Get ready to Run! Today, our team at Play by Play Studios is excited to drop our first gameplay trailer and to let PlayStation fans know NBA The Run will be releasing this June.
Today, we wanted to break down some different parts of the game fans have been asking about, so let’s get to it:
Knockout tournaments
Every game in NBA The Run throws you into a four-round knockout tournament, played on iconic streetball courts around the world. Games are short, quick burst rounds that keep you on your toes with randomized rulesets that will force you to change up strategy on the fly, game to game. How many Trophies can you stack?
In the zone
This is a momentum-based system that unlocks powerful, signature abilities that vary depending on the player – think of it like activating an “ultimate” in a hero game or just like when your favorite NBA player heats up, takes over, and can’t be stopped. From blowing through defenders at the rim with Posterizer to clamping up on defense with The Shadow, these boosts can flip a game in a heartbeat. Make big plays to unlock it quickly, then time it right to swing the momentum of the game and take over.
The Shop
We know your time is valuable, and we wanted to create an unlock system that lets you prioritize which rewards you get for getting dubs. Win matches to earn Cred, our in-game currency used to unlock cosmetics like jerseys, advanced dunks, taunts, badges, and banners. From throwback NBA fits to 720 dunks, too small taunts, and more, there are plenty of ways to show off your own style. The ultimate prize for many, including us on the dev team, is Rookie Variants. From young Steph Curry in ‘09 to KD on the Super Sonics, we have 5 rookies of NBA All-Stars who not only look different, but play different too.
Street legends
The Shop isn’t the only way you unlock things in NBA The Run. Ranking up also gets you one of the most anticipated aspects of the game – our own streetball legends. These characters were with us since the start of development. They’re some of the best players in certain areas, but they also have huge, glaring weaknesses. We can’t wait to see how the community uses them. We’re excited to announce today that our own announcer, Bobbito Garcia, will be a playable legend – his sick handles are sure to break some ankles.
We’ve said it from the very beginning that we’re building NBA The Run brick by brick with our player community. We built our last court going into the game at launch after a fan vote, we’ve taken their suggestions for advanced dunk animations, taunts and even some different ways to play, including adding a Shootaround mode for practice, and Knockout Friends, a private tournament mode that lets you play alone against AI, with friends against AI, or head to head against anyone you want to invite in (up to 48 players at launch).
This is truly a dream project for all of us at Play by Play Studios. We’re a small team of industry veterans and lifelong hoop fans who grew up in a golden era of basketball games. We hope you and your friends can also join us on this epic run. Wishlist at PlayStation Store now.
