NBA 2K18 Prelude Demo PS4, Xbox One Trailer & Release Time Revealed

NBA 2K18 will get a free Prelude demo on PS4 and Xbox One, available to download Sept. 8 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. It looks like there will be no preloading this time around, but at least the developers tweeted a cool trailer to get hyped about.

Just like NBA 2K17’s Prelude, the one for NBA 2K18 is essentially the very start of MyCareer mode. Players chart their course toward possible NBA stardom, and that’s exactly what this clip suggests. However, the major addition this year is the open-world Neighborhood social hub. Instead of getting your feet went in the college circuit, this year’s Prelude story starts in the streets. The new MyPark alternative, called Playgrounds, looks to be a central feature.

That’s not too much of a surprise given what little we’ve heard about the MyCareer narrative, though. All players of NBA 2K18 and Prelude begin their tale as a known DJ with untapped potential in the b-ball scene. While taking a break from his typical routine, he rediscovers the sport through a local tournament called The Proving Ground that offers the chance of being selected as an undrafted free agent to the NBA.

2K has also revealed that while portions of the Neighborhood hub will be available to explore, its true multiplayer hooks aren’t yet ready for primetime. While competing in this starter tournament, all Playground opponents will be CPU-controlled as opposed to human players. When everything does come online, the Neighborhood will be a place for created players to socialize, train and compete together. Beyond unifying MyCareer, Pro-Am and MyPark, additional perks include mini-game contests, limited events, a recording studio and more.

While the dressing of NBA 2K18’s Prelude is fairly new, its purpose remains the same. The free demo offers the chance to get a feel for the game’s updated mechanics and feature set. 2K has detailed simulation and AI adjustments continuously over the past few weeks, but nothing compares to actually going hands-on with the sticks and getting a chance to try everything yourself. Not much can be tweaked just days prior to the full game’s Sept. 19 launch, but impressions can also set up the first to-do list for things that might need to be patched in the days and weeks ahead.

We don’t expect too much content beyond some minor story beats, a player creation tool and the Proving Ground tournament, but it will still be fun to get a feel for the new systems regardless.

NBA 2K18 comes to PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch and PC Sept. 19. The Prelude comes only to PS4 and Xbox One Sept. 8.

Are you excited to try NBA 2K18’s Prelude? Does the trailer get you amped for the new MyCareer to come? Tell us in the comments section!