The recently released NBA 2K24 is currently the second-worst-rated Steam game of all time after a backlash from PC gamers.
The $60 basketball game, developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K, has an “overwhelmingly negative” user review rating on Steam, where players are tearing the PC version apart.
The long list of complaints include the fact the PC version is yet again not on par with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S version (the PC version of EA Sports’ FC 24, for example, is on par with the current-gen console version), rampant cheating, and a lack of cross-play in key modes.
The furore is fuelled by a PC playerbase who are fed up with the state of the game on their platform, with anger coming to a head now the latest game has come out. Steam reviewer akuzi summed up the sentiment: "I stopped playing the game with the release of 2K22. I wanted to give 2K another chance after two years and once again, I was disappointed. The gameplay and animations are the same as in the previous versions. Once again, there's only the current-gen version available for PC, which I don't understand. The main menu and the textures of the park still look very cheap as always. What annoys me the most is the abundance of cheaters in the park since day one.
"Purchase recommendation, definitely no!"
Another Steam reviewer wrote: "This game is essentially the same as the previous title with no new features or any improvement at all, and 2K even dare to charge with full price with updated roster? Man, this is so bad."
But across all versions, NBA 2K24 is under fire for its aggressive microtransactions, which some are saying are worse than ever. IGN’s NBA 2K24 review scored it 6/10: “NBA 2K24 scores big with gameplay, but its microtransaction tactics feel like a costly turnover,” we said. According to IGN’s review, the “heinous” microtransactions “plague many of the most popular game modes”. “These in-game purchases aren’t just present and optional – they are essential to compete with other players online. It’s especially frustrating because MyCareer, the focal point of many changes to this year’s iteration, has so much potential. But if it truly aimed to emulate the beauty of pro basketball, it would reward skill and effort more than open-wallet shortcuts.”
The backlash on Steam is so vehement, NBA 2K24 is now second on Steam250’s Hall of Shame, behind only Blizzard’s Overwatch 2. Steam250 tracks the 100 worst Steam games of all-time according to user reviews. There, five days after it went on sale, NBA 2K24 has a score of just 1.07 based on an approval rating (percentage of positive Steam user review votes) of 11% from 3,391 votes.
IGN has asked 2K for comment.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
