NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition hits the basketball court

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NBA preseason games start this weekend. If you didn’t make the draft this year, you can still get in on the basketball action with NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition, which launched Thursday. This is the definitive basketball game for Apple devices, and each new annual upgrade adds even more features.

The feature-packed offering is now on Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition: Become a player or coach

The original NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition debuted in spring 2021, and a fresh update comes out at the beginning of each season. That means it’s time for NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition from 2K Games.

It’s not a pale imitation of a console title — it’s loaded with features. Create your own player in MyCAREER mode. Choose a position and join an NBA team. Quick Match Modes let gamers pick an NBA team and take on rivals. Or play street basketball in 1v1 or 3v3.

Maybe take your play in a different direction and become a coach or even a general manager. Handle the roster, make trades, scoping young prospects while managing the team’s finances.

There’s an Online Multiplayer Mode, and that works cross platform: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

New for 2025

Thursday’s update to the feature-packed basketball game brings The Neighborhood to mobile. This is a whole new area that combines indoor and outdoor streetball courts where players can challenge Game Center friends to one-on-one matchups or three-on-three contests. And look out for the league’s biggest stars.

The game also features new MyCAREER and The Association updates, new character customizations, and a revamped Greatest Mode allowing players to relive the career-defining moments of some of their favorites.

Quests offer an improved tutorial system to guide players through new features and learn gameplay and controls. The idea is to help players build their MyPLAYER while progressing through various objectives and rewards.

Watch the trailer from 2K Games:

Start playing now

NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition from 2K Games/Visual Concepts can be downloaded now from the App Store. It supports game controllers, and, as noted, there are versions for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

This is an Apple Arcade exclusive. Playing comes with a $6.99 per month subscription. That same fee brings access to over 200 more games, with more added almost every week. And one subscription works for up to six family members. Plus, there are never hidden costs in the games, as in-app purchases are forbidden.

Via: App Store

Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.

That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)

Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.