Play by Play Studios has announced that NBA THE RUN will be released on June 9, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. It is a 3-on-3 street basketball game that aims to combine the arcade spirit of classic sports games with modern online systems and fast, responsive gameplay.
At the heart of the game is the Run the World Tournament, a knockout tournament in four rounds where teams of three players compete on iconic streetball courts around the world. Each tournament concludes with a final match on one of the special final courts, where players compete for the Run the World trophy.
At launch, there will be three main game modes available. Knockout Squads allows you to play in a team of three players, controlling one team member. Knockout Solos gives the player control over the entire team of three players, while Knockout Friends offers private tournaments against artificial intelligence, with friends, or against invited players, supporting up to 48 players at launch.
NBA THE RUN will feature over 30 NBA stars at launch, as well as five fictional streetball legends. Each character will have their own play style and hand-stylized visual identity. The developers also highlight support for rollback netcode, which should enable more stable and precise online matches.
The game will be available in two versions. The Standard Edition will cost €29.99, while the Deluxe Edition will cost €39.99. The Deluxe Edition also includes three additional unlocked characters: rookie variants of Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors, Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks, and Kevin Durant from the Seattle Supersonics, along with 1,000 CRED in-game currency.
NBA THE RUN is the first project of Play by Play Studios, an independent team made up of industry veterans who have worked on major franchises. Their goal is to pay homage to the golden age of sports games, but in a form tailored to today's players.
