Since the hot zone feature was introduced in the NBA 2K franchise, it has either been a boon or bane for users. Shooting from one of your hot zones will increase the likelihood of the attempt falling in. On the other hand, cold zones will negatively affect your shot percentage.
Last year when NBA 2K21 was released, hot zones had become more important than ever. Before, a player’s hot zones had been tied to just a single game mode.
However, the mechanics changed in that your shooting performance in the MyCareer gameplay will have an impact in the Neighborhood, The City, and Pro Am. If you’re shooting badly in a certain spot on the court in one mode, that will carry over in the other game modes.
It is important then to learn how to get hot zones in NBA 2K22. If not, you might find yourself making miss after miss from the field.
What is a Hot Zone?
The hot zones or hot spots tell what space on the floor an NBA player is efficient in scoring the ball.
For instance, Stephen Curry, who is arguably the most prolific 3-point shooter ever, is incredibly efficient from anywhere beyond the arc. His all-time shot chart would show that most areas behind the 3-point line are some of his hot zones. And when he attempts a field goal from any of these spots, he is more likely than not to convert them.
How Do Hot Zones Work in NBA 2K22?
In the past iterations of NBA 2K, hot zones had mainly served as guides for users. They show what spots you should prioritize shooting at and what areas to avoid when attempting a basket.
There is a total of 14 zones. Five of them are located outside the 3-point line, and the others are worth two points.
If a particular spot is shaded with red, it means that the player is shooting well from that area. Blue signals that the player has a low field goal percentage from that spot. Gray indicates the player is neither hot nor cold there.
The exact numbers behind the boosts and penalties when taking shots from hot or cold zones have not been revealed. But based on experience, the shot percentage bonus in hot zones is great enough that even if you do not hit the perfect timing on the shot meter, the attempt will have a higher chance of going in.
Your player’s shot attributes also play a significant role. If your player has around 90 points from the mid-range or 3-point, depending on what hot zone you’re shooting from, the boost is much more noticeable.
But if the attribute level is around just 70, there is a smaller window for error in draining the shot even from your hot zone.
So, regardless of whether or not your player is attempting a field goal from a hot spot, it is still more important to practice your jump shot and make sure you can time the shot meter accurately.
I also advise learning how to call for a screen in NBA 2K22. This way, you will gain more open shot opportunities.
How to Find Your Hot Zones in NBA 2K22?
To check what your player’s hot zones are, go to Player Stats in the MyCareer menu. Place the cursor on your character’s name, then click the right stick.
Here, you will be able to see the stats and other details about your player. Click the L2 button to go the other end of the tabs and view the map of your hot zones. Navigating left again will show your player’s shot chart throughout the season.
How to Quickly Get Hot Zones in NBA 2K22?
When you start your MyCareer, your character will not be assigned hot zones. It is something that you will have to earn through the course of your gameplay.
In previous NBA 2K versions, you have to complete a minimum number of matches before the map can show your hot zones. But in NBA 2K22, once you have accumulated 10 shots in a certain area, your hot zone can be activated – as long as you are shooting efficiently from that spot.
Bear in mind that there is no way to reset your hot zones. So, you have to be careful when shooting from the field. When you go cold from one area, you will need to make up for it by scoring from the same spot a lot more times.
To increase your field goal percentage, keep on practicing your shot timing. You also have to make sure to avoid bad shot selections by refraining from attempting shots when defenders are nearby.
There is also a way to quickly get and reclaim hot zones. Just follow these steps:
1. Change the game difficulty to Pro. By doing so, it will be easier to hit the shot timing accurately. It will also raise your shot sliders, increasing your shot percentage.
2. Set quarter length to five minutes. This will help you finish games more quickly. If you want to play a more realistic brand of game, you can just reset the quarter length to 12 minutes again once you have gotten the hot zones you are targeting.
3. Customize the shot meter color in the game’s settings. To do this, go to Options and select Settings. Look for Shot Meter Color and select the color of your preference. Personally, I go for red because it makes the visual cue for perfect timing more visible.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how to get hot zones in NBA 2K22 is pretty much straightforward. However, you will have to grind it out to unlock your targeted hot spots.
After you finally acquire the hot zones, you might also want to upgrade the Hot Zone Hunter badge. It will boost the shot percentage of your attempts from the player’s hot zones. Learning the fastest way to unlock badges in NBA 2K22 will help you earn the Hot Zone Hunter badge more easily.
