NBA 2K has just unveiled its Rebirth feature, which is designed to allow players to get ahead with their new character builds. But instead of applauding, the players in the announcement responded with numerous complaints. The official NBA 2K account tweeted, ‘Get a jumpstart on your next build with Rebirth đ Everything you need to know to complete the quest đ’ along with a link to the details. Nevertheless, players were already filling the replies with a mix of technical problems, faults with the feature itself, and protests through the hashtag #PlayersOverProfits.
Let’s see what the Rebirth feature is all about! In NBA 2K’s MyCAREER mode, Rebirth is seen as an incredible advantage. When a particular player build is achieved with a very high overall ratingâsuch as 90 or above, or even more for the ‘Legend’ tierâyou can then create a new one which already has a vast number of attribute and badge upgrades unlocked. It is like an end to the torturous and boring grind of turning new characters from zero to max. In theory, this is a brilliant idea. But practically, as per the players, it is not doing what was promised and it rather causes more problems than it solves.
The main issue that players are pointing out, and that they do not hide at all, is ‘Cap Breakers and badges. A user named, @LeftRightGREEEN, said this very clearly: ‘When i put cap breakers on my rebirth i still shouldnât have to grind the badges it should automatically max them out SINCE ITS WHOLE THE PURPOSE OF THE REBIRTH.’ This was the sentiment many shared. Another user, @FinVIDIA_, disagreed with @KingMuraa_1 bringing the example, ‘The whole point is for Cap Breakers… You want me to push a Rating 50+ points using Cap Breakers then grind several Badges up from Bronze? Nah.’ The basic complaint states that even if with a Rebirth build, when you take your attribute potential beyond the initial cap using Cap Breakers, the corresponding badges are still to be manually ground and upgraded from their base level which is very frustrating. This completely defeats the very purpose of a feature that was intended to bypass the grind!
Things are becoming even more confusing. User @can_of_twerk commented, ‘@FinVIDIA_ @KingMuraa_1 @NBA2K Has this been fixed because I had legend rebirth and upgraded mid from 89 to 94 and I a had to manually level the badges.’ This indicates that either the operation is not functioning properly or that it is so poorly explained that gamers do not even know what to expect. If one invests all that time to make a build up to Legend status just to enjoy the Rebirth perk only to later discover they still have to do a lot of work, it can feel very hard done by!
The protest is deeply rooted in anger and the hashtag #PlayersOverProfits has flooded the replies. Many comments are just mentioning @NBA2K while using the phrase. @henryrotsteln’s comment was, ‘@NBA2K Nobody gives a f #playersoverprofits’. @chrisavy1 was claiming, “@NBA2K #playersoverprofits WE’RE DONE with your scam game”. This is not merely a singular feature problem, but it is a larger movement. Gamers are finger-pointing at 2K for prioritizing microtransactions and profit over an equitable and enjoyable gaming experience. @Buterlesstoast’s demand for ‘#nopacksnoprofits’ is connected to this as it refers to the contentious MyTEAM card packs.
Players are not only expressing their dissatisfaction regarding the Rebirth feature but also the overall game experience. They are reporting very serious server issues. One user, @iPredon, was crying out, ‘@NBA2K Please, I cant connect to the servers. When I login, the city is empty and some seconds after they kick me out saying I lost the connection to the server. My network is fine. Can u please check?’ Another user, @b1elmts, who posted in Portuguese, might as well have said, ‘Game doesn’t work gosh, it stays empty, online is off,’ accompanied by a crying emoji. So, even if one wanted to use the Rebirth feature, there is a chance that they would not be able to do so as they could not even get into the game.
There are demands for significant modifications to the percentage system in the game. @luhkujo already suggested, ‘@NBA2K I feel like rebirth should let you be able to max out at least one build without spending vc on it.’ This point is made directly at the heart of the economic policy of NBA 2K, where it is difficult to avoid the purchase of Virtual Currency (VC) as it is often the only way out of an incredibly slow grind. @jakeviousmingo remarked, ‘@NBA2K A company that cared would let us get percentages of our vc back for scrapping a build #PlayersOverProfit’. And @24_G_MAN, answering another user, pointed out, ‘They should allow you to level up with points you gain by playing instead of just VC, like back in the day, but they wonât because of all the money they take in.’
Some of the comments are simply drained and brutally honest. @Thailewis1234 tweeted, ‘@NBA2K i need a new crew with people that actually play the game tired of doing all the work. PLEASE’ topped off with a facepalm emoji. And @BigGreens334 just stated, “@NBA2K Rebirth don’t even work like it should,” which pretty much captures the overall sentiment.
It is a tricky situation for 2K to manage. On one side, they want to market a player-friendly reward feature. On the other hand, the community has taken that very marketing as an opportunity to express their long-standing grievances concerning server stability, predatory monetization, and broken promises regarding features that do not deliver. The large number of #PlayersOverProfits replies indicates a community that feels neglected and is now banding together to make its voice heard. Whether 2K will hear and implement significant changes, or just weather this storm like they have done with others, is something that remains to be seen. For the time being, however, public opinion is decidedly against them, especially after the recent NBA 2K26 launch. This frustration is not unique to this franchise, as similar issues with online connectivity and player satisfaction have been reported on other platforms like PlayStation and Xbox.
