exit the lobby, and notify PlayVS Support.
Please review the PlayVS Game Day Protocol.
Setting Up the Match
Add Players Using the Crossplay Menu
NBA 2K is available for cross-play starting in the Fall 2024 season. To compete in matches, all players must add their opponents using the in-game Crossplay feature. To connect:
Press L1+R1 (PS5) /LB+RB (Xbox) on your controller to open the Crossplay menu.
Navigate to the Friends tab, and select Search.
Enter your opponents in-game name and select Done to send a friend request.
Accept an invitation through the pop-up, or under the Friend tab.
Once you are NBA 2K Friends, continue to Create a Custom Game.
If you have issues sending or receiving invites, check Options in the Crossplay menu and ensure that In-Game Invites and Friend Requests are Open to All in(enabled by default). Additionally, make sure that your in-game name matches what is shown in game (as opposed to the console account name).
Create the Custom Game (Home Team)
Open NBA 2K25.
Select Play Now.
Select Quick Play.
Injury-Free Rosters may be loaded and used for matches occurring in person (locally). This feature is not available for online lobbies at this time.
Press R3 to prep your lobby for invites.
You’ll be taken to your console's basic friend request system at this step. Ignore this and return to the Quick Play lobby.
After returning to the Lobby, open the Crossplay Menu by pressing L1 + RL.
Under Who’s Online, select your Opponent’s in-game name then click Invite.
Let your opponent know in Lobby Chat that an invite has been sent.
Once they join, press the Quarter Length and Difficulty button.
Confirm the following in-game settings:
Game Style: Superstar
Quarter Length: 5 minutes
Proceed to Match Protocol.
Join the Custom Game (Away Team)
Open NBA 2K25.
Accept the game invitation.
If the invite does not pop up, open the Cross Play Menu by pressing L1+R1 to check your inbox for an invite.
Once joined, proceed to the Match Protocol.
Match Protocol (All Players)
Once players have joined the lobby, both players must select their current NBA team.
Both players will press Advance to confirm their team.
Once confirmed, both players must press Start Game to ready and begin the game.
If a disconnection occurs, the lobby will close. See section 1.4.2 Game Disconnection in the NBA 2K Rulebook for further instructions.
Pauses are bound to the features & limitations inside NBA 2K. Excessive pausing is not allowed by the PlayVS Code of Conduct, Intentional Misconduct.
If a rule violation occurs, pause the game, notify PlayVS Support, and head to the Match Lobby Chat to communicate further.
Once the game is complete, both teams will confirm their results using the Match Assistant.
Repeat the previous Custom Game & Match Protocol steps and complete the match.
Post-Match Process
After both teams agree to the final game's result using the PlayVS Match Assistant, the match will complete, and results will be recorded.
Take in-game screenshots at the end of each game for your records.
If the Match Assistant is skipped, coaches are responsible for verifying results have been reported manually.
Matches without results will be quarantined, and risk a match loss for both teams by default.
In the event of an error, contact PlayVS Support.
By default, Rulebooks overrule Match Instructions. If you find any conflicting information, please reach out to PlayVS Support.