NBA 2K25 server shutdown: what still works after Dec. 31
2K confirms the NBA 2K25 server shutdown on December 31, 2026 ends MyCareer and MyTeam, even offline. What survives on each platform, and what to do first.
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The NBA 2K25 server shutdown is set for December 31, 2026, and it takes the single-player MyCareer mode down with MyTeam and every online feature. 2K will also pull the game from digital stores on October 30, 2026, a little over two years after launch. Play Now, MyNBA and the WNBA modes keep working offline, but on Nintendo Switch the list of survivors is much shorter.
Key takeaways
- 2K confirms NBA 2K25 leaves digital stores on October 30, 2026 and its servers go dark on December 31, 2026. If you own it, you can still redownload it.
- From January 1, 2027, MyCareer and MyTeam stop working and Virtual Currency (VC) can no longer be earned, even though MyCareer is a solo mode.
- Play Now, MyNBA, The W and MyWNBA keep working offline. On Switch, Nintendo's own listing names only Play Now and MyLEAGUE as offline modes.
- 2K's notice says nothing about refunds for unspent VC or purchased editions, so plan to use your VC before the cutoff.
NBA 2K25 delisted October 30, servers off December 31
Both dates come from 2K itself. Its NBA 2K25 Server Sunset notice on the NBA 2K support site says the game "will no longer be available for purchase as of October 30, 2026" and will be discontinued as of December 31, 2026. 2K posted the same notice to the game's Steam news feed on October 1, and the Steam store page and the Nintendo eShop listing now open with the delisting date.
The notice spells out what ends on January 1, 2027:
- multiplayer games and every online game mode;
- MyCareer and MyTeam;
- earning VC;
- Online Leagues and community sharing.
2K hasn't given a time of day for the cutoff, so treat the evening of December 31 as already too late.
What the NBA 2K25 server shutdown ends, by platform
2K's notice doesn't split the modes by platform. The store listings fill some of the gap: Steam lists Play Now, MyNBA and The W as the offline modes, and Nintendo's listing for the Switch version lists Play Now and MyLEAGUE.
| Mode | PlayStation, Xbox and PC | Nintendo Switch |
|---|---|---|
| MyCareer | Stops working | Stops working |
| MyTeam | Stops working | Stops working |
| Online play, Online Leagues, community sharing | Stops working | Stops working |
| Play Now | Works offline | Works offline |
| MyNBA (with MyGM) | Works offline | Not in the Switch version |
| The W and MyWNBA | Work offline | Not in the Switch version |
| MyLEAGUE | Grouped with MyNBA in 2K's list | Unclear (see below) |
The NBA 2K25 Switch column needs a caveat. Nintendo Life reports that the Switch version never had MyNBA, The W or MyWNBA, so only Play Now will remain there. Nintendo's eShop text, though, says "Play Now and MyLEAGUE are available offline", and 2K's online services status page lists MyLeague among NBA 2K25's offline modes. 2K hasn't addressed MyLEAGUE on Switch directly, so we can't confirm whether it survives.
Why a single-player MyCareer needs servers
MyCareer is built on VC. 2K's VC and MyTeam Points explainer says VC buys your MyPlayer's attributes, animations and gear, that you earn it by playing online or progressing through MyCareer while connected, and that you "must be connected to the internet" for VC to accrue. Your player's growth runs through a currency 2K keeps on its servers.
2K hasn't explained the decision beyond its notice. Our reading of its own support pages is simple: when the VC servers go, MyCareer has no way to track or improve your player, so 2K retires the whole mode instead of rebuilding it for offline play.
This isn't new for the series. The status page lists offline modes for every recent NBA 2K, and MyCareer isn't on the list for NBA 2K22, 2K23, 2K24 or 2K25. The same page schedules NBA 2K26's online services until December 31, 2027 and NBA 2K27's until December 31, 2028, so the same fate is on the calendar for both.
Why it matters for game preservation
2K's table dates NBA 2K25's release to September 6, 2024. By the cutoff, the game's story mode will have lasted about two years and four months, and anyone who picks up a used copy in 2027 won't be able to play that mode at all.
That puts NBA 2K25 alongside other recent shutdowns where a purchase stops being fully playable, like Mario Kart Tour's end of service in September. The difference here is that MyCareer is a mode most players think of as offline. For more on the industry, browse our video games coverage.
What to do before December 31
- Buy it before October 30 if you want it at all. After that, only existing owners can download it again.
- Spend your VC. 2K's notice mentions no refunds or VC conversion. With no MyCareer or MyTeam after January 1, leftover VC has nowhere to go.
- Finish your MyCareer story and anything else you care about in MyTeam while the servers are up.
- Check your platform's offline list. If you play on Switch, assume Play Now is the only safe bet until 2K says otherwise about MyLEAGUE.
Bottom line
2K confirms that NBA 2K25 leaves stores on October 30, and the NBA 2K25 server shutdown removes MyCareer, MyTeam and all online play on January 1, 2027. If MyCareer is why you play, you have until December 31 to finish it and spend your VC, since 2K's notice offers no refunds. Play Now and the franchise modes survive offline on PlayStation, Xbox and PC; on Switch, expect Play Now and little else.