NBA 2K21 launched with fanfare and more than a few issues to the game. The shooting hotfix solved a lot of them, but the next update, patch 1.03, will bring some important gameplay changes.
We finally have patch notes for the update!
Table of Contents
Let's go over all the details you should know about NBA 2K21 patch 1.03.
File sizes
Update 1.03 is being rolled out across Xbox and PS4.
On Xbox it is around 12 GB, but on PS4 the update is reportedly 22 GB, so clear some hard drive space!
General fixes
Update 1.03 is full of general fixes and corrections. Let's look at the patch notes:
- Fixed an issue that would lead to players getting removed from online matches when greening shots due to divergent settings.
- Improved audio logic for PA announcer, crowd, halftime and studio show, sideline reporting, and special guest commentators.
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- Player likeness improvements for Damian Lillard.
- Improved art, lighting, and text readability for various menus throughout the game.
- Fixed a rare hang that could have happened upon joining the 2K Beach Neighborhood from a friend invite in the Squad app.
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- Fixed a minor graphical issue when the Tall Scrunch Socks and the Compression Pants were used together.
- Fixed an issue that was causing existing tattoos to disappear when applying new tattoos in the Neighborhood.
- Fixed a hang that would happen occasionally when using the Nav Menu in the Neighborhood while also using the Playa Del 2K (MyCOURT) menu.
- Fixed a display issue in the Boost Stand where the price would sometimes be displayed incorrectly.
- For Neighborhood Park/Rec/Pro Am games, the Ball Handle requirement to unlock Pro Dribble Moves has been lowered to 80.
- Moved Park dribble moves to L3 (left stick click) for more consistent dribbling controls.
- Improved frame rate performance for the Switch version of the game.
- Fixed a PC-only issue where the user might get stuck on the Pro Stick Aiming selector screen at the main menu.
Gameplay changes
This is where the update will have the biggest impact. Will you need to change your style of play? Or will a new meta be unearthed.
Let's delve into what 2K has changed.
Shooting
Once again shooting has been tweaked.
Thanks to community feedback the size of the shot meter has been increased.
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The effectiveness of pull-up jump shots has been lowered, while responsiveness has been improved for shots coming from certain post moves.
The Excellent Release jumper animations will now play with green center-aimed shots on Pro Stick, while a Pro Stick exploit that allowed for easier aiming has been fixed.
Dribbling
First step acceleration has been reduced out of certain dribble moves, which should mean no more speedboosts.
However, more moves will now yield anklebreakers and defensive reactions.
Defense
It's not all about offense though. On defense general improvements to movement, responsive shifts, cuts, and stops have been made.
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The issue that caused CPU big men defenders to get matched up on guards has also been fixed.
MyCAREER
There have been general stability improvements to college games, much to the delight of everyone.
Visual elements have been optimized for scenes in The Long Shadow, while the injury carryover issue when skipping between High School games has also been fixed.
Other fixes covered in the patch notes are:
- Fixed an issue where the Takeover meter may fail to increase in certain cases.
- Corrected an issue where halftime would sometimes not trigger during MyPLAYER Builder games.
- Fixed an issue where coach wouldn’t put you in the game during overtime games in high school.
- Solved an issue that would sometimes cause the Game Recap Totals screen to not display properly following MyCAREER NBA games.
- Fixed a hang that could happen when a jump ball was triggered in MyCOURT’s new Personal Workout drill.
- Fixed a hang that could happen for PC users when using the mouse to customize the Gatorade GX Bottle.
MyTEAM
In MyTEAM a few things have been changed.
Difficulties in single player Triple Threat and Triple Threat Online have been adjusted after community feedback.
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A new page has been added to the back of player cards that lists upgradeable badges for that player.
Physics for ball drops have been improved, while a hanf that could happen during lineup matches overlay has been corrected.
There has also been an Xbox-only fix that allowed the game clock to continue counting down while inbounding the ball.
MyLEAGUE/MyGM
New NBA Playoffs Mode bracket has been added to match the start of the current playoffs.
The incorrect year overlays in WNBA Playoff Mode has been fixed. Along with many more fixes to improve the overall experience.
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