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NBA 2K25 difficulty modes explained

Don't try to go for a hard challenge

Not every NBA 2K25 player has the same skill level, and it becomes essential to play at a difficulty that is fair to their gameplay experience.

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Each year, new players join the biggest basketball video game franchise, and the learning curve can be pretty tricky. Thankfully, you can control the difficulty level of almost all the game modes. This allows you to grind for rewards and enjoy all the content without the experience becoming excruciatingly difficult.

All difficulty levels in NBA 2K25

Developers Visual Concepts might have made plenty of changes in this year’s game, but some of the core systems remain the same. You can choose between six different levels of AI difficulty when playing against the CPU. In fact, you can manage the difficulty of all game modes where you don’t have to face a human opponent.

An image of NBA 2K25
Image via Destructoid
  • Rookie: The easiest difficulty setting where the AI is barely challenging. This is perfect for those who have no idea about the controls and are not used to the NBA 2K controls, including the basics of basketball.
  • Semi-Pro: The AI at this level will provide some challenge, and this is perfect for those who might be new to the franchise but understand the core concept of basketball.
  • Pro: This is the standard difficulty of NBA 2K25. While the AI can definitely mount some challenges, experienced players will need to look at something stronger.
  • All-Star: This is an ideal difficulty setting for those who might not be elite NBA 2K players but have been playing the franchise for at least a year.
  • Superstar: The AI can be a real challenge at this level, and it’s meant for those who have played several NBA 2K games in the past.
  • Hall of Fame: The AI at this difficulty looks pretty scary, and it’s best meant for those with elite stick skills.

While there’s no right or wrong choice, you’ll want to improve your gameplay. In NBA 2K25, it’s worth playing at higher difficulties. That way, you get more and better rewards across all the game modes. However, it’s better to start at a difficulty that you can tackle rather than play at a higher level and not win the games.

Make sure to level up as you feel more confident handling the AI, as you won’t want to miss out on the rewards.


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