We've already highlighted that this year's iteration of the annual NBA 2K series, NBA 2K23, is seemingly selling a visual and cultural feast of an experience, and as if to put a full stop on that sentence of thought, today's Jordan Challenge game mode trailer is about as epic as they come.



What's more astonishing with this trailer is that every basketball shot is in-game footage of a Jordan Challenge in line with the trailer's less than two minute narrative. It's just... wow.

Here's some official info on what the Jordan Challenge game mode will offer up in NBA 2K23:

“The Jordan Challenge is an immersive experience unlike anything NBA 2K fans have seen, completely rebuilding the challenges from 2K11 and adding five new moments,” said Erick Boenisch, VP of NBA Development at Visual Concepts. “Our team took everything into consideration when constructing this game mode; the arenas, the players, the uniforms, the broadcast, and the play style of the era have been accounted for in an effort to give fans a truly authentic and unique playable Jordan experience.”

The Jordan Challenge introduces iconic NBA moments and in-game innovations, including:

• Experience a breathtaking recreation of a bygone era, from the 1982 NCAA National Championship to the 1998 NBA Finals. Each challenge features a pre-game interview with a luminary who was a part of what made every game special;
  
• A complete presentational package including an intricately designed video filter system that recreates the television experience of these games as they were originally broadcast during the 1980s and 1990s, showcasing the look, feel and sound that take players back to the original game;
  
• Key gameplay changes to fit the era, such as a heavier focus on the post and mid-range game and reworking the transition game for the 1980s feel, including tighter transition lanes and more players cutting to the basket with a numbers advantage, as opposed to the spotting up for three you see in today’s NBA;
  
• More physicality modelled on the floor and in the paint, along with new signature style upgrades for classic greats like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, featuring all-new jump shot, layup and dunk packages;
  
• Hand-checking and hard-hitting body-ups for a different feel to the one-on-one battles with accurately represented regulations that mirror the 1990s basketball era, like the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” with their famous “Jordan Rules” and more.

For all the details on the Jordan Challenge, check out the latest Courtside Report. Stay tuned for additional deep dives in the coming weeks to reveal even more of what’s new in NBA 2K23.

That stay tuned rings true for here too, as we'll have more as it becomes available in the lead up to the game's launch next month. And yes, there are still questions around some of the series' more recent questionable aspects we hope to have a bead on soon, but for now enjoy the above for what it is -- greatness in in-game trailer form.