SerpApi.Org
The streetball NBA title NBA The Run is still going strong after a surprisingly successful launch. Armed with an NBA license and hard-working developers, The Run is dropping a new patch that will add the top three picks in the 2026 NBA Draft: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer.
Key Facts at a Glance
Update | July game update, available now |
Headline addition | Top three picks of the 2026 NBA Draft |
New ruleset | Block Party, Common rarity |
Rarity changes | Oop City and Dunkfest moved to Rare |
Notable rating | Jalen Brunson becomes the first 4 Crown player |
Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC |
Steam sale | Standard $19.79, 34% off; Deluxe $29.99, 25% off |
Developer | Play by Play Studios |
What Does The NBA The Run July Update Add?
Three rookies, one new ruleset, a full AI overhaul and a long list of tuning passes across shooting, stealing and rim physics. Play by Play Studios published the complete notes alongside the release.
The framing from the studio is that this is a response to player feedback rather than a content drop with patch notes attached. That distinction shows up in how much of the list is tuning rather than additions.
Who Are The Three Rookies Added To NBA The Run?
Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer went one, two and three at the 2026 NBA Draft to Washington, Utah and Memphis. All three had visible Summer League runs in July before landing in the game this week.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/86JNHduElyU
Each one comes in with stats, attributes and In the Zone abilities tuned individually rather than dropped in on a template. Dybantsa gets a unique jumpshot, dunk and advanced left-right trick. Boozer gets a unique jumpshot, dunk and advanced forward trick. Peterson gets a unique jumpshot, a trick back and an advanced left-right.
Unlockable jerseys and outfits come with all three, and the studio modeled Peterson's post-draft sleeve tattoo. That level of specificity on a rookie drop is unusual outside the annual sim titles, and it is a different approach than pulling a downloadable draft class into NBA 2K, where the community does that work.
What Gameplay Changes Are In The July Patch?
The Run isn't just trying to live off nostalgic connections to the NBA Street and NBA Jam series. It's also attempting to push the envelope a bit further with different mods and stipulations to diversify gameplay.
Block Party is the new ruleset. Every block subtracts a point from the opposing team's score, first to 15, and the score cannot go negative. It enters at Common rarity while Oop City and Dunkfest move up to Rare, and Old School now runs a win-by-two condition.
| Area | Change |
|---|---|
AI | Full overhaul across offense and defense |
Off the Heezay | Wider distance and angle tolerance, longer stun |
Steals | Reduced reach, speed and angle; extended near-intercept range |
Shooting | Retuned good-shot outcomes, rim outcomes and backboard behavior |
Rim physics | Lower friction and bounce speed to cut high bounces |
In the Zone | Paint Patrol block boost reduced, The Shadow guard distance up, Amped Up and Rocket Man slightly faster |
Ratings | Jalen Brunson upgraded to the first 4 Crown player |
Animations | New Kyrie Irving jumpshot and tricks, new Damian Lillard jumpshot, new alley-oops and putback dunks, polished Wembanyama block |
The steal changes are the ones that will move the meta. Spamming steals was the cheapest way to win a possession, and the reach and angle reductions plus the longer Off the Heezay stun are a direct answer to it.
Brunson's promotion to the first 4 Crown player also lands with some weight, given he closed the Finals with a unanimous MVP.
Is NBA The Run Worth Playing Right Now?
The pitch has been consistent since Play by Play Studios announced it. A 3v3 arcade game with official NBA and NBPA licenses, rollback netcode borrowed from fighting games, full cross-play, Bobbito Garcia calling the action and handcrafted courts including Venice Beach and The Tenement.
The studio is staffed by former EA Sports developers, which explains why the arcade presentation feels engineered rather than nostalgic. The visual style was built to sit apart from what 2K is doing, not to compete with it, and the NBA 2K27 reveal window arriving this week makes that separation useful rather than accidental.
Steam has it discounted at $19.79 for the standard edition and $29.99 for the Deluxe, which puts the price of entry below what a single roster update costs elsewhere.
Related: EA FC 27 Full Reveal: Start Time and How to Watch
Related: Madden 27 Release Info and Features: Everything We Know So Far
Related: EA FC 27 Release Date Leak Includes Unexpected Console News
