One of 2025’s most popular games, at least in the United States, is set to be free for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers for a limited time. More specifically, the 2025 Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 game will be free to download and play entirely and infinitely between August 7 and August 13. This six-day period should be more than enough time for Switch and Switch 2 users to get their taste of the 2025 game and deduce whether they want to permanently add it to their libraries with a purchase from the eShop.
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Starting tomorrow and until 13, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 users in both North America and Europe will be able to claim Visual Concepts and 2K Games’ NBA 2K26 for free. It’s not free to keep beyond this period, just free to play during this period. And unlike some Nintendo Switch Online offers — like the latest three new retro games — this new one is not locked behind the Expansion Pack tier, and is rather available for all NSO subscribers regardless of what tier they are subscribed to. Meanwhile, those who decide to purchase the game after the trial period will be able to carry their transfer over. Those who don’t will at least get 100 Platinum Points for their troubles.
One of This Generation’s Better Installments
NBA 2K26 is notably the highest-rated game in the series since NBA 2K17, which is right around when the series dipped in quality. To this end, it has an 82 on Metacritic. The Switch 2 version has a lower score of 74, though, because this version is worse. Meanwhile, consumers resonated with the game less than critics, as evidenced by its 4.5 user score on Metacritic and complaints over controversial mechanics.
Of course, NBA 2K26 is also about to be outdated, if it isn’t already. NBA 2K27 was recently revealed and is poised to release this September. To this end, it’s about this time every year the previous installment in the series is added to various subscription services and discounted to absurdly low prices. That said, there is going to be virtually zero difference between NBA 2K26 and NBA 2K27, so those who feel like checking it out now will be missing the boat; don’t feel this way, because there is no boat to miss. You could play NBA 2K25 or NBA 2K24 for that matter, and you are basically playing the same exact game. In fact, some fans argue you’re better off going back to the mid-2010s if you want to play the best NBA 2K has to offer, even in 2026.
Nintendo Switch Online is available for both Switch and Switch 2 users at various pricing points. The best value is a 12-month subscription, which costs $20 a year or $50 a year if you get the Expansion Pack upgrade.
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