Friday, September 10 featured the release of NBA 2K22. This year's game features many new gameplay improvements on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Across all game modes and both generations of consoles, there are now 80 total badges in NBA 2K22. Of those 80 badges, 17 of them are in the game for the first time.
There are a variety of new or expanded features that NBA 2K22 is bringing to the table. The City is NBA 2K22's mode that lets players look at the wider NBA lifestyle, though it's currently only available on current-gen consoles. Badges were an existing staple that haven't so much gotten an overhaul as an expansion, with new and enticing options available to players.
The badge system will allow gamers to tailor their NBA 2K22 MyPlayer to fit the styles that they're looking for, potentially emulating some of their favorite players in the NBA. Badges can be applied in creative ways to boost desired abilities and make any character a monster on the court.
Every New Badge Debut In NBA 2K22
New Finishing Badges
The new finishing badges in NBA 2K22 seem to be geared towards making centers and forwards more effective scoring in the paint. In past years, bigs were often very slow to catch the ball and get it up on the rim. Bigs could also be contested heavily by much smaller players. The list of new finishing badges is below.
- Fast Twitch - Ability to get off the floor quicker for standing layups and dunks.
- Grace Under Pressure - Ability to convert standing layups more effectively.
- Limitless Takeoff - Ability to take off from further out on driving dunk attempts.
- Mouse in the House - Ability for bigs to finish over shorter players more efficiently.
- Unstrippable - Ability to secure the ball better when gathering for a layup/dunk in traffic.
New Shooting Badges
The modern NBA showcases players shooting more three pointers from deeper range than ever before, and the new shooting badges in NBA 2K22 help bring that to the game. Whether it's in career mode or MyTeam, gamers can use Steph Curry range to get buckets against their friends. The list of new shooting badges is below.
- Chef - Ability to knock down deep range 3’s off the dribble.
- Limitless Spot-up - Ability to hit deep-range 3’s off a catch and shoot.
- Lucky #7 - Boosts your ability to score when shooting early in the clock.
- Mismatch Expert - Ability to successfully shoot over taller defenders on a switch.
New Playmaking Badges
Dribbling is always a point of emphasis for hardcore NBA 2K players, and several of the new badges for this year cater to that. Along with the changes to NBA 2K22's dribble moves, the new playmaking badges listed below bring a fresh feel to NBA 2K22.
- Glue Hands - Ability to make difficult catches and quicker branch out to a shot or dribble.
- Hyperdrive - Boosts the speed and effectiveness of moving dribble moves.
- Quick Chain - Boosts the ability to quickly chain dribble moves together.
- Post Playmaker - Boosts the effectiveness of both shots and moves when playing in the post.
- Triple Threat Juke - Increases the effectiveness of triple threat fakes, jabs, and go moves.
New Defensive Badges
Defense got some much-needed improvements for NBA 2K22. Previously, defenders could get stuck on a ball-handler and take away the freedom of movement for both players. Also, defenders could get ghost contests on a shooter they weren't even looking. The new defensive badges for NBA 2K22 listed below help make defense more skill-based and rewarding.
- Ball Stripper - Ability to strip layup and dunk attempts more effectively.
- Hustler - Ability to get to 50/50 balls quicker opponents.
- Menace - Significantly drops the offensive ratings of opponents when smothering them.
All 80 badges, including the 17 that are brand-new, are now available for use in NBA 2K22 in all game modes on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.