NBA 2K27 has the franchise’s first-ever co-op MyCAREER: your story introduces a Running Mate, Trace Miller, in the G League chapter, and from there a friend can control Trace online through your career games. Here’s exactly how it works, the crossplay fine print, and how both players get paid.
How the Running Mate System Works
- You meet Trace Miller during the G League chapter of the “Fire and Concrete” story.
- A friend joins and plays as Trace in your career games. In 2K’s words on the MyCAREER feature page, your co-op partner “takes control of Trace exactly as you’ve built him.” It’s your career, their co-star.
- Toggleable per game: co-op “can be activated or skipped on a game-by-game basis,” and AI controls Trace whenever a friend isn’t available, so your career never waits on a schedule.
- Your friend needs their own copy of NBA 2K27. 2K describes co-op as inviting a friend who owns the game and has not announced a split-screen option.
Building Trace
Trace isn’t a fixed archetype: nine build templates carrying shades of current NBA stars (2K’s reveal coverage names Giannis, Curry, and Durant styles among them) with upgradeable badges and attributes, plus Running Mate play calls for on-court coordination. Your duo can be complementary by design: your build plus a Trace template that covers its weaknesses.
The Money Question
The answer co-op modes usually fumble: both players earn full, separate VC and Season XP, per 2K. Playing Trace in a friend’s career is real progression for the Trace player’s account, not charity, which makes co-op MyCAREER a legitimate parallel earning route for duos.
The Crossplay Fine Print
- Crossplay co-op works between PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. 2K’s announcement states crossplay is only available on those two.
- PC and Switch 2 are platform-locked for this mode: same-platform friends only.
Plan your duo’s platforms accordingly; this is the one place 2K27’s crossplay narrows.
Known Issues and Fixes
2K’s v1.5 patch notes (September 11) fixed two co-op bugs: one where “one player’s quest progression could incorrectly impact another player’s save,” and one that could stop some Fire and Concrete rewards from arriving on saves that had played co-op games. If either hit you at launch, make sure you’re on the current version.
Playing It Well
- Set play calls early: the Running Mate call system is the difference between a duo and two players sharing a court.
- Story beats remain yours: the 11-chapter narrative follows your player; Trace’s player is along for the basketball, not cutscene decisions.
- The duo carries into the connected modes’ context (your MyPLAYER is one identity across Street Kings, the City, and career), so a practiced pairing pays off beyond the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Trace’s player be swapped between friends? Co-op is set game by game: you invite a friend who owns 2K27 for a given game, and they control Trace as you built him. 2K’s materials don’t tie the Trace slot to one specific partner, so who fills it is down to whom you invite for that game.
Does co-op change difficulty or stats? 2K hasn’t said co-op changes difficulty. What it confirms is that both players earn their own full VC and Season XP from the games they play together.
Is Trace in Eras careers? 2K introduces Trace in Fire and Concrete’s G League chapter and has not described him in Eras careers, which run on historically locked rosters.
What happens to Trace when nobody joins? AI runs him, upgraded exactly as built; solo sessions keep full continuity.