Are the NBA 2K14 servers still up in 2024?
As a lifelong NBA 2K fan, I have some unfortunate news for my fellow NBA 2K14 loyalists. After temporarily restoring access in 2022, 2K Games has officially discontinued the NBA 2K14 servers as of 2023. This means all online services, including online multiplayer, VC earning/spending, and online save files are now inaccessible.
Why Did 2K Decide to Axe 9-Year-Old NBA 2K14?
In April 2022, 2K stunned fans by abruptly taking the NBA 2K14 servers offline. At over 9 years old, NBA 2K14 was certainly aging. But players who had invested years cultivating their MyCareer saves or curating their MyTEAM collections felt slighted.
After a wave of backlash, 2K did bring the servers temporarily back. But this restored access only lasted through 2022.
Just tried loading my NBA2k14 MyCareer and got hit with this “your account has expired message.” 9 years. 9 years I worked on that myPlayer account man 😒 @ronnie2k @nba2k pic.twitter.com/at3iD0C0fK
— kuz (@kylekuzma) April 4, 2022
As with most aging titles, there comes a point when maintaining online services for past iterations no longer makes financial sense. Server costs and engineering resources are considerable, especially when trying to safeguard against new cyber threats.
With ever-shrinking active player bases, 2K clearly decided it was time to pull the plug. They likely wanted to shift resources toward supporting newer releases like NBA 2K23.
Below you can see the drastic drop-off in average daily NBA 2K14 players over the years. From over 200,000 daily players around its 2013 launch, the population dwindled to just a few thousand die-hards keeping the dream alive in 2022:
| Year | Avg. Daily Players |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 209,163 |
| 2017 | 22,256 |
| 2021 | 5,780 |
| 2022 | 1,524 |
As you can see, trying to maintain online services for less than 2,000 daily players likely didn‘t make financial sense anymore.
How Long Do Servers Stay Online for NBA 2K Games?
In recent years, it looks like 2K keeps online services running for around 3-5 years post-launch:
- NBA 2K18 – Servers discontinued in 2021 (3 years after 2018 release)
- NBA 2K19 – Servers discontinued in 2021 (2 years after 2019 release)
NBA 2K14 was a bit of an anomaly at over 9 years. However, its player base had contracted so severely that 2K likely decided it couldn‘t justify the server overhead any longer.
So generally, expect to get 3-5 years of online support for newer NBA 2K titles before the cord gets pulled. Of course basketball gaming loyalists took grave offense to losing server access for a game released way back in 2013!
What Features Are Lost with NBA 2K14 Servers Offline?
Now that the NBA 2K14 servers have been taken offline indefinitely, players lose access to:
- Online multiplayer
- Online Leagues
- Online save files (MyCareer, MyGM)
- Virtual Currency (VC) integration
- MyTEAM pack purchases
- Any other online functionality
Essentially, almost every online component and VC tie-in is permanently disabled. You can still play offline against AI opponents. But the scope is now severely limited compared to experiencing NBA 2K14 during its server heyday.
Losing online multiplayer and ranked leagues hurts. But for me, not being able to resume my old MyCareer file with years of progression stings just as much!
What‘s the Alternative for Playing Online Basketball Now?
So for those still craving an online basketball fix, where can we turn in 2024? Well, fortunately the latest iteration – NBA 2K23 – is now out and its servers are still humming along smoothly.
While starting MyCareer or MyTEAM progress from scratch is painful, it may the only option for those who enjoy competing against real opponents online.
Of course you‘ll have to front another $60+ to grab the latest rosters and NBA 2K23 gameplay enhancements. But them‘s the breaks as a basketball gaming enthusiast these days! We‘re forced to eternally chase the next annual release once our beloved servers get sunsetted.
