A new firm led by former Visceral Games general manager Scott Probst and several other former EA developers has been established to create a spiritual successor to the popular 3v3 street basketball series known as NBA Street, which was first launched in the early 2000s.
The new project from Play by Play Studios, dubbed The Run: Got Next, is a “character-driven, full court 3v3 hoops game that celebrates the attitude, style, and skills of streetball culture.” Developed in Unreal Engine 5, it allows players to string together a lengthy winning streak against opponents online, either alone or with friends (though it is “ongoing” whether or not an offline mode will be included). In between rounds, players will be able to visit a shop to obtain “things, sponsors, skills, kicks, and more,” much as in roguelikes like Balatro.
The emphasis of the on-court gameplay will be on distinct characters with a range of abilities, flaws, and styles of play. Some of the original cast members are shown in the teaser, including Spin Cycle, High Wire, and the formidable Zamboni, who is capable of impressive dunks and other feats.
Mike Young, a co-founder and former creative director of Madden, stated in an interview with Gamexta that the team’s objective is to make “defense as enjoyable as offensive,” a challenging task in sports games.
“Stars are made of stars. I believe you could easily see the character powers if you went back to the classic Nintendo Ice Hockey games with small, medium, and giant. They had obvious vulnerabilities and towering strengths, which made choosing a team for a 3v3 match quite intriguing, according to Young.
“Do I want a quick lineup even though it means we will be exposed and checked? Or should I go with a slow, potent lineup so we can shoot and see?… We have a Hall of Famer with real-life handles like Shaquille O’Neal. However, he was unable to perform Tier 2 or Tier 3 trick moves in our game. He would trip and drop and lose control. We therefore wish to make that a reality. The movements of the characters. Every one of them is distinct. They have unique movements.”
When asked if The Run: Got Next will have microtransactions, Probst informed Gamexta that although The Run is not free to play, there are no plans to add in-game purchases that will affect gameplay right now. However, there might be cosmetics products in the future. Regarding the online game, a Play by Play Studios official stated that while couch co-op will not be available at launch, there will be cross-play and cross-progression.
The official told Gamexta, “Perfectly now we are focused on making sure we get the online operating perfectly for our launch.” Like with everything else related to the game, we will take suggestions and interests into consideration before moving further.
NBA Street, NFL Street, and FIFA Street are examples of arcade sports games that have either been phased out completely or reduced to rudimentary modes in larger licensed titles (like as EA Sports FC’s Volta). The Run: Got Next aims to fill this gap. Notably, Young worked as an associate texture artist on NBA Street Vol. 2, therefore there is a direct connection between The Run: Got Next and the original NBA Street.
Many of us who worked on NBA Street have always wished it had never ended. I believe it is challenging for a company that produces a massively popular game like NBA Live or Madden. It was difficult to consider a secondary game if you were devoting all of your energy to one, Young claims.
“I believe our goal is to provide a structure and a fabric that will allow us to incorporate real-life figures such as sports, celebrities, influencers, and so on,” adds Probst. “But I believe that above all, we have been concentrating on the game we are developing and giving our characters life.”
When The Run: Got Next debuts in 2025, we will be able to witness for ourselves if it can usher in a new era for arcade sports games. It is presently being developed for the PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
