Several former EA developers, including former Visceral Games general manager Scott Probst, have formed a new studio to create a spiritual successor to NBA Street, the popular 3v3 street basketball series that released in the early 2000s.
Titled The Run: Got Next, the new project from Play by Play Studios is a “character-driven, full-court 3v3 basketball game that celebrates the attitude, style, and skill of streetball culture” built on Unreal Engine 5, with players going on long winning streaks against opponents either solo or with friends online (discussions are “ongoing” about whether the game will include a full offline mode). As in roguelite games like Balatro, players will be able to visit a shop between matches to acquire “items, sponsors, abilities, kicks, and more.”
The on-court gameplay will focus on unique characters with varying strengths, weaknesses, and playstyles. The trailer showcases some of the initial characters, including Spin Cycle, High Wire, and the mighty Zamboni, each of whom can perform powerful dunks and other moves.
Speaking with IGN, Madden co-founder and former creative director Mike Young said the team’s goal is to make “defense as fun as offense” — a feat that can be difficult to achieve in sports games.
“The stars look like they’re stars. I think if you go back to old-school games like Nintendo Ice Hockey with the small, medium, and large, you can clearly see the abilities of the characters. They had huge strengths and glaring weaknesses, and that made building a composition for a 3v3 game very interesting,” Young says.
“Do I want a fast team, but we’re going to be weak and get controlled? Or do I want a powerful team, slow, but we can shoot and control? … We had a Hall of Famer like Shaquille O’Neal, who in real life had really good hands. But in our game, he couldn’t do level 2 or 3 moves. He was falling and losing possession… So we wanted to bring that to life. The way the characters move. They’re all unique. They have special moves.”
When asked if The Run: Got Next will feature microtransactions, Probst told IGN that there may be cosmetic items at a later date, but The Run is not a free-to-play game and there are currently no plans for microtransactions that directly impact gameplay. As for online play, a Play by Play Studios representative confirmed that there will be crossplay and cross-progression, but there will be no couch co-op at launch.
“Right now, we’re focused on making sure online play is working properly for our launch,” the rep told IGN. “As with everything else in the game, we’ll listen to feedback and interest and go from there.”
Over the years, the gaming industry has grown exponentially and in many cases, the business has taken precedence over the enjoyment of a particular experience – it sucks
The Run: Got Next will seek to fill the void left by arcade sports games like NBA Street, NFL Street, and FIFA Street, which were either relegated to core modes in larger licensed titles (like EA Sports FC’s Volta) or eliminated entirely. Notably, The Run: Got Next has a direct connection to the original NBA Street, with Young having worked as an associate texture artist on NBA Street Vol. 2.
“A lot of us who worked on NBA Street always wanted to bring it back. I think it’s hard for a company that has a game like Madden or NBA Live that’s that big. If you’re putting all your resources into it, I think it was a challenge to think of a secondary game,” Young said.
“I was there when Tiburon Studio brought back [NFL Blitz]. Some of the things I’ve seen in the past are just nostalgic games and they haven’t really evolved into a modern game. I think they don’t have any staying power, so they have to come out at a lower price point. You can only attract people who liked them, and then they play it for a weekend or a few weeks or put it out every now and then…”
“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 adapt to what simulation games don’t give us. Modes like Superstar KO were kind of unique. We want to make the best version that would make it the game.”
A different sports game
In a letter introducing Play by Play Studios, Probst also took aim at the current sports gaming landscape, which is dominated by simulations like NBA 2K and the recently released College Football 25.
“Over the years, the video game industry has grown exponentially, and in many cases, business has taken precedence over the enjoyment of a particular experience. It sucks,” he wrote. “I’ve seen this myself in many sports games today, where I feel like I have to work hundreds of hours to be good, have to pay hundreds of dollars (on top of the $70 I already spent on the game itself) to have a good time, and have to embark on random quests to do things that have nothing to do with the enjoyment 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, roster micromanagement, pack opening, or gameplay that feels like watching a broadcast.”
“We’re interested in games like Rocket League, where you can jump in and play in five seconds. They’re fantastic,” Probst says. “They focus on the action and the game itself. So the long answer is that’s what we want to do, is immerse you in the game. We want you to enjoy basketball, and we definitely want to bring back the tone and the personality and the character and do it in a really meaningful and memorable way that’s different.”
Ultimately, The Run’s biggest challenge may be the lack of real-world players. Unlicensed sports games have had a dismal track record over the past decade. Probst acknowledges that there have been “conversations” about the importance of licensing, but that ultimately they’re focused on making a “really, really fun basketball game.”
“I think we wanted to create a fabric and a framework where we could integrate real-world personalities, whether they’re athletes, celebrities, influencers, etc.,” Probst says. “But I think our priority has been to focus on the game that we’re creating and bring our characters to life.”
We’ll be able to see for ourselves if The Run: Got Next can usher in a new era for arcade sports games 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. Got a tip? Send her a private message at @the_katbot.
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