CFB Labs
Forza LabsChallenger
Challenger badge-details
Contests are hard to come by in NBA 2K26. If you want more stops on the perimeter, a higher badge level like Hall of Fame or Legend may be necessary, especially against better players.Tier Unlocks by Height
| height | tier | height | tier |
|---|---|---|---|
height 5'9 | tier 1 | height 6'7 | tier 1 |
height 5'10 | tier 1 | height 6'8 | tier 1 |
height 5'11 | tier 1 | height 6'9 | tier 2 |
height 6' | tier 1 | height 6'10 | tier 2 |
height 6'1 | tier 1 | height 6'11 | tier 2 |
height 6'2 | tier 1 | height 7' | tier — |
height 6'3 | tier 1 | height 7'1 | tier — |
height 6'4 | tier 1 | height 7'2 | tier — |
height 6'5 | tier 1 | height 7'3 | tier — |
height 6'6 | tier 1 | height 7'4 | tier — |
NBA2k26 Defense badges
Challenger
Improves the effectiveness of well-timed contests against perimeter shooters.
Defensive-Minded Players
HoF
Get HoF to get more effective contests without overspending since you may want higher attribute ratings anyway.Solid Contests While Saving Attributes
Silver+
Get at least Silver or Gold, you can use your Max+1 or Max +2 to get to higher badge levels.Challenger test-details
To test Challenger we ran two separate tests.
Test 1: Avg Make % Light Contests (5-10%) vs 92 3PT Rating
- A defender with 75 Per. Def. and 75 Block contested an offensive player with a 92 3PT rating on HoF Difficulty.
- We looked at lighter contests anywhere from about 5 to 10%.
- We also tested higher perimeter and block in the same scenarios with hands up and it only provided a slight boost if any at all.
Test 2: Avg Make % for Heavy Contests (20-40%) vs 92 3PT Rating
- A defender with 75 Per. Def. and 75 Block contested an offensive player with a 92 3PT rating on HoF Difficulty.
- We looked at heavier contests anywhere from about 20 to 40%.
Challenger test-results
Keep in mind the challenger badge does not give better contest percentages, but it does improve contest effectiveness.
Test 1: Avg Make % for Light Contests (5-10%) vs 92 3PT Rating
- Legend = 33.33%
- HoF = 36.75%
- Gold = 39.79%
- Silver = 42.42%
- Bronze = 44.96%
- Wide Open + No Badge = 58.13%
Bronze and Silver provide marginal results. The Gold level starts to shrink the green window slightly. At HoF and Legend you should start to feel more effective contest and see more missed shots. Each badge level sees a linear reduction in average make percentage of about 3% per badge level.
Test 2: Avg Make % for Heavy Contests (20-40%) vs 92 3PT Rating
- Legend = 16.67%
- HoF = 18.83%
- Gold = 21.08%
- Silver = 23.79%
- Bronze = 26.71%
- Wide Open + No Badge = 58.13%
Heavier contests are more weighted by the contest percentage than the badge alone. There is still a 2% to 3% dip in average make percentage per badge level. Hall of Fame and Legend show peak make percentages of about 40% and under, showing the importance of higher badge levels to get more effective contests.
It is difficult to determine a sweet spot for this badge. Since we tested at a 75 Per. Def. and Block rating, it shows the significance of using Max +1s and Max +2s, as each badge level, regardless of attribute rating, lowers average make percentage by anywhere from 2 to 3% per. Silver or Gold is fairly sold since you can use your Max +1 or Max +2 to get to the higher levels.
| Attrattribute | Brzbronze | Slvsilver | Gldgold | hof | LgdLegend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attrattribute Perimeter Defense | Brzbronze 71 | Slvsilver 82 | Gldgold 92 | hof 95 | LgdLegend 99 |
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