Introducing Playoff Frenzy
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
For basketball junkies, that is. And in celebration of the NBA Playoffs arriving, we’re launching a brand-new mode that – combined with the other features and activities we run each postseason – is going to make this the most exciting time to play NBA 2K Mobile.
Coming today alongside a new theme and other familiar items, Playoff Frenzy is a three-week challenge that pits you against legendary NBA championship teams and rewards epic cards of superstars. Frenzy consists of two key components – Tournament of Champions and Shot Clock Challenge.
Let’s dive into Tournament of Champions first. We’ve assembled 50 different opponents, all lineups from teams that won the NBA title. You will face various lineups from last year’s Nuggets, the 1986 Celtics and many others in between, and need to beat every one of them to complete TOC and earn the top prize. That is a Rose Quartz theme card for reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.
TOC has a reward track similar to progression rewards in events, culminating with Jokic. Except, medals are what keep you moving along the track instead of event points, and you must defeat opponents by at least five points to earn all available rewards. Each matchup features three medal types – one for simply winning a game, another for winning by at least three, and another for winning by at least five. Opponents are sorted by PWR, though you don’t need to play them in order.
So, it’s possible to capture all three medals for an opponent in the same game. They can also be earned one at a time, or two at a time. You could start by attacking the easier ones – skipping around to matchups you like and making progress with narrow wins – and then come back to attempt the five-point victories later. The more medals you rack up, the better rewards you collect and the stronger your collection will be when it comes time to chase those lopsided wins. (Games are 90 seconds, starting with a jump ball.)
With 50 opponents and three medals for each, you’ll need 150 medals to get Jokic. On the road to 150, your reward track will have other Playoffs theme cards that aren’t available in events, plus new East and West collectibles for crafting any of the 38 craftable cards in the theme. More on that later.
Champion Tokens are the energy used to play TOC games. Those can be acquired via a number of ways starting today:
Draft boards
Daily free pack in the Frenzy Shop
Drill Chain rewards
Progression rewards in mini and main events
Daily Streaks (each week will have a streak like the one you see starting today, with one Token available each day and three as the bonus reward)
Crew challenges from April 23 to May 8 (21 total)
The new themed Tourney (up to 10 can be won via bonus rewards in the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals)
All victories in TOC are beneficial, even if they don’t result in fully defeating the opponent. For every win that doesn’t give you all three medals, the opponent’s PWR will decrease by 5%.
NOTE: TOC rewards need to be claimed before Frenzy ends. These will not go to your mailbox automatically if left unclaimed.
OK, now what was that shot clock thing we mentioned earlier?
Shot Clock Challenge is a new interactive pack that you can make progress in throughout the duration of Playoff Frenzy. Collecting 24 “Seconds” allows you to jump into the pack, and from there you are tasked with finding pairs of matching cards before the clock expires. Flip over face-down cards and remember what you saw to find all the matches and clear boards. Conquering all 20 rounds rewards a new special edition Kobe Bryant card – a Black Mamba themed tribute to one of the all-time great Playoff performers.
Starting in round 15, S6 Playoffs theme cards will be among the additional rewards you can earn. (The cards you match are yours to keep.) SCC can be played within Frenzy, but you can also find it via the store, where you’ll see a preview of rewards for all 20 rounds. Regardless of where you enter SCC, progress will be saved and you pick up where you left off.
You can collect “Seconds” from:
Draft boards
TOC reward track
Daily free pack in the Frenzy Shop
Progression rewards in mini and main events
Completing the Finals of the themed Tourney (rewards the full 24 Seconds)
You’ll need at least 24 Seconds to enter SCC, and it can be completed more than once – clear all 20 boards, collect the Kobe card, and chase it again!
When Frenzy ends on May 13, extra Champion Tokens you have can be converted to Seconds. SCC will remain open, allowing you to gather all the rewards you can. So, it can be useful to keep collecting Tokens after you’ve completed TOC.
As mentioned earlier, almost all cards in Playoffs theme – two per team, including Play-In squads – can be crafted via new East and West items earned during the three-week span. You’ll get those via:
Playoff Picker
The themed Tourney
Crew challenges from April 23 to May 8
Progression rewards in mini and main events
Leaderboard rewards
TOC reward track
SCC rewards
Every game you win in mini and main events (50% chance of an East item; 50% chance of a West item)
More on the other Playoffs activities coming up:
Like past seasons, Playoffs theme cards will get PWR upgrades for every round they advance in the real-life postseason.
The themed Tourney has bonus rewards for completing each round in addition to what you’ll see listed. Those are (in order) one ticket, one ticket, two tickets, two tickets, and 24 SCC Seconds (The Finals reward 24 Seconds and a Legendary Gear).
Playoff Picker rewards two East collectibles for a game picked correctly in the East, and two West items for a correct pick in the West. During the NBA Finals, correct picks will reward two of each.
This week’s event, a 3v3 Gauntlet, will feature a special Playoffs themed court.
We added some new custom avatars for your player profile that you can earn in TOC. Get special avatars for Jokic, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Edwards.