Season 3 of NBA 2K22 will be released on December 3rd, 2021 and today we were given a few details about what players can expect. There will be an “all-new Clutch Time mode in MyTEAM, along with new music added to the soundtrack in partnership with Def Jam Records, and lots of new content and seasonal updates across MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and The W* modes.” Read below for more info:
Being a clutch player means you need to have ice in your veins, like Portland Trail Blazers star, Damian Lillard. Weather the storm and etch your name in the history books with some truly clutch moments to prove you’re the coldest player in Season 3.
Everybody likes to think they’ve got what it takes to make a game-winning shot, but when the clock ticks down, will you be able to answer the call? Being a clutch player means you need to have ice in your veins, and the ability to be unfazed by any situation. Portland Trail Blazers star point guard, Damian Lillard, has made a habit of freezing the competition and burying them with some of the coldest game-winning shots in NBA history. For NBA 2K22 Season 3, we’re calling upon all players undeterred by the elements to channel their inner Damian Lillard and showcase their clutch gene in what will be NBA 2K22’s coldest season yet.
Decorated from top to bottom with garlands and wreaths, the City and the Cancha Del Mar will be your home away from home this holiday season. For six weeks, beginning December 3, joy and cheer will blanket the courts like a fresh snowfall, and you’ll swear you can smell hot cocoa and chestnuts in the air. From new rewards to chilly pickup games on the rooftops of the City, Season 3 will celebrate the Holiday season and ring in the New Year with fresh, festive content.
HOOP IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
‘Tis the season for a full-blown holiday takeover. We hope you’re ready, because Season 3 has an avalanche of winter events coming your way! At the heart of the City, you’ll find a lush, full Holiday tree laced with ornaments, twinkling strands of lights, and presents abound sitting at its base. On the morning of December 25, cruise over to the Xmas tree and claim your present on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, but if you own a current-gen console, don’t worry – we made sure to gift you something too.
Turning up the heat and the takeover multiplier, the Fire and Ice event speeds up the rate you earn a takeover perk in-game to be ten times faster. You’ll come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, but with every point scored, the takeover will begin a timed cooldown. This will keep the competition level balanced and give less-experienced players the chance to get familiar with their takeover perk.
The Cancha Del Mar will host a 12 Days of Xmas leading up to the Dunk the Halls event. For nearly two weeks, you can visit the Tree of Giving located near the atrium and receive one gift per day selected from a variety of useful rewards. The Dunk the Halls event will encourage you to get in the giving spirit when participating in community games. When a player with a higher level teams up with a player of lesser level anywhere on the ship, the entire team will earn double XP.
On PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, Season 3 sees the Cancha Del Mar charting a course to frigid waters, placing you under the vivid and mesmerizing Northern Lights, with the North Pole off in the distance. For thirty minutes, look up to the starry night sky and see the spectacle for yourself, then hoop under one of the natural wonders of the world. As in previous Seasons, you’ll be able to experience new events on and off the ship via Excursions.
ALL-NEW SINGLE-PLAYER GAME MODE: ROOFTOPS
NBA 2K22 features some of the most scenic courts in the history of the franchise, and starting in Season 3, we’ll be taking things to the next level by introducing the City Slam. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, battle in a series of 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 competition against players that take place exclusively on City rooftops, all orchestrated by the great Jackson Ellis. Convince skeptical streetballers to join your team by beating them on their own turf, then bring your custom-built roster into the final City Slam tournament, where you’ll compete in a variety of challenges against increasingly elite opponents. Playing in the City Slam will earn you some fantastic rewards, including a championship belt for winning the whole thing. Do you have what it takes?
2XP COIN UPDATE
We want to address a change we’re making to the way 2XP Coins work in NBA 2K22 Seasons. Starting at the beginning of Season 3, your previous 2XP Coins will not transfer over from Season 2. While we’re changing the format from Season 1, we believe this will improve the Season-to-Season experience and competitive balance. Going forward, 2XP coins will now remain tied to the Season they were acquired in, so make sure to use those 2XP Coins as you’re leveling up in this Season and beyond!
SEASON 3 IS STUFFED WITH FRESH REWARDS
Season 3 is placing an emphasis on clutch play, but leading you and your team to wins in any fashion is always commendable. There are many ways to earn rewards in NBA 2K22, but participating in games around the City or on the Cancha Del Mar is the best way to level up. The Animated Iced Out Bundle will be the hottest topic on and off the court, awaiting you at Level 40 is this grand prize, reserved for only the most dedicated ballers. Frosted from head to toe with snowflakes and a classy top hat, you can suit up for any occasion with this festive skin, and the illuminated Adidas included in the bundle. Lined with an iridescent glow, these icy kicks will shine through any blizzard. These are just a couple of the special themed rewards awaiting you this season, like a new jumpshot animation, an Iced Out Jewelry Pack, and a Holiday Mask. The level 30 reward differs between consoles; PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S will earn a Glider, but PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC players will receive a BMX bike with a detailed lightning skin.
On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, you’ll find a challenge and reward calling for you. NBA 2K22 has limitless outfit combinations, so you can stand out, but can you imagine traveling through the City in this Iced Out racing suit? For this new-gen collectible, rack up 100 wins at the Rec and the helmet is yours! If you want to complete the full ensemble, win 100 3v3 games for the suit.
ALL-NEW GAME MODE: CLUTCH TIME
Over the course of the last week, the first look and initial details of Clutch Time have been revealed. You are just hours away from getting your hands on this new multiplayer mode, so here is what you need to know to compete.
First, the 4-point line debuts in MyTEAM! Clutch Time will allow you and your opponent to stretch the floor for a momentum-shifting 4-pointer in these games. Build an insurmountable lead or make that epic comeback even faster by dropping a dagger from deep!
Clutch Time takes place in the final moments of a game, where you and your opponent start tied with 5 minutes on the clock. To ensure the tempo stays high, games are played with a 14-second shot clock, allowing you to take more chances on defense, and forcing the offense to commit to the first or second looks they get at the basket.
But what happens if the game is tied? To get you to the next game as soon as possible, you will not play a full overtime period, instead Clutch Time has sudden death overtime rules. After the overtime tip-off, the first player to score wins!
There are some additional rules to be aware of when playing Clutch Time, all in the interest of keeping a fast and fair game experience. When the game enters the final 2 minutes, both teams, regardless of fouls, will enter the bonus. You should also know there are no substitutions in Clutch Time, the starting 5 you bring in are the only players you can use in that game. Finally, each team only gets two 20 second timeouts for each Clutch Time game.
Clutch Time games take place in a ballroom located in the lower floors of Pink Diamond Plaza. With an amazing clock-inspired design on the court floor, and a massive mural with the best current and past clutch players in NBA history. It truly is a sight to behold, and a fantastic backdrop for your best moments on the court.
Each Season, Clutch Time will be updated with new exclusive rewards. Featuring a 50-win ladder to climb, these rewards are split into five 10-win tiers. Every 10 wins will feature a milestone prize, and for all other wins, you will earn a wheel spin for a guaranteed reward. One thing to keep in mind, 3 losses in a row will reset your current tier’s progress, but you will never reset below that tier during a Season.
To tip-off Clutch Time, Season 3’s featured player, Damian Lillard will be available at the 50-win milestone as a Pink Diamond! On your way, look to pick up Ruby Julius Randle at 10 wins, and Diamond Al Horford for 30 wins. Also, look to pick-up Pink Diamond Michael Redd, available on every wheel spin you earn in the mode.
Clutch Time hits this sweet spot between the quick games of Triple Threat Online: The 100, and the 5-on-5 competition seen in Unlimited. From the arena you play in, to the rewards you earn, the development team here at Visual Concepts have given their all in creating this new experience for you to enjoy. We cannot wait to see you on the court dropping those 4-pointers in just a few short days!
SEASON 3 MyTEAM REWARDS
Season 3: Iced Out will feature the first Galaxy Opal player in NBA 2K22’s MyTEAM. For reaching Level 40 this Season, you will earn the first-ever NBA 2K cover athlete, Galaxy Opal Allen Iverson! Prepare to cross-up, embarrass, and lead your team with Iverson, one of the best dribblers to ever play in the league. But in Season 3, there is more to earn after you get “The Answer”.
Iced Out will feature the return of Beyond Level 40 agenda groups! Initially debuting last summer, Beyond Level 40 will continue to put your Agenda completion skills to the test using that new Opal Iverson and more. Completing Beyond Level 40 will earn you a never-before-seen reward in MyTEAM.
For the first time, you will be able to earn the top rewards from other modes from an Option Pack! This Option Pack will contain the Grand Prize for Ascension Pink Diamond Cliff Hagen, the Grand Prize of Draft Pink Diamond Andre Drummond, the 6-ring reward for Limited Pink Diamond Dan Majerle, and both Pink Diamond rewards from Triple Threat Ball Drops and the Vault that will be revealed later in the Season. The choice is yours after completing Beyond Level 40!
Also returning is the Showdown Tier in Unlimited, containing Season 4 XP earnable in Season 3. Remember, if you completed Showdown Tier in Season 2, you have 15,000 XP waiting for you in Season 3. To help you compete in the Showdown Tier in Unlimited, the featured player reward is Pink Diamond Jason Richardson, an absolute beast of a MyTEAM card to improve your best lineup from the wing.
We will also have another Pink Diamond reward player added to MyTEAM later this Season. This player will be announced and dropped later in the Season with a brand-new Domination Tier! Similar to last year, you will NOT need to complete the Current, All-Time, and NBA 75 Dominations to compete in this fourth set of 33 games. Stay tuned!
FESTIVE BASKETBALLS, JERSEYS, & COURTS
For Iced Out, look forward to more events with rewards including exclusive basketball cards. Similar to previous Winters in MyTEAM, Ornament Basketballs for all 30 NBA teams will return in market packs for Season 3 only. Collect all 30 for the Vintage and Beach basketball cards, couple those with the Holographic basketball, and the agenda rewards for collecting Amethyst, Diamond, and Pink Diamond players from the Token Reward Market, and you can light up the court with the Fire Basketball! Honestly, the only thing that makes the Clutch Time arena look cooler, is when you are chucking 4-pointers with a basketball that is on fire!
Season 3 will also see the debut of the new City Jerseys and City Courts in MyTEAM! For the amazing new jerseys, you will need to get a win in Triple Threat Online: The 100 using 3 players from that franchise. For the courts, match that franchise’s single-game scoring record for a player in a game, using a player from that team (good luck to Warriors fans needing to match or best Wilt’s 100 points!). You’ll love being able to mix and match arena and court floor cards this year in MyTEAM, and adding these new City designs to my lineups is going to be amazing!
DAME’S SIGNATURE CHALLENGE
To wrap up, we have a new Signature Challenge straight from Iced Out’s featured player himself, Damian Lillard. In a new twist, Dame did not include himself in his all-time lineup, opting to choose a team led by AI, Kobe, LeBron, Giannis, and KD as the center! Instead, Lillard will be leading his team against your best lineup from the sidelines. So, one of the rewards for his Signature Challenge will be a Ruby Perimeter-Centric Damian Lillard Player Coach Card!
NBA 2K22’s Season 3 is shaping up to be one of the most historic yet in MyTEAM. We can not wait to get you all on the court in Clutch Time, drop the first Galaxy Opal player with Allen Iverson as the Level 40 reward, and add earning Grand Prize rewards in an Option Pack for Beyond Level 40. With all of this, a new Domination, and more NBA 75 players, there is never a better time to jump into MyTEAM!
THE W ONLINE
Calling all WNBA fans: Season 3 of NBA 2K22 is jazzing up the W with four tiers of thrilling new rewards. In this unique online competitive space, connect with friends and partner up, or play solo, to earn artfully crafted clothing bundles and additional badge points. Heading into the third season of the year, we’ve announced some truly historic and iconic contacts for you to learn from in the W, and we’re adding even more for Season 3. Sharpen your game with Lisa Leslie, one of the greatest players to grace the hardwood, not just the WNBA. Leslie was an eight-time All-Star and averaged more than 15 points per game every year of her career. Her wisdom is among the best around and it would behoove you to take advantage of it. Plus, former All-Star DeLisha Milton-Jones will be another resource for you, bringing 17 years of WNBA experience to the table. In order to earn their wealth of knowledge, you’ll need to complete the Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers before finishing Hall of Fame. If you complete every tier, you’ll earn VC to spend, a mask, a Seasonal Clothing Bundle, 2K Breakthrough Gear, an extra Badge Point, Takeover Perk Picker, and the aforementioned legendary contacts. Elevate your game by learning from the pros and start raking in the rewards!
DEF JAM RECORDINGS
Season 3 is handing out more rewards and new game modes, but the gifts don’t stop there. In early December, a variety of artists associated with Def Jam Recordings will be featured in NBA 2K22, from up-and-coming musicians to established icons. 2K is excited to showcase these artists and release a new soundtrack and promote it at Club 2K. The track list continues to grow as we progress further into the 2021-2022 season, and we’re thrilled to unveil the latest artists and songs. Take a look below at all the new Def Jam Recordings artists and tracks coming to NBA 2K22:
“STOP IT” by Bino Rideaux
“BIG” by Kendra Jae
“WIN” by Saint Bodhi
“Chaos” by Big Sean & Hit-Boy
“Realest Richest Youngin” by Roddy Rackzz
“untitled” by Logic
“Lose My Cool ft. NLE Choppa” by 070 Shake
“You Wouldn’t Believe Me” by LaTheGoat
“Let’s Go” by Goon Des Garcons*
“AMF” by John LindahlCLOSING REMARKS
Get in the spirit this season by giving your opponents something to remember you by: some cold-blooded, game-winning shots. Play all-new modes and enjoy some of the freshly packaged events blowing in for Season 3. This season has it all and then some, so don’t miss out on the fun! Throw on your headset and listen to the latest tracks while dominating in-game. We look forward to seeing you dashing through the competition!
Stay tuned to Gaming Trend for more info on NBA 2K22 and for all your gaming, tech, and entertainment news!
Richard Allen is a freelance writer and contributing editor for various publications. While he enjoys modern gaming, he is a retro gamer at heart, having been raised on a steady diet of Contra, Mario, and Dragon's Lair. Chat with him via @thricetheartist on Twitter.
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