Grinding to achieve the maximum amount of badge upgrades can frustrating, as well as time-consuming. It’s not supposed to be easy in NBA 2K21, but thanks to the integration of The City, it actually has gotten a lot easier. How so? Let’s go over what new features in The City can help you speed up badge progression, plus other methods you might and might not already know about.
Grind in MyCareer
Arguably the simplest method to upgrade badges is by doing it the old-fashioned way: grinding in MyCareer. Since badge progression has remained relatively untouched from the current-generation, this means that all you really have to do in MyCareer is play well, and the badge upgrades will come in due time.
Yes, this will take time, but it’s not supposed to be easy.
Related: NBA 2K21 (Next-Gen): Best MyPlayer Finishing badges
Locate NPC characters in The City
New to the next-generation version of NBA 2K21 is The City, the new and improved version of The City. Also new to NBA 2K21 is the addition of NPCs that can be found throughout The City. Why are these characters important? Non-player characters in The City, when approached, will hand out challenges that can be completed in warehouse courts. Complete these challenges, and you will receive boosted badge progress.
To find these characters, take a walk around The City and look for characters with an exclamation point hovering over the head. Keep in mind, though, that you will have to rank up to Pro 1 in Rookieville to have access to The City and these non-player characters.
Play games in The City
In addition to NPC challenges and MyCareer, you can also pick some badge progression through playing games in The City. However, this method might not be as fast as if you did this in MyCareer, as realistically, you might be at the mercy of your teammates in The City.