NBA 2K HQ: How To Use It and When You Can Start
NBA 2K HQ is live five days ahead of NBA 2K27 Early Access, and the builds you make on your phone upload themselves the moment you own the game.
On Friday, August 21, 2K released its new NBA 2K companion app, NBA 2K HQ. The new app serves several purposes including better face scans and extend-the-experience features across multiple modes. Here’s a complete guide of what it is and how to use it.
NBA 2K HQ Key Facts
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Launch | Friday, August 21, 2026, 8 a.m. PT |
Platforms | Apple App Store and Google Play Store |
iOS requirement | iOS 18 or later |
Android requirement | Android 11.0 or later, API level 30 minimum |
Connection | Persistent internet required |
Sign-in options | Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam |
Do you need the game? | No, but owning NBA 2K27 is required to upload builds |
MyPLAYER builds | Up to 15 |
Build sharing | QR codes |
Gameplay | None. No on-court play in the app |
Replaces | The MyNBA2K Companion App, delisted August 18 and sunset August 21 |
Tied to | NBA 2K27, Early Access August 26, global release September 4 |
Start with the timing, because it is the part that matters this week. NBA 2K HQ went live at 8 a.m. PT on Friday, and that is five days before NBA 2K27 Early Access opens on August 26. Anyone building a MyPLAYER now walks into Early Access with the work already done.
You do not need to own the game to use the app. An Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch or Steam account is enough to open the Builder and the face scan. Owning NBA 2K27 is what unlocks pushing a build to your console, and 2K says that upload happens on its own once the build is finished.
One naming point is worth getting right. The app being replaced is the MyNBA2K Companion App, not the MyNBA franchise mode inside the game. 2K delisted it on August 18 and sunset it on August 21, so there is no overlap window.
Erick Boenisch, VP of NBA Development at Visual Concepts, framed the pitch plainly: “NBA 2K HQ gives the essentials our players need to stay connected.”
One limit to set expectations against. There is no on-court gameplay in NBA 2K HQ. It is a builder, a face scanner, a crew hub and a rewards tracker, and it needs a live internet connection to do any of it.
NBA 2KHQ is replacing the MyNBA app and is being positioned as the new and improved version. Users can create up to 15 builds for MyCareer players on the app. The app is available on IOS and Android devices, so almost no one is shut out.
Steps below follow NBA 2K’s official support documentation for the app.
How To Download And Set Up NBA 2K HQ
Step | What To Do |
|---|---|
1 | Check your device. iOS 18 or later, or Android 11.0 or later running API level 30 or higher |
2 | Search NBA 2K HQ on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and install it |
3 | Open the app and sign in with an Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch or Steam account |
4 | Confirm you have a live internet connection, which the app requires throughout |
5 | Open the MyPLAYER Builder and create a build. You can save up to 15 |
6 | Run the face scan from inside the app to attach your likeness to a build |
7 | Share a build with friends using its QR code |
8 | Own NBA 2K27 to push a build to your console. The upload happens automatically once the build is finished |
More NBA 2K27 Coverage
Features below are as listed by 2K’s newsroom announcement.
Everything NBA 2K HQ Does
Feature | What It Is |
|---|---|
MyPLAYER Builder | The full builder on mobile, with builds uploading to console |
QR code sharing | Send a build to a friend by code |
Face Scan | Rebuilt for quicker scanning and higher-fidelity texture quality |
Crew messaging | Real-time chat with your crew |
Crew roster management | Manage the roster from your phone |
Daily login rewards | Mobile-exclusive, not available on console |
Daily leaderboards | Track daily standings |
Crew Rewards tracking | Follow crew reward progress in real time |