On Friday, 2K Sports launched the current-gen version of NBA 2K21, and players have been struggling to adapt to the game’s new shot meter, which is far more challenging and punishing than it has been in previous years. In this year’s game, you not only have to have correct timing on your release, but you also have to aim your shot, and due to this new mechanic, players have been throwing up a lot of air balls, even if they’re using a skilled shooter.
Shortly after the game launched, its current-gen cover star, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, shed light on the game’s biggest problem, the aforementioned shot meter, as he mentioned on Twitter that even he is struggling the game’s newest mechanic.
Am I the only one struggling with this shot meter ? 🤦🏾♂️ and I ain’t made a free throw yet
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 4, 2020
In response, NBA 2K21’s gameplay director, Mike Wang, offered a few tips for players who are struggling with the game’s shot meter.
“For jumpers, hold RS down to start a shot. While still holding, adjust the aim by moving RS slightly left or right till the tick is centered in the meter. You can also tap LT/L2 or RT/R2 to lock the aim and time the shot for an additional boost.”
Also, 2K has said that they’ll tweak the shot meter, as they’re trying their best to appease its player base, most of which aren’t happy with the game’s new shooting mechanics. These tweaks will be apparent while playing on the rookie, pro, and all-star difficulty settings, but for superstar, hall of fame, and the neighborhood, everything will remain the same.
It’s worth noting that you are allowed to turn the shot aiming off while playing NBA 2K21’s single-player modes (MyGM, MyLeague, and MyTeam), so if you just want to focus on timing your release, you’ll be allowed to do so if adjust your gameplay settings.
As of right now, it’s unclear if the new shot meter will appear in the next-gen version of NBA 2K21, but it’s probably pretty safe to assume that it will.
2K hasn’t shown much from the next-gen version of their annual NBA game, and they probably won’t until later this year, likely sometime in November. As of this writing, they haven’t announced a release date for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions, but if I had to guess, it’ll probably be released sometime around Christmas.
The current-gen version of NBA 2K21 is available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.