NBA 2K series' previous games, leading to confusion when it comes to taking a shot. Players have talked about how an arrow will appear that does not align with where they are aiming and instructions that look the same no matter where the player is on the court.

However, these issues players are having can be easy to solve when broken down. While the NBA 2K25 shot meter is different from other games, it is also a more accurate tool. Players can now experience way less lag time when releasing the shot while playing online, meaning the likelihood of a successful shot is higher than ever before in NBA 2K25. There is also an additional incentive for turning the shot meter off entirely.

NBA 2K25's New Shot Meter Makes Shooting Easier

Let Go Of The Button As The Meter Disappears

Fortunately for players, the breakdown of how the new shot meter works is relatively straightforward. Reddit Evan-2k, one of the series' community management s, described exactly how 2K25's new shot meter works. Players now have the options of Arrow, Ring, and Dial when it comes to the meter, with Arrow being the default option. These meters serve as a cue for when it is the perfect time for the player to take their shot, serving as an animation encoming the entire shooting motion: "The ideal time to release the button is the exact frame the meter disappears from your screen."

Whatever shot meter option players choose, it now actively follows through the entire shot, as opposed to before, where it froze whenever players let go of the shooting button. Evan-2k elaborated how this helps with “shooting shots, layups, or free throws online.” It was also noted that the 2K25 shot meter can be customized in the Customize HUD screen, including where to place the score meter and its size, so the player can operate at their highest efficiency.

Players Get A Shooting Bonus In NBA 2K25 For Turning Off The Shot Meter

Customize HUD Settings Menu

These score meter improvements should benefit players as they take their shots due to the fact it now actively works with them. These tools, according to the official NBA 2K25 website, also help players perfectly recreate a player’s “signature shot”. However, if the player still wants to turn the meter off, there is an incentive: a bonus is awarded if the player turns the meter off during game play. It's unclear exactly what the bonus is for playing without the meter, but it is conceivably something close to a larger grace period in timing, rewarding players for understanding individual players' shooting mechanics.

As a yearly release, each 2K game is expected to come with its fair share of gameplay changes, but a complete reinvention of the shot meter is understandably a confusing departure from 2K24. NBA 2K25 is a deep sports sim, and aligning the shot meter with the shooting animation itself is an interesting change that will likely become natural for lontime players, despite the initial unfamiliarity. Whether the community prefers this over the old shot meter remains to be seen, but NBA 2K25's new shot meter is at least an interesting and rationalized change.

Sources: Evan-2k/Reddit, NBA 2K25