[Note Veterans Special Weekly age-based eligibility dates were corrected below, from 1993 to 1994.]
Welcome to the latest Sorare NBA update! Dive into updates around gameplay, including new competitions in December involving the In-Season Tournament Knockout Stage and three Special Weeklies. Also, discover our new Primary Market Credits for Rare competition rewards, our efforts to combat multi-accounting, and changes to card listings with the introduction of List or Play as well as Instant Buy. Let’s get into it!
NBA Rivals, Collection Game, Club Shop
At Sorare, we are excited about the upcoming launch of NBA Rivals in 2024. The team has been hard at work on creating a new way to play Sorare that is daily and social, and that lives up to the expectations of our passionate community of NBA fans.
However, we acknowledge that our efforts on NBA Rivals has led to a delay in releasing core features like the Collection Game & Club Shop for Sorare NBA. These features have been successfully integrated into Sorare Football, and their introduction to Sorare NBA has been eagerly anticipated since their announcement before the start of Season 2. We understand the frustration this delay has caused.
Your feedback is instrumental in guiding our priorities. We are aware of the challenges our users face, particularly in relation to Sorare Pro. While we have been navigating through various constraints, we are actively reorienting ourselves to address these gaps and enrich the Pro mode experience in Sorare NBA.
Dec. 4–9 (Game Week 13) schedule
To accommodate for the NBA schedule during the In-Season Tournament Knockout Stage, Game Week 13 will be extended to run from Monday, Dec. 4 to Saturday, Dec. 9. This will include the In-Season Tournament Final.
There are no NBA games on Sunday, Dec. 10. The normal Game Week schedule will resume for Game Week 14 on Monday, Dec. 11
In-Season Tournament Knockout Stage
For the inaugural In-Season Tournament Knockout Stage, we’re back with another set of special competitions as players battle it out to lift the NBA Cup for the first time. Plus, $25,000 in total cash prizes are up grabs — read below for details on each competition
The Knockout Stage on Sorare NBA will open on Friday, Dec. 1 and consist of four competitions:
- Beginner
- Intermediate (NEW)
- Advanced
- Expert
We heard your feedback around the Advanced competition combining Rare and Limited Cards during the Group Stage, and have given these scarcities a dedicated competition in response.
Competition eligibility
The four competitions will be constructed as follows:
General guidelines
In every competition, whether you’re in Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, or Expert, we have a few rules that will remain the same:
- Games Counted: Only the Quarterfinal, Semi-Final, and Final of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the competition. That means only players from the eight teams that qualify will be eligible for lineups.
- Scoring: Scoring will remain consistent across all aspects, including but not limited to Scarcity Bonuses in Expert
- Core competitions: Sorare’s core competitions will continue on the same extended schedule and will include all games within the Game Week, including those in the In-Season Tournament. There are no current-season card requirements for these competitions.
Rewards
Prizes will be rewarded based on a Manager’s performance across the Knockout Stage — $25,000 in total cash rewards are up for grabs! Here’s a rewards breakdown by competition:
December Special Competitions
Right after the In-Season Tournament wraps up, we’re turning the special weekly competitions back on, bringing more ways for you to set lineups and compete. These will run in addition to our core competitions, giving Managers more ways to utilize their gallery.
Under-23 Competitions (GW14 & GW15)
The Under-23 competition is perfect for those who believe in the power of youth. Your lineup must consist exclusively of players aged 23 or younger.
Key Features:
- Player eligibility: Only players aged 23 or younger
Note: the cutoff date for player age in Sorare NBA is Feb. 1, 2024. This means that any player born before Feb. 1, 2000 is ineligible for the U23 competition
- Card eligibility: Two (2) of the cards must be 2023–24 cards
- Scarcities: Compete across four different variants — Common, Limited, Rare, and Super Rare/Unique
- Prizes: 1st place can look forward to winning exclusive signed merchandise from Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero, while NBA Store Gift Cards will also be up for grabs for other top finishers
Veterans (GW16 & GW17)
Experience Takes the Stage — this competition is designed to honor the seasoned veterans of the NBA. It’s time to showcase the value of experience.
Key Features:
- Eligibility: Only players aged 30 and older
Note: the cutoff date for player age in Sorare NBA is Feb.1, 2024. This means that any player born after Feb. 1, 1994 is ineligible for the Veterans competition
- Card eligibility: Two (2) of the cards must be 2023–24 cards
- Scarcities: Compete across four different variants — Common, Limited, Rare, and Super Rare/Unique
- Prizes: NBA Store gift cards will be up for grabs for top finishers
NBA Christmas Day (GW18)
NBA Christmas Day is a special one-day competition occurring during Game Week 18. It’s a day when the magic of Christmas meets the thrill of basketball.
Key Features:
- Eligibility: Only players participating in Christmas Day games
- Card eligibility: Two (2) of the cards must be 2023–24 cards
- Leaderboards: Common, Limited, Rare, Super Rare, and Unique
- Prizes: Special Edition Cards are up for grabs! Also, 1st place will receive a Jalen Brunson signed merchandise pack, while other top finishers will compete for NBA Store Gift Cards.
Rare Competition Rewards
Sorare NBA has always strived to offer exciting and rewarding experiences to its community. However, with the recent reduction in mint counts for NBA cards, we’ve encountered a new challenge: Our ability to reward participants in Rare Competitions has been significantly constrained. This shift has impacted both the rate and quality of rewards, particularly in our Champion & Contender competitions, as we navigate the new scarcity of cards.
We want to increase the percentage of users rewarded in Rare Champion & Contender. To do so, we’re introducing Primary Market Credits as a reward starting with Game Week 15. This initiative is part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the Sorare NBA experience and ensure that our community continues to enjoy engaging and rewarding competitions.
How Primary Market Credits Work
- Apply to purchases made via Auction or Instant Buy
- Maximum discount of 25 percent can be applied to a purchase
- Example: If a card is bought for $10, a maximum of $2.50 in credits can be applied
- Two-week holding period required for any card purchased using credits
This approach allows us to test more reward types to give more Managers that feeling of achievement in Pro competitions, including other scarcities. As we continue to refine and improve the specifics of Primary Market Credits, we encourage our community to share their feedback and suggestions.
Multi-accounting
We want to reiterate that multi-accounting is a clear violation of our terms & conditions. It undermines the fair play and community trust that Sorare NBA is built upon. We recognize the importance of addressing this issue head-on.
We are ramping up our efforts to audit accounts and enforce our terms of service strictly. This includes using more tools and more frequent reviews to identify and take action against multi-accounting. We have already started taking actions against notable offenders and will continue to do so. We thank the community for supporting this.
Instant Buy
Instant Buy is coming to Sorare NBA! Starting today, Nov. 30, a number of Limited Cards will be available to purchase instantly, at a set price. Go check the brand new “Instant Buy” tab on the Marketplace — it’s also available on the latest version of our iOS app! To read more, check out our recent blog post here.
List or Play
Starting Thursday, Dec. 7, Managers who play a card in a Sorare NBA lineup will not be able to simultaneously list it on the Manager Sales Marketplace or include in a trade offer (i.e. Managers cannot list and play cards at the same time).
Once a sale or trade transaction is complete, the related cards are immediately invalidated from lineups and the full lineups won’t be eligible for scoring points that Game Week. If a Manager receives a direct offer for a player card they have in a current or future lineup, that lineup is only invalidated if/when the Manager accepts the offer.
For example, if a Manager lists a card on the Marketplace, it cannot be entered in a lineup unless the Manager acknowledges the card will be delisted on the Marketplace. To list a card on the Marketplace — for sale or to include in a trade — Managers need to confirm the listing and acknowledge it will remove the player card from lineups and training teams (both live and upcoming). Managers will receive a warning prompt that listing a card on the Marketplace will invalidate their lineup, and vice-versa.
A December to remember
That’s all for now! Thank you for being a part of the Sorare NBA community and your continued support. Your passion for the game drives us on our journey to build the best fantasy game in sports.
Set your Game Week lineup — or sign up for free — here. Sorare NBA competitions are free to play.
