NBA 2K26 Rolls Out New Face Scan Updates—But One Star Is Still Missing

Patch 4.0 introduced a fresh batch of player likeness and hairstyle updates, continuing 2K’s effort to modernize player models across the league. Visual refreshes were rolled out for Devin Booker, Kyle Kuzma, Jamal Murray, Tyler Herro, Marcus Smart, Klay Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and several others.

The update also included hair dynamics improvements, adding more realistic movement and detail to select player models. For fans looking to see every change side by side, JumpmanGerm has a full visual breakdown showcasing the likeness updates in action.

On paper, it’s a solid list. Many of the updated players received noticeable improvements, and fans even praised a few of them for finally looking closer to their real-life counterparts. But as has become tradition with 2K updates, the praise didn’t last long before frustration took over.

The loudest complaints centered on one name: Anthony Edwards.

Across social media and YouTube comments, fans were blunt. ‘No Anthony Edwards face scan update is crazy,’ one user wrote. Others joked that 2K somehow keeps finding time to update players who don’t need it while Ant Man—one of the league’s most marketable stars—still looks off. The frustration isn’t subtle anymore. For many, Edwards has become the symbol of 2K’s questionable priorities when it comes to likeness updates.

What makes the backlash louder is timing. Edwards isn’t a fringe player or a deep rotation guy. He’s a face-of-the-league talent, featured heavily in marketing, commercials, and highlight reels. Fans feel that if anyone should be near the top of the update list, it’s him.

Patch 4.0 made real progress in improving player visuals, but the frustration around Edwards doesn’t necessarily mean his current scan is terrible by any means. In fact, it’s serviceable—just clearly dated compared to the newer updates rolling out around the league. That nuance often gets lost in the backlash.

There are also several factors at play behind the scenes, including the limited time players have to be re-scanned during the season. Even when a scan already exists, applying it properly, tuning facial animations, and ensuring everything translates smoothly in-game isn’t instant.

Still, by leaving one of the league’s biggest stars without a refresh, the update reignited a familiar debate about priorities. Until that gap is addressed, every new likeness rollout is likely to come with the same question attached.

Until that scan gets fixed, no amount of patch notes is quieting this one down.