Meta · patch board · hq-feed-1
Current community capture 2026-08-25. Flip the era when a patch lands, review what changed vs the last sheet, then bump Rec heat. We do not scrape NBA2KLab or invent 2K numbers.
Current capture
2026-08-25
HQ tables loaded into the lab
Community captures from public NBA 2K27 HQ / builder sheets — badge costs, animation walls, 40 Signature Blueprints, takeover gates, Rebirth shares. Jumpshot and motion databases are intentionally omitted. Weekly community pulse (blogs / YouTube / Reddit; X when API allows) refreshes Builder + Meta notes without moving this HQ table date. Use /builder against the notes below: Rec/Park mode, Size Tax cliff, token pools, Fuse order, Optimize, Coach, and Copy into HQ.
Previous capture: 2026-08-21 · Community badge requirement sheet + HQ builder drop. When a new patch lands and tables are missing, keep showing 2026-08-25 — do not invent values.
What this capture covers vs last sheet
Badge token costs (build budget)
Bronze/Silver/Gold/HoF spend for all 53 badges. Qualifying attributes are not enough — each discipline pool must pay. Size Tax adds +1 token on perimeter badges at 6'10"+.
Update: src/data/badges.ts costs
Animation walls (feel gates)
Budget the moves you actually trigger before maxing sliders: Kyrie/Dame 90 handle, SGA escape 91, Elite Contact 92 dunk, Cade 89 pull-up, KD Go-To 94 mid/3PT, Wall-Up Gold 95 interior.
Update: src/data/thresholds.ts
6'10" Size Tax cliff
Under 6'10": min weight and short wingspan cut Perimeter D and Driving Dunk — that frame is not on Size Tax. At 6'10"+: lighter frames contest better on the perimeter, but Size Tax charges +1 on perimeter badge tokens. Stay off the cliff unless the length is the whole pie.
Update: builder physicalsReport + Size Tax
Token pools + Cap Breaker Illusion
Native attribute spreads mint discipline pools. Cap breakers raise attribute caps only — they never mint badge tokens. Fuse refunds the equipped badge cost so you can reinvest. Order: Fuse pairs → spend leftovers → height last.
Update: engine tokenPools + briefing TOKEN_STEPS
40 HQ Signature Blueprints
Official starting attrs and published caps where 2K listed them, plus takeover gates and Rebirth day-one shares. Load a real HQ pie, then audit Size Tax and leftover tokens before you copy back.
Update: hq-blueprints.ts · takeover.ts · rebirth.ts
Work-backward build order
Reaction loop you actually trigger → animation walls for those moves → native token budget for the badge set → physicals (cut Size Tax without the hidden min-weight / short-wingspan penalty).
Update: briefing WORK_BACK + builder Coach
Builder workflow (/builder)
Flip Rec or Park first — discipline order, ratings, and Optimize follow the mode you play (HQ shows one OVR). Physicals → attrs (mint tokens) → Fuse-before-leftovers → takeover. Optimize loads a pulse-hot Signature / HQ pie / archetype; Coach is the pre-copy checklist; Copy into HQ pastes frame → native attrs → Fuse-first badges → takeover.
Update: src/components/builder/workspace.tsx · hq-export · Coach
Weekly community pulse (Builder + Meta)
Recurring scan of blogs, YouTube build videos, Reddit, and X (when API access works) for MyPLAYER / MyCAREER build, badge, Fuse/Reaction, cap breaker, and gameplay consensus. Findings are labeled community — verify in HQ. Does not replace HQ table imports or invent attribute numbers.
Update: src/data/community-pulse.ts · Meta pulse panel · docs/community-weekly-scan.md
Live era
Preseason / HQ
Aug 2026
Start on a complementary lock or inside big. Expensive point guards wait for VC and patch 1.
Next: Early Access / Launch · Aug 26 – Sep 2026
Weekly community pulse
Role-first builds + Cap Breaker discipline; Shot Artist / Calibrated toned down
Week of 2026-09-14 · scanned 2026-09-14 · refresh Mondays
Post-launch guides push mode and lineup job before height paste — Rec wants pass/FT/switch glue, Park wants creation + perimeter D. 6'7 two-ways stay hot but sit inside a wider 6'4–6'9 role window. Cap Breakers: max five per attribute, permanent, body-limited, specialization-locked to that discipline (or Physicals); preview at 99 OVR in Builder. Patch 1.3 toned Shot Artist and Calibrated takeovers; 1.4/1.5 were mostly stability — no confirmed steal or green-window nerf yet. Fuse-before-leftovers and Size Tax at 6'10"+ unchanged. Confirm every gate in HQ.
Rec: role-first 6'4–6'9 window (community). Park: shorter ISO still viable. Avoid 6'10+ unless Size Tax is intentional.
Height meta (Rec / Park)
communityCommunity frameworks now lead with role + mode, not a single demigod height: ~6'4–6'6 creators, 6'5–6'7 3-and-D handlers, 6'7–6'8 two-way wings, 6'8–6'9 stretch defenders, 7'0+ rebound/paint jobs. Rec biases pass accuracy / free throw / switchability; Park biases creation + perimeter D.
Builder: Flip Rec or Park first in /builder. Optimize toward two-way wing / tall-guard / lock for Rec glue; burst-guard for Park ISO. Stay under the 6'10 Size Tax cliff unless length is the whole pie.
Channels: guide, blog · e.g. https://practicalbasketball.net/nba-2k27/builds
Takeover tuning (patch 1.3)
official-echoOfficial patch 1.3 (Aug 31) reduced effectiveness of Shot Artist and Calibrated takeover abilities after early feedback. Later 1.4/1.5 notes were mostly stability / MyCAREER / City — not a broad steal or green-window retune.
Builder: Re-check Takeover tape after any gameplay patch. Do not plan a pie around a pre-1.3 Shot Artist / Calibrated paste without confirming feel in your own Rec/Park tape.
Channels: official, blog · e.g. https://www.operationsports.com/nba-2k27-update-1-3-available-patch-notes/
Cap breakers
official-echoGuides echoing 2K support: max five Cap Breakers per attribute; permanent / non-movable; body type still caps the result; Build Specialization breakers must stay in that discipline (or Physicals). Preview boosts at 99 OVR in Builder/HQ before spending. Earn via specialization, season ladder, Crew, paid season pass tiers.
Builder: Cap Breaker Illusion stays lab law — breakers never mint badge tokens. Spend only on the next animation wall or badge gate after Fuse planning. Use the 99 OVR preview; never guess.
Channels: guide, blog, official · e.g. https://timesaver.gg/blog/nba-2k27-cap-breakers
Wingspan vs takeover
communityAt 6'7, community guides still say matching 6'7 wingspan is the Zip Code path; longer wingspan trades Zip Code for Shot Artist eligibility and attribute redistrib — but Shot Artist was toned in 1.3.
Builder: Pick takeover before locking wingspan. Confirm Zip Code / Shot Artist gates on Takeover tape and in live HQ after patch 1.3.
Channels: youtube, guide · e.g. https://games.gg/nba-2k27/guides/nba-2k27-best-point-guard-builds/
Speed With Ball animation wall
communityGuides still cite ~83 Speed With Ball as the Zach LaVine dribble-style cutoff that lets taller guards speed-boost; 6'8 templates often cannot hit it.
Builder: Budget SWB before leftover vanity attrs on tall guards. Treat 83 as community — screenshot the animation glossary in HQ before VC.
Channels: guide, youtube · e.g. https://games.gg/nba-2k27/guides/nba-2k27-best-point-guard-builds/
Steal / ball security
communityLaunch explainers + guides: right-stick steals are gone; collision / bump steals compare defender Steal vs ball-handler Ball Handle (and related security). Early tape still calls steal turnover generation strong; no confirmed steal nerf in 1.3–1.5 notes.
Builder: Rec glue pies: do not dump steal to fund vanity finishing. Pair steal investment with handle walls on your own pie — Cap Breakers still do not mint the tokens those walls unlock.
Channels: guide, blog · e.g. https://twistedvoxel.com/nba-2k27-developer-qa/
Synergy (Fuse + Reaction)
official-echoOfficial + explainers unchanged: 16 Synergy slots (community reports 12× +1 / 4× +2). Fuse boosts for the whole game and frees the badge's token spend; Reaction mirrors the boost after the Fuse triggers N times. Legend is Synergy-only.
Builder: Builder order stays Fuse-before-leftovers; Legend only on a Fuse slot. Pair Reaction to badges you actually trigger every game.
Channels: official, blog · e.g. https://nba.2k.com/en-GB/2k27/features/myplayer-builder/
Shooting / contest
communityGuides still stress tighter green windows and multi-tier contest feedback — separation beats raw three. Meter-off still cited ~10%. Button shooting called safer than rhythm early. No confirmed green-window retune in 1.4/1.5.
Builder: Meter-off tip stays on Meta. Do not chase max three before handle + separation tools. Confirm green-window claims in your own Rec tape.
Channels: guide, youtube · e.g. https://games.gg/nba-2k27/guides/nba-2k27-best-point-guard-builds/
HQ glossary + Cap Breaker preview
communityGuides warn animation requirements were wrong at launch and later patched; Cap Breaker boosts are previewable at 99 OVR in Builder/HQ — always re-check live glossary before VC.
Builder: CourtCraft thresholds are community captures. Copy into HQ only after the user screenshots the live gate and Cap Breaker preview.
Channels: guide, blog · e.g. https://games.gg/nba-2k27/guides/nba-2k27-best-point-guard-builds/
Blocked this scan: X.com / x.com search API (developer app not enrolled in a Project — retry when keys are fixed)
Date-stamped tape
Builder-relevant community tape first: /builder workflow (Rec/Park, Optimize, Coach, Copy into HQ), Size Tax cliff, token pools, Fuse order, animation walls. Official drops and forecasts sit in the same list — every gate stays provisional until you confirm it in HQ. Weekly pulse above is the live community layer.
Weekly community pulse — role-first builds, Cap Breaker discipline, takeover 1.3
Scan week of 2026-09-14 (guides, Cap Breaker explainers, Discord/OS patch 1.3–1.5 notes, steal/contest system writeups; X API still blocked). Role + mode before height paste: Rec pass/FT/switch glue vs Park creation + perimeter D; 6'7 two-ways sit inside a wider 6'4–6'9 window. Cap Breakers: max five per attribute, permanent, body-limited, specialization-locked to that discipline or Physicals — preview at 99 OVR; still never mint badge tokens. Patch 1.3 toned Shot Artist and Calibrated takeovers; 1.4/1.5 mostly stability — no confirmed steal/green nerf. Fuse-before-leftovers, Legend-on-Fuse-only, Size Tax at 6'10"+, meter-off ~10% unchanged. Confirm every gate in HQ.
Open Meta → Weekly community pulse, then /builder. Re-check takeover after 1.3. Spend Cap Breakers only on previewed badge/animation walls after Fuse planning.
Weekly community pulse — 6'7 two-ways, steal pressure, Fuse order
Scan week of 2026-09-08 (blogs, YouTube build videos, Reddit, official builder explainers; X API blocked this run). Early tape: 6'7 two-way guards for Rec switchability, shorter ISO for Park; 6'7 wingspan kept for Zip Code takeover in community guides; ~83 SWB cited for LaVine-style speed boost on tall guards; steal called early-cycle strong; cap breakers still raise caps only — spend on badge/animation gates; Fuse refunds tokens and Reaction waits on Fuse triggers; Legend stays Synergy-only; contest separation > raw three; stamina/explosiveness decoupled. Meter-off ~10% and Size Tax at 6'10"+ unchanged. Confirm every gate in HQ before VC.
Open Meta → Weekly community pulse, then /builder. Bias Optimize toward two-way wing / tall-guard / lock for Rec. Do not paste YouTube attrs until the live HQ glossary matches.
Builder workflow this lab expects
Open /builder. Set Rec or Park before you tune — Optimize and scoring follow that mode. Audit Size Tax on Physicals (cliff at 6'10"+; under-cliff min-weight / short wingspan still cut Perimeter D and Driving Dunk). Attributes mint token pools; cap breakers never mint tokens — spend them on the next animation wall, then copy native ratings into HQ. Badges: equip → Fuse (refund) → reinvest leftovers → set height last; Legend only on a Fuse slot. Use Optimize to load a pulse-hot Signature, HQ pie, or archetype, then fix Size Tax and leftover pools. Coach strip is the pre-copy checklist (leftover tokens, Size Tax, nearest wall, Cap Breaker Illusion). Copy into HQ: frame → six-discipline attrs → Fuse-first badge buys → takeover → save slot. Paste a MyPLAYER sheet into Ask for a paste-only audit — open pie and Meta Pulse stay off that answer; Size Tax only when HT parses at/above 6'10".
Treat /builder as the planner and NBA 2K HQ as the typer. Confirm every gate in HQ before you burn a slot.
Community build rules the Builder enforces
Size Tax cliff is 6'10" (82 in) and above — shorter frames do not pay Size Tax badge costs. Cap breakers never mint tokens. Fuse before you spend leftovers. Animation walls that change a pie: 91 ball handle (SGA escape), 94 mid or three (KD Go-To), 95 interior (Wall-Up Gold), 92 driving dunk (Elite Contact). First pie: complementary lock or shooting big beats an expensive day-one point guard. Meter-off is ~10% green-window. Ask / Coach only claims Size Tax when height parses at or above 6'10" — free-floating ranges like "7-10 games" are not height.
Run these rules inside /builder Optimize and Coach. Paste a MyPLAYER sheet into Ask for a paste-only audit; open-pie context stays off the paste. Confirm every gate in NBA 2K HQ.
Early Access
HQ builder goes live in-game. Treat every community threshold as provisional until you can screenshot it in the builder glossary.
Recalibrate caps, token costs, and animation gates the same day you get in.
HQ tables loaded into the lab
40 official Signature Blueprints (starting attrs + published caps where 2K listed them), 24 Takeover 2.0 abilities with attribute gates, 4 Rebirth tiers, and the animation walls that actually change a pie (Kyrie/Dame 90 handle, Elite Contact 92 dunk, Cade 89 pull-up). Compiled from public NBA2KLab 2K27 captures — not their paid jumper or motion tools.
Open a real HQ pie instead of guessing. Takeover tape now shows what this exact spread unlocks.
Scouting blueprint loaded
Work-backward synthesis, Size Tax, 6'10" physicals line, Fuse refunds, Cap Breaker Illusion, Takeover 2.0 (19 abilities), Rebirth day-one tokens. HQ 6'2" PG capture used as a calibration snapshot.
Build in reverse: Reaction loop → animations → native token budget → physicals.
First-build survival notes
Don't open with an expensive point guard. Complementary lock or shooting big is safer day one. Stay under the 6'10" Size Tax cliff unless length is the build. Meter-off is a ~10% green-window bump. Hit 91 ball handle and 94 mid/3PT before chasing every leftover attribute.
Archetypes in this Lab follow that advice until Rec data lands.
NBA 2K HQ builder drop
Full builder in the companion app. 53 badges, 20 starter slots, 16 synergy slots (12× +1, 4× +2). Female MyPLAYERs in co-ed City.
Physicals now change token cost live. Do not copy a 2K26 pie chart.
Community badge requirement sheet
Bronze/Silver/Gold/HoF attribute gates compiled from builder captures. Wall-Up Gold is 95 interior + 90 strength. Posterizer HoF is 99 driving dunk + 90 vertical. Mini Marksman maxes at 6'4".
This Lab snapshot is built on that sheet. Override anything that patches.
Preseason Breakdown
Badge Tokens replace auto-equip. Synergy is Fuse + Reaction. Legend is synergy-only. Cap breakers preview at 99 OVR. Takeover splits into five buckets.
First-build rule: spend tokens on badges you actually trigger.
First gameplay patch (forecast)
Flip the Meta Pulse to Patch 1, screenshot new gates, import a community snapshot if someone shares one.
Season 1 settle (forecast)
Retune athlete heat. Draft Wing and Engine Guard stop being speculative.
Christmas / 2K Day (forecast)
Log what you see in Rec. If Flagg-style 6'8 two-ways flood lobbies, bump that heat.
All-Star patch (forecast)
Override Deadeye / Set and Fire / Limitless the night the notes drop.
Playoffs / Comp (forecast)
Grade your locker against the Comp era. Park slashers go cold.
Builder is live in HQ. Gates are community captures. Do not copy a 2K26 pie. Height window 6'6"–6'9". Rec bias 70%.
Rising names pull their pies and animation walls with them. Drag heat when Rec starts copying someone new.
SGA SG · established
Escape package is the animation wall. ISO mid + handle still sets the guard meta.
88 S
0Kawhi SF · established
Point-of-attack template. Height plus contest, not a steal-spam pie.
84 A
0KD SF · established
94 mid or 94 three unlocks Go-To. Scoring wings copy this pie all year.
80 A
0Tatum SF · established
6'8" Swiss Army. The Rec 2–4 pie everyone copies until a patch kills the window.
76 B
0Giannis PF · established
Contact freight. 75 dunk is free. 93 is Posterizer. Drop dribble tax on a big.
74 B
0Wemby C · rising
Length that still spaces. Interior contests plus a 3 is the 7-footer endgame.
72 B
0Jokic C · established
Hub fives. Screens into outlets. Pass accuracy is the badge, not standing dunk.
70 B
0Ant SG · established
Park slash. Posterizer into Lightning Launch. Meter-on dunkers copy him after jumper nerfs.
70 B
0Gobert C · established
Rim statue. Day-one cheat if Rec still cannot contest. Falls after interior D catches up.
70 B
0AD C · established
Paint Patroller template. Interior + block, not a steal big.
68 B
0Luka PG · established
Stepback + outlet. Playmaking guards who still shoot 86+.
66 B
0Chet C · rising
Light 6'11" that still boards. Stretch fives copy the weight drop for perimeter D.
62 C
0Curry PG · established
Mini Marksman and limitless live under 6'5". High-speed spins are his tax rebate.
60 C
0Ja PG · volatile
Dribble style unlock. Park burst. Falls when theater gets a speed patch.
60 C
0Brunson PG · established
Short iso that still gets to a mid. Mini meta after people can afford the tokens.
58 C
0Flagg SF · rising
Sophomore two-way. Heat climbs as Rec copies the 6'8–6'9 wing with real handle.
52 C
0Amen SG · rising
Lock who can finish. Park and Rec both steal this when steal-spam dies.
50 D
0Cade PG · rising
Size at the point. 6'6" initiators get copied once VC is in and minis get patched.
50 D
0Two-Way Wing
Pulled by SGA · Kawhi
100
0Inside Big
Pulled by Giannis · Jokic
100
0The Lock
Pulled by Kawhi · Flagg
96
0Tall Guard
Pulled by SGA · KD
93
0Paint Beast
Pulled by Giannis · Wemby
86
0Stretch Five
Pulled by KD · Wemby
80
0Slash Play
Pulled by Giannis · Ant
68
0Burst Guard
Pulled by SGA · Ant
58
0Signature heat follows the trio. Draft Wing and Engine Guard start cold and climb as Flagg, Amen, and Cade get copied.
Export a pulse file after a patch night. Paste a friend's snapshot to take their Rec read.
ERA: Preseason / HQ (Aug 2026). Start on a complementary lock or inside big. Expensive point guards wait for VC and patch 1. Height window: 78–81 in. Rec bias 70%. Hot athletes: SGA 88, Kawhi 84, KD 80, Tatum 76 No athlete risers vs last era. Hot pies: Two-Way Wing 100, Inside Big 100, The Lock 96 Hot badges: Challenger 92, Wall Up 90, Seatbelt 86, Deadeye 84, Set and Fire 80 Treat pulse heat as lab forecast plus user overrides, not official patch notes.