EA SPORTS NBA LIVE MOBILE: Our New Season Tips Off Now

First off, thank you to everyone who participated in our Closed Beta. Your feedback helps us improve your ultimate NBA mobile experience.

We know you have big hoop dreams and we know you’re absolutely pumped for the 25-26 NBA season. This year, we wanted to do a little something special for our players to tip off the new era.

Introducing a brand-new season of NBA LIVE Mobile, packed with new features, content, and gameplay to take a bold step forward in NBA mobile gaming. The entire NBA Live Mobile gameplay system has been rebuilt from the ground up, creating a groundbreaking, realistic basketball experience right from the palm of your hand.

Want more good news? We’ve got you covered.

All players worldwide are eligible to receive a Welcome Pack to get their season started.

Key Differences: The Full Breakdown

The next season of EA SPORTS™ NBA LIVE Mobile is more than just a refresh — it’s the biggest update in the history of the game. Built on a brand-new gameplay engine, every possession feels smoother, faster, and more authentic to the NBA. Combined with a redesigned progression system, a streamlined interface, and new ways to compete, this update transforms how NBA LIVE Mobile is played.

This blog breaks down what’s changing, what’s staying, and why it all adds up to a completely new way to play.

What's still in play:

The foundation of NBA LIVE Mobile remains intact:

• 5v5 Simulation Basketball: The core gameplay continues to deliver realistic, team-based NBA action.
• Real Teams and Players: Official NBA and NBPA licensing keeps the game authentic.
• Live Service Content: Ongoing programs, seasonal events, and content drops keep things fresh.
• Build and Compete: Create your roster and test it across multiple game modes and leaderboards.

What’s New:

All-New Gameplay Engine & Graphics

At the heart of this update is a brand-new gameplay engine that makes every possession smoother, faster, and more authentic. Higher framerates, improved lighting, sharper visuals, and multiple new camera angles make the game look and feel closer to real NBA action than ever before.

Newly Added Gameplay Features

The new engine powers a set of gameplay features that are debuting in NBA LIVE Mobile for the very first time:

• Playcalling: Take the role of coach with real-time offensive and defensive play calls. Adjust strategy mid-game and control the flow like never before.
• Dribble Stick: A completely new dribbling system gives you tighter control and more creativity with the ball in your hands. Break down defenders with fluid moves and combos.
• Heat Up Mechanic: Momentum matters. When a player gets hot, their attributes rise, letting you take over the game just like NBA stars do.

Core Gameplay Overhaul

• Redesigned Shooting: Cleaner timing, smoother releases, and better shot feedback.
• New Guard Button: Stay locked on ball handlers, cut off passing lanes, and force mistakes.
• Timing-Based Stealing: Success now depends on reading your opponent and pressing Steal at the right moment.
• Swipe-to-Defend: Hold Guard and swipe to block or steal, giving you precise, gesture-based defensive control.
• Smoother Flow: Passing, movement, and transitions all feel faster and more natural thanks to the new engine.

Deeper Progression Systems

Progression has been reimagined to give you more strategic control:

• Players: With five different rarities, players have more depth and breadth for your lineups
• Snapshots: These are positional boost cards tied to teams or moments, enhancing attributes and adding depth to lineup building.
• Team Chemistry: Unlock special abilities when the right synergies are in play, rewarding smart roster construction.
• Fans: Earned across every mode, Fans unlock tougher challenges, campaigns, and rewards to power long-term progression.

New Modes and Content

• NBA Tour: With over 2,000 events and 50 campaigns, the main NBA Live Mobile mode lets you build strong lineups and climb escalating challenges.
• Games of the Week: Relive real NBA matchups and earn trophies to redeem featured team players.
• Players of the Week: Branching challenges centered on standout league performers, with unlockable spotlight players featuring unique visual effects.
• Headlines: Play through events inspired by real NBA stories. Progress daily to earn trophies and secure Epic players.
• Court Clash: Monthly rarity-gated campaigns that test roster depth, earn Arena Pass points, and unlock premium rewards.
• Fundamentals: Replayable tutorials covering offense, defense, and transitions — ideal for new players or vets sharpening their skills.

Retired Features:

To create a polished and believable player journey, we've reworked how you earn and upgrade players — and that means removing some older systems in an effort to streamline the new NBA Live Mobile experience.

• Auction House – In past seasons, the Auction House was a core part of the game economy, with prices constantly changing based on what players were willing to pay. Over time, we felt that it was harder for newer players to catch up as the season went on, and nearly impossible to keep the value of rarer cards consistent. By removing it, we can now make rewards and upgrades fairer, with progression tied to systems everyone can participate in.
• Sets – Sets were essentially a trade-in system for players and items, but they became overly complex and confusing in many programs. Players weren't always sure which items to save, which to trade in, or how close they were to unlocking their target reward. That complexity often got in the way of the fun. We've replaced Sets with clearer, more direct progression paths so you always know exactly what to play and what you'll get for your effort.

Why did we make those changes?

This update is about reshaping NBA LIVE Mobile to feel closer to the real NBA. The new design changes how the game plays on a fundamental level. Instead of bouncing between disconnected programs, your progress now connects into a single journey. NBA Tour is the centerpiece — a massive campaign where stamina finally matters and every game moves you forward. Fans track your growth across everything you do, so no effort ever goes to waste.

Now, fresh upgrades and multiple lineups keep your favorites relevant and give the game true breadth, letting you experiment with different builds and bring the right squad into any challenge. With Snapshots and Chemistry, strategy now runs deeper, rewarding creativity and making team building feel like a reflection of your playstyle.

Regularly added content keeps the momentum going; weekly drops like Headlines and Game of the Week give you reasons to log in beyond Programs, while removing outdated systems like Auction House and Sets makes the experience cleaner, more consistent, and more rewarding for the choices you make.

This isn’t just new content — it’s a more unified, more personal game, where every session builds toward something bigger.

Economy Reset

As we tip off the next chapter of NBA Live Mobile, many players are curious about the future of the in-game economy, progression, and carryover from the previous season. 

We want to offer all players the best experiences in fairness, competitive play, and a clear path forward. Every player will start from the same point, giving everyone an equal chance to build their career in the new season.

The next chapter will require an install that will overwrite the pre-existing client. This will mean that the transition to the new season will see many changes: your coins, items, premium credit, and progression will not carry over.

The progression system has been revamped in the latest version of EA SPORTS NBA Live Mobile, so how you earn, upgrade, and compete is different compared to Season 9. Carrying over progression and rewards would disrupt the balance. 

We know starting with a clean slate can feel like a big reset, but it's the best way to introduce the new season and experience the new systems as they were designed.

Download EA SPORTS NBA Live Mobile, play through the tutorial, and complete the daily login task seven times to receive the Welcome Pack. It includes premium currency, coins, and training XP. Let’s GOOO!

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