NBA The Run launched June 9 as a 3v3 arcade-style basketball game inspired by early 2000s streetball, arriving on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam for PC with a standard price of $29.99 and a deluxe edition at $39.99.
The game opens with a compact but loaded launch package: 11 courts around the world — including Venice Beach and Harlem’s Rucker Park — a playable roster of current NBA stars and fictional streetball legends, and fast-paced online multiplayer Knockout Tournaments. Players can go solo or squad up for three-on-three matches, and longtime streetball voice Bobbito Garcia serves as the game’s announcer.
The launch roster lists 31 playable NBA players, from LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Luka Dončić to Victor Wembanyama and Ja Morant, and includes crossover items in the deluxe edition such as rookie variants of Durant, Stephen Curry and Dončić. Notable names on the roster include Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson, while Trae Young is listed with the Washington Wizards on the launch sheet.
Play by Play Studios founder and CEO Scott Probst framed the release as both an honor and a challenge. “As fans of pretty much every basketball video game ever made, we have very big shoes to fill – and we don’t take that lightly. Our partnership with the [National Basketball Association] & [National Basketball Players Association] takes us to a whole new level and we’re beyond excited about the collaboration and the potential of NBA The Run,” he said. He added, “We’re a small team, but we’re scrappy, focused, and relentless about creating an all new smash hit.”
Gameplay emphasis is squarely arcade: quick possessions, flashy moves and tournament-style online play designed for short-session sessions rather than simulation fidelity. The developer highlights global courts and a pickup-game vibe as core selling points, and the game’s structure — 3v3 matches and Knockout Tournaments — aims to move players quickly from match to match.
Some details in the launch roster will raise questions for fans used to real-world team assignments: several players are listed with teams that do not match their current NBA clubs. That mismatch stands out against the game’s claim of partnering directly with the NBA and the NBPA and will be one of the first puzzles players and critics notice when they test the game.
For players who want to try the build that preceded launch, coverage and hands-on impressions were available earlier when the title ran an open beta; see Nba The Run Open Beta Starts Saturday; PS5 Players Get First Hands-On — The full launch replaces the beta with the retail product and the in-game roster, courts and online tournament systems that the developer has finalized for release day.
The immediate practical choices for buyers are straightforward: the standard edition is $29.99, and the deluxe edition, priced at $39.99, includes additional character variants and extras. Beyond price and platform availability, the unresolved question is whether NBA The Run’s small, scrappy studio can turn its arcade formula and NBA/NBPA partnership into the kind of enduring pick-up-game experience fans remember from early 2000s streetball titles.
What comes next is clear for players: the game is live on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam, and early sales and player feedback over the next weeks will determine whether the studio’s gamble pays off — whether NBA The Run becomes a fresh arcade staple or a footnote in an already crowded basketball-game market.
