Several former EA developers, including former Visceral Games GM Scott Probst, have formed a new studio to be a spiritual successor to NBA Street – the beloved 3v3 street basketball series released in the early 2000s.
Titled The Run: Got Next, the new project developed by Play by Play Studios is a “character-driven, 3v3 gang game that celebrates the attitude, style and skills of streetball culture” developed in Unreal Engine 5, with players as strings. together an extended winning streak against opponents either solo or with friends online (discussions are “ongoing” as to whether it will include a full offline mode). Similar to roguelites like Balatroplayers will be able to visit a shop between games to acquire “items, sponsors, abilities, kicks and more.”
On-court gameplay will focus on unique characters with different strengths, weaknesses and playstyles. The trailer introduces some of the first characters including Spin Cycle, High Wire and the powerful Zamboni, each capable of powerful dunks and other moves.
Speaking to IGN, co-founder and former Madden creative director Mike Young says the team’s goal is to make “defense as fun as offense” — a feat that can be difficult to achieve in sports games.
“Stars feel like stars. I think if you go back to old school games like Nintendo Ice Hockey with small, medium and large, you can clearly see the abilities of the characters. They had high strengths and they had obvious weaknesses, and that made the construction of a lineup for a 3v3 game very interesting,” says Young.
“Do I want a fast lineup, but we’re going to be weak and get checked? Or do I want a power lineup that’s slow, but we can shoot and check?…We had a Hall of Famer like Shaquille O’ Neal , who in real life had good handles, but in our game he couldn’t tell Tier 2 or Tier 3 tricks the characters move. They are all unique.
When asked if The Run: Got Next will feature microtransactions, Probst told IGN that there may be cosmetics at a later date, but The Run is not free-to-play and there are currently no plans for microtransactions that directly affect the game . As for the online game, a Play by Play Studios representative confirmed that there will be cross-play and cross-progression, but that it will not feature co-op co-op at launch.
“Right now we’re focused on making sure we get online working right for our launch,” the rep told IGN. “Like everything else related to the game, we’ll listen for feedback and interest and go from there.”
The Run: Got Next will attempt to fill the void left by arcade sports games like NBA Street, NFL Street, and FIFA Street, which have either been relegated to core modes in larger licensed titles (such as EA Sports FC’s Volta) or eliminated entirely. Notably, The Run: Got Next has a direct connection to the original NBA Street, with Young serving as an associate texture artist on NBA Street Vol. 2.
“There were a lot of us that worked on NBA Street that always wanted to bring it back. I think it’s hard for a company that has a game like a Madden or an NBA Live that’s that big. If you put all your resources into that, I think it was challenging to think about a secondary game,” Young said.
“I was there when Tiburon Studio came back [NFL Blitz]. Some of the things I’ve seen before, they’re just nostalgia games and they haven’t kind of evolved into a modern game. I think they don’t have staying power, so they have to come out at a lower price. You might just attract the people who liked them, and then they play it for a weekend or a couple of weeks or bring it out every now and then…”
“What we think the opportunity is to bring this type of game, which doesn’t necessarily exist anymore, to Gen Z, which is social. Play with friends, play against friends. We’re trying to fit into what sim games don’t offer us modes like Superstar KO which was kind of one and done, we want to make the best version that would make it to the game.
Another kind of sports game
In a letter introducing Play by Play Studios, Probst likewise took aim at the current sports gaming landscape, which is dominated by sims like NBA 2K and the recently released College Football 25.
“As the years have gone by, the gaming industry has grown exponentially, and in many cases the business has taken precedence over the fun of a particular experience – it sucks,” he wrote. “I’ve found this myself in many sports games today where I feel like I have to grind hundreds of hours to get good, I have to pay hundreds of dollars (on top of the $70 I already spent for the game itself) to have an ok time, and I have to go out on random missions to do things that don’t really have anything to do with the fun of the game or the sport.”
To that end, he says, The Run will “double the fun” without worrying about “overly complex menus, GM modes, micromanaging rosters, opening packages, or playing a game that feels like I’m watching a broadcast.”
“We’re looking at a game like Rocket League, which is you can jump in and five seconds you’re in a game. They’re doing it amazingly,” says Probst. “They focus on the action and the game itself. So the longer answer is that’s what we want to do, is we want to get you into the game. We want you to enjoy the sport of basketball, and we definitely want to create tone and personality and character back and do it in a really meaningful and memorable way that feels distinct.”
Ultimately, The Run’s biggest challenge may be the lack of real players. Unlicensed sports betting has had a dismal track record over the past decade. Probst admits that there have definitely been “conversations” about how important licenses might be, but that they are ultimately focused on building a “really, really fun basketball game.”
“I think we want to create a fabric and a framework where we can bring in real personalities, whether it’s athletes, celebrities, influencers, et cetera,” says Probst. “But I think our focus, first and foremost, has been on the game that we’re creating and bringing our characters to life.”
We’ll be able to see for ourselves if The Run: Got Next can usher in a new era of arcade sports gaming when it launches in 2025. It’s currently in development for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Do you have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
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