One of the most commonly asked questions in the community is how to get badges fast in 2K22. There’s no secret that unlocking badges for your player is a grind. At the end of the day, the game is designed for you to spend hundreds of hours to completely push your player to the max.
You also do not have the option to spend money on VCs to help you unlock these badges. However, there are a few tricks you can do to help you progress faster.
This guide will show you the fastest way to get badges in 2K22 including tips for each badge category to help you choose which one to progress faster.
What Are Badges?
Badges are special upgrades to your player where it can excel for a very specific aspect of the game. Each badge has 3 levels of upgrades (Bronze, Silver, and Gold). Each level will increase the effect of the badge.
As an example, getting the slithery finisher badge will allow you to move better around defenders when attacking the basket. The effectiveness of this badge increases as you upgrade it from bronze all the way to gold.
These badges are complementary to your attributes and will allow you to specialize more in different aspects of the game.
Badges are what separates other players who might have the same skills and attributes as you. There are a lot of builds you can do and the depth of the customization is what makes this game great. For that very reason, finding out the best way to get badges in 2k22 is crucial for your performance.
When Can You Unlock Badges?
You can unlock badges as soon as you progress with your player and play games. After each game, all your actions are separated into finishing, shooting, defense/rebound, and playmaking.
This can alter your gameplay if you are choosing to unlock a specific badge you want. As long as you are playing a normal game in MyCareer, you will be able to unlock badges.
The Fastest Way to Unlock Badges
As for the methods of unlocking badges, there are a ton of ways to go about it. Your goal is to figure out what the quickest way to get badges in 2k22 is. Since you are playing MyCareer and developing your character, you might as well be efficient in not just improving your overall rating to 99 but also in unlocking the badges.
When you get drafted as the first overall pick, you will be earning more minutes as the team is weak. You will have more opportunities to progress your badges.
The best and fastest way to get badges in 2K22 is by focusing on the category you want to improve more during the game. For example, if you want to unlock more finishing badges, you can try to be more greedy and try to score more in the paint.
The same goes for shooting, defense/rebound, and playmaking. Since different player builds all have a different limit to each badge category, you can tweak your gameplay to focus on the ones that can unlock more badges.
For example, as a guard whose skill breakdown excels more in shooting, you will have 18 potential badges to upgrade. Since you are strong in one category, you will have fewer potential upgrades for other categories.
So, how should you play the game to unlock badges fast per category?
Everything here will be easier on a lower difficulty level
Shooting Badges
In MyCareer, you can play normal NBA games and focus on running off the ball. Run plays where you have your teammates setting off the ball picks for you so you can take more open shots.
You can also ask for the ball and call for a pick and roll. When you start the pick and roll action, you can always choose to shoot the mid-range jumper. If you already have shooting badges like Blinders and Stop & Pop, this will be insanely effective.
Other than taking open shots, just shoot the ball and you will see your shooting badge progression skyrocket.
Finishing Badges
This might be harder to complete if you do not have the right badges or an above-average overall rating. However, there are tricks you can do when you still do not have enough badges or skills to finish around the basket.
The best way is to try and cherry pick as much as you can. This works for all guards and most forwards. Cherry picking is where you immediately run towards the opposing team’s basket on defense.
This is usually done when the opposing team starts to shoot the ball. You immediately run like you are on a fast break and call for a pass. The only problem here is if they are quick on their feet and get back on transition or, they get the offensive rebound.
Since you are running to score right off the bat, you have one less player to box out or rebound the ball if it misses.
Another simple tactic is to run the pick and roll as many times as possible. Focus on finishing around the paint when scoring. If they clamp down on defense, you can choose to pass and get the assist.
This will also help improve your playmaking and earn you badge upgrades. The Quick First Step playmaking badge will definitely help you get past the defender more often so you can finish around the basket more.
For bigs, the best way is still the pick and roll where you will be the one rolling to the basket and ask for the pass. As an alternative, you can always read the defense and try to cut to the basket as frequently as you can.
Playmaking Badges
This is much more simple as the tactic is already above. Run the pick and roll and try to get an assist to the roller as many times as possible.
However, you can also choose the pick and pop or even run designed plays that you are used to doing. As long as you get the assist, you will progress your playmaking badges easily.
For other tricks, you can try and find the best shooter on your team. When you have the ball, try to run by the player who is defending your best shooter.
This will be easier when you do it on a pick and roll action since your defender will be moving laterally to keep up. Once you smash into the defender guarding your best shooter, your teammate will be smart enough to get to open.
Most of the time, you will be relying on that defender (guarding your shooter) to help defend the pick and roll with you and your big man. That momentarily lapse on defense will open up your shooter if you time the pass right.
In the end, it all depends on the strengths of your team. You have to play around them and set them up where they can excel. You can request a trade to a team that you want to play for. Playing with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry makes this strategy even easier with their marksmanship.
Defense/Rebound Badges
For defense/rebounding badges, it is pretty straightforward. Try to focus on getting defensive plays and a good shot contest will be counted towards your progression.
As for the fastest way to get these badges, you can actually make the player you are guarding the focus of their offense. You can do this by sagging a little on defense and making them think your man is open.
Most of the time, they will pass it and you can immediately clamp down on him once he gets the ball. However, he might choose to pass it again immediately but, we are doing this for the numbers.
If you do this on every single possession, they are bound to make a play on their own. You just have to capitalize on it and defend well.
It will be easier if you wait for the shot clock to wind down to the last few seconds before sagging. Once you know the pass is incoming, you can run towards the player you are guarding and he will have no choice but to shoot the ball.
Just jump towards him and avoid fouling him. Depending on your player’s skills, you might even get a block rather than a good shot contest.
Attending Team Practices
As you may already know, every time you play a game, there is a team practice you can attend before it. In these team practices, you will be able to choose which drills you want to work on.
While these drills do not give you any increases to your overall rating, they are only meant to unlock your badges. The best drills that can give you the most badge points will be indicated on the drill itself.
Drills like finishing contested drives, deep 3-point shots, and contested jumpers will all give you 750 points if you perfect the drill. Go for the hardest one you can finish and complete them with a 3-star rating.
You will have 4 drills in total for every practice session so you will be going through this more than a hundred times to unlock all the badges your player can get.
Occasionally, the head coach and trainer will start calling the team for practice. If it does happen, the coach will be the one who decides which drills to run for your team.
When this happens, all badge progress is doubled for these drills. You will have a total of 2 team drills to capitalize on this. After that, you can proceed to do your regular drills again.
On average, you should be able to unlock all the potential upgrades to your badges before the playoffs begin. This is assuming that you are also dropping stellar performances every game in the regular season.
Final Thoughts
Once you reach the limit of the potential upgrades you can have for each badge category, you might not have the option to change it anymore. It is important that you focus on the badges you want to complete your player and not just for the sake of progressing faster.
If you choose to get more open shots by getting Slippery Off-Ball and Catch & Shoot, you will have fewer badges to upgrade when you decide to be a shoot-off-the-dribble player. Make sure to keep that in mind when customizing your player.
