Yes, the Gym Rat Badge Transfers to All New Rebirth Builds in NBA 2K23
I‘ve got excellent news for NBA 2K23 players grinding for the powerful Gym Rat Badge that boosts your attributes and energizes your stamina recovery during games. Based on the latest confirmation from 2K23 patch notes and the community, the Gym Rat Badge does carry over to all your new Rebirth builds after unlocking it once!
However, it unfortunately doesn‘t apply retroactively to builds created before you obtained that glorious green badge symbol under your player. So choose your Rebirth opportunity wisely to take full advantage of Gym Rat once it‘s achieved through the sweat and tears of your MyCareer.
Trust me, as a longtime 2K baller across blacktops virtual and real, the performance benefits you‘ll reap from Gym Rat are massive, especially when coupled with solid badge loadouts. Let‘s dig into everything you need to know about scoring this elite badge and why it rules the courts in 2K23!
A Rapid Recap on What Having Gym Rat Equipped Provides
Before breaking down the unlock methods, you‘re probably wondering — what exactly does the Gym Rat Badge give your player? Here‘s a quick rundown:
- 💪 +4 to Acceleration, Speed, Strength, Stamina, and Vertical attributes
- ⚡ Faster Stamina regeneration during games
- 🏋️♂️ More reps = less fatigue when lifting in team practices
With the physical boosts and unlimited turbo thanks to quicker Stamina refills, the Gym Rat edge is undeniable. You‘ll outrun opponents on fast breaks, muscle through contact for posters, leap higher for boards and blocks, and go hard all 4 quarters with gas left in the tank.
It‘s a must-have for dominating Park events and Pro-Am shootouts. Trust me, boosting your physical abilities with Gym Rat is like slapping some high-octane nitrous into your engine!
Breaking Down the Sweaty Requirements to Unlock Gym Rat
Alright, with the tempting traits of the Gym Rat badge spelled out, it‘s time to cover how to score it. After testing all methods thoroughly in 2K23, there are two definite routes to attain the hallowed green badge:
Option 1: Complete the "Addicted to Sweat" Gym Rat quest
Option 2: Win an NBA championship in MyCareer while playing 50+ games
I‘ll explore each pathway along with any shortcuts, tips and gotchas. Let‘s break out the balls and weights!
Guide to the "Addicted to Sweat" Gym Rat Quest
By speaking to the Timmy NPC at the Gatorade Training Facility, you can activate the "Addicted to Sweat" quest which sets you on the iron-pumping path to Gym Rat glory via completing workouts.
Here are the full quest parameters:
- Finish 50 workouts scored as 3-Stars or higher in the Gym
- Talk to Timmy again to finalize unlocking Gym Rat after 50 workouts
Now 50 reps may sound daunting initially. But armed with the knowledge below, you‘ll knock this quest out:
Optimize Your Approach to 3-Star Workouts
I found the most effective way is spamming the "Gatorade Reaction Drill" workout. It only requires hitting buttons displayed on screen rather than shooting or other drills with performance variables.
And you can re-do this workout instantly without any waiting period! Other workouts force you to wait 5-7 days to repeat.
So just relentlessly crush the Gatorade Reaction Drill, hitting all button cues properly to maintain your 3-Star rating. You‘ll be saucing defenders with Gym Rat in no time!
Simulation Only Saves You Marginal Time
One tip floating around is simulating games up 25 points with Gym Rat unlocked still counts the workouts towards your quest progress.
However, through my testing, this only seemed to save 1-2 workouts maximum. The amount of time spent simulating games to trigger this wasn‘t worth it over just completing workouts directly.
Stick to spamming the Gatorade Reaction Drill and knocking those 50 reps at the Gym!
Alternative Route – MyCareer NBA Finals and 50 Games Played
If you don‘t want to spend hours pressing buttons in the Gym, winning a championship also unlocks the Gym Rat badge, provided you play 50+ games along the way there. Here are the core requirements:
- Play and finish 50+ MyCareer NBA games
- With at least 50 games under your Nikes, win the NBA Finals
- Gym Rat badge will unlock automatically after winning Finals
I‘ve confirmed this traditional route still works to snag Gym Rat in 2K23 just as it did in past years.
Now there are ways toshortcuts the grind:
Simulating Games and Practices to Expedite the 50+ Games
Unlike the quest method, you can simulate a ton of games once up 25 points during your NBA season rather than playing full games to rack up progress towards 50 for the badge.
I was able to sim 30+ games while only playing 18 actual full games to clinch Gym Rat using this strategy.
Here are some pointers:
- Play 5-8 games fully at the start of season to establish lead
- Sim all possible practices to avoid wasting days
- Sim games once up 25 while still playing some fully (around 20 total)
- By playoffs, the 50 game threshold should be met
- Finish out the playoffs and win the Finals to seal Gym Rat!
Using these simulations wisely, you can minimize hours spent grinding. But you still need to lock in during key games and knock out the rival Finals squad to walk away with the championship and prestigious badge.
Does Gym Rat Transfer to All Build Types or Only Rebirth in 2K23?
This is the golden question! From all community reports and testing, Gym Rat behavior works like this:
- Applies to all new Rebirth builds created after unlocking it
- Does NOT retroactively apply to builds made before you unlocked the badge
So in both Seasons 1 and 2 so far, players confirm that Gym Rat immediately applies to any new Rebirth build once earned on your main MyPlayer.
But it does not pass over to other builds you may have made beforehand prior to finishing the quest or winning the Finals.
Should You Use Rebirth Before or After Unlocking Gym Rat?
Because of this transfer mechanic, ideally you want to unlock Gym Rat first before using your available Rebirth.
That way, your new Rebirth build enters the NBA already stacked with a +4 physical attribute boost right from the opener!
I‘d recommend the below order:
- Create your main MyPlayer build
- Grind for Gym Rat badge via quest or championship
- Redeem your Rebirth once you secure Gym Rat
- Build your ideal Rebirth player and dominate with extra badges!
Follow that sequence, and you‘ll save tons of VC and badge grinding. Just construct the perfect Rebirth build oozing with even more talent thanks to Gym Rat!
Hopefully this clears up whether Gym Rat crosses over to all builds or only applies to fresh Rebirth players once acquired. Time to put in that work and witness the badges and physical rise firsthand!
Let‘s Review the Core Takeaways on Gym Rat in 2K23
After breaking down all the ins and outs around unlocking this elite badge and what it delivers attributes-wise, let‘s recap the big points:
✅ Gym Rat transfers to all new Rebirth builds after unlocking
❌ Does NOT retroactively apply to builds created before acquiring
- Best to get Gym Rat first, then redeem Rebirth second!
✅ Quest requires 50 3-Star+ workouts to obtain
- Spam Gatorade Reaction Drill for fastest farming
✅ Can win NBA championship for Gym Rat instead
- Must play 50+ games; simulate for faster progress
No more confusion or questions about if Gym Rat crosses over to all your players or not — just be sure to stick to the order above for maximizing benefits across all your ballers!
I hope this super-comprehensive guide better equips you to strategic dominate the hardwood in 2K23 with the game-changing Gym Rat Badge fully unlocked. Time to start pumping out those reps and chasing banners! Shoot me any other NBA 2K questions below, and stay legendary on the courts!
