Can You Still Play MyCareer in NBA 2K20?

I‘m sure many longtime fans of 2K‘s acclaimed basketball sim series have wondered if NBA 2K20‘s offline my player career mode remains playable nearly two years after servers went offline. As someone who has logged countless hours across the MyCareer mode spanning a decade‘s worth of 2K titles, I have extensive first-hand experience and insider perspectives to share.

The short answer is: yes, you can absolutely still enjoy MyCareer in 2K20 exclusively offline. While online functions like Neighborhood are no longer accessible, you can continue a solo career with your custom MyPlayer through seasons of competition against AI opponents.

However, Colt 2KxFanZ69 from the NLSC forum makes a great counterpoint – "Playing MyCareer offline is possible but misses the spirit of the mode as an online basketball RPG." I can understand that objection for sure but more on that later.

First, let‘s dig into the repercussions of 2K20‘s server shutdown and how it impacts features…

What Exactly Changed After 2K20 Servers Shut Down?

Since December 31, 2021, players cannot access online modes as 2K ended support to shift attention to newer installments like 2K22 and 2K23. Unfortunately, your hopes of becoming a streetball legend on the virtual hardwood at The Park are dashed. Specifically the following are permanently disabled:

• The Neighborhood – No virtual city to freely roam and link up with friends
• Playground ‘The Park‘ modes – No streetball against others at courts like Sunset Beach
• Rec Center/Pro-Am Team Up – Can‘t squad up 5v5 against rivals
• My Team Collector Mode – No virtual card trading and battles
• Ranked/Online Leagues – No competing against the world

However, plenty of features still work for those looking to play solo including Franchise managing all aspects of an NBA organization or playing quick Exhibition games.

MyCareer Mode remains fully functional too. You create your MyPlayer, guide them through high school, college (or skip ahead to the NBA Draft Combine), get selected by an NBA team and then progress through a pro career.

It may not be a bustling Neighborhood of 100+ people, but my last MyPlayer Franklin Buckets IV still balled out winning Finals MVP in his sophomore 2031 season against the Suns as seen below.

All the core MyCareer mode activities track offline:

• NBA career stats and milestones
• Skill tree upgrades like increasing shooting ability
• Badge progression system to unlock special move packages
• Negotiating contracts as free agent
• Appearing on cover of SLAM Magazine
• Player progression each season
• Endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Gatorade
• Connecting story elements told through cutscenes
• Difficulty adjusting from rookie to veteran levels
• Rotating through NBA franchises via trade demands
• Rivalries against NBA superstars like LeBron AI
• End game retirement ceremony wrapping up your career legacy

Verdict? Beyond online multiplayer features and cosmetic fashion/accessory purchases tied to VC wallet, MyCareer delivers largely the same excellent and addictive single player experience that sells millions annually.

Now what truly is lost without that online community presence? Let‘s explore next…

What Is Missing When Your MyCareer Stays Offline?

Taking the virtual MyPlayer experience completely offline does detract substantially from the "MMO" environment that developer Visual Concepts continues embellishing as their secret sauce:

• No open world Neighborhood hub filled with player-controlled characters
• Loss of spontaneity like joining games at Park courts
• Emptiness – void of other gamers spectating/reacting
• Isolated feeling without a community to rep your home court
• Reduced clothing options via rotating daily item shop
• Less badge boost incentives grinding new builds to compete online

Operation Sports user Sixer10 put it best regarding playing MyCareer offline – "It‘s like Michael Jordan winning 8 straight scoring titles against D3 college kids."

The mode loses that nerve-wracking thrill associated with challenging other gamers in pick-up games when it‘s just you cooking rookie AI bots every play. Proving yourself on a virtual stage is what brings millions back each year.

However, even Michael Jordan couldn‘t lead the Wizards past first round at age 40 against actual NBA competition. I‘d argue there‘s comfort knowing that when you load up MyCareer offline, it‘s your realm to dominate! For me, designating Hall of Fame difficulty and turning off defensive assist settings scratches that competitive itch sufficiently for a SP narrative.

How Do 2K21 and 2K22 MyCareers Compare?

Let‘s quickly compare what to expect when 2K21 servers also inevitably shut down on December 31st 2022 with 2K22 not far behind:

Visually the HD graphics, player faces and animations improve incrementally each year but feature wise 2K21 and 2K22 only further emphasize online community activities over any sweeping overhauls to MyCareer mechanics.

So fear not, when support ends expect the continuation of rich solo storytelling growing your talents in the prelude to NBA journey to remain polished as ever. Both these titles only widen the gap between offline and online experiences however rather than introduce must-have new aspects.

2K23 reviews currently put its MyCareer narrative changes front and center rather than further city location tweaks. But that‘s an article for another day!

Why Do Game Servers Get Shut Down After 2-3 Years Anyway?

Sports gaming aficionados debate each other over countless nuances in online forums yet widely share bewilderment every time servers get terminated faster than their own basketball sneakers wear out the tread.

"It‘s infuriating building countless players/teams only for some greedy suits to pull the plug prematurely", FadeAwayJay08 vehemently vents on Reddit. While profit drives these decisions, there are understandable financial calculations behind every publisher like 2K‘s actions.

Supporting online games costs money directly proportionate to active players. Server costs, customer support, ongoing security to protect against hacking and regular title updates to fix bugs pile up. With each new release (at $60-70 a pop), majority of fans jump ship from previous installments.

Based on Steam tracking, NBA 2K20 averaged over 44k players at launch month. That figure dropped to 19k by month 6 and under 2k daily users remained after 2 years. At some point maintaining infrastructure for <1% of paying fans becomes unrealistic math.

Now factor in opportunity costs on their end. Efforts spent updating an NBA 2K20 Moments card pack generates no revenue yet may take resources from completing a 2K23 feature that potentially sells another million copies. We may dislike when servers get disconnected but it comes down to getting fans to ‘purchase the latest rode‘.

Alas, capitalism proves the invariant force across both real and virtual hoops universes!

Common Errors Playing 2K20 Offline and How to Troubleshoot

While the offline MyCareer experience generally remains issue-free, you may encounter the below glitches:

Additional pointers:

• Ensure console software updated fully then reset (unplug for 30 seconds)
• Delete portions of save file cache if unable to progress past main menu
• On relaunch, download updated roster from Roster Creator with new players
• Consider reinstalling game from scratch if above doesn‘t resolve

Reach out to me via this site‘s comments or DM over at NLSC with any other questions!

So in summary – 2K20‘s MyCareer mode remains right at our fingertips for all to enjoy offline indefinitely. I hope this breakdown provided clarity around exactly what current state the servers are in and how to work around any installation quirks. Time to put Franklin Buckets IV in the starting rotation for the 2036 season push towards his 4th championship!