Is this what the Players Over Profits movement earned us? NBA 2K26 is making headlines with the Greatness Challenges, a series of in-game tasks that will grant five Dark Matter players and a 100 OVR Dwyane Wade, the first 100 OVR card we get this season.
The five Dark Matter cards are Steph Curry, Allen Iverson, Larry Bird, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Garnett. That's a pretty good mix. Larry Legend is well- Larry Legend, Blake is one of the most fun players to dunk with ever, and Steph's Curry slide is iconic in this game.
Along this grind, you'll unlock other players across five archetypes - shooters, playmakers, scorers, slashers, and defenders. There's 250 of them, including the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Rodman, and Zion Williamson. Did I mention all these players are free?
This is one of the biggest free content drops we've gotten in years, and a huge W in my opinion. Will it be a lengthy grind? Absolutely, it is designed to be. They don't expect every player to grind hard enough to get the 100 OVR card. It will be a badge of honor, seeing this card in someone's lineup will mean they have put in unprecedented levels of grinding.
But we asked for better free cards and more content as the game lands in this spot. NBA 2K26 is far away from launch, but until the Super Bowl passes, pro basketball still isn't top of mind for most folks. I love the game, but even the Level 40 rewards haven't been enough to tear me away from other games.
This much free content is going to pull me and countless other lapsed players back in. Well played, NBA 2K.