July 21 Update: Rookie Ratings Are Live, Brunson's 4 Crowns Confirmed, and Blocks Become Points

The July update is live — the one the roadmap teased with “is it feeling drafty in here?” It’s the biggest content drop since launch: the roster grows from 43 to 46, a brand-new ruleset makes blocks count on the scoreboard, and there’s a real balance pass underneath.

The rookies: the draft’s first three names

The top of the 2026 draft class is now playable, each with their own In the Zone ability, unique animations, and unlockable jerseys:

Player	Team	In the Zone	The dev’s own words
AJ Dybantsa	Washington Wizards	Going Off	“size, athleticism, and complete offensive game to score from anywhere”
Darryn Peterson	Utah Jazz	Deep Threat	“cool under pressure, with effortless range and smooth handles”
Cameron Boozer	Memphis Grizzlies	Dropping Dimes	“rare combination of power, pure shooting and elite court vision”

All three unlock at Rank 25 for 5,000 Cred. The ability picks tell you how the developers see them: Dybantsa gets the complete-scorer Zone (Tatum/LeBron company), Peterson gets the sniper Zone (Curry/KD/Dame company), and Boozer gets the playmaker Zone (Luka/LaMelo/Haliburton company) — and the cards back all three picks up.

Update — the cards are read. We captured all three player-select cards day-one, pixel-sampled the bars, and double-verified every row. The verdict:

Player	Debut	The card’s headline
AJ Dybantsa	S tier — #2 in the power rankings at debut	5 twos / 5 threes / 5 dunks / 5 handles, and not a single defensive bar below 4
Cameron Boozer	S tier	5 twos / 5 threes / 5 passes on a 6’10“ frame with 5 power + 5 boards
Darryn Peterson	A tier	The guard trifecta — 5 twos / 5 threes / 5 handles — plus 5 speed

No crowns on any rookie card. Dybantsa’s sheet is the story: only Giannis scores higher on our defense-weighted engine. Full breakdowns on each player page.

Block Party: the first ruleset where defense scores

The new Block Party ruleset is in the rotation at Common rarity, so you’ll see it a lot: every block subtracts a point from the other team’s score, first to 15, and a score can’t go below zero. It’s the first modifier that pays you for defense instead of re-pricing offense — a set shot-blocker stops being a “probably don’t drive there” and becomes a walking point swing. Full breakdown and how to play it on the ruleset page.

Also in the ruleset pool: Old School now finishes Win-by-2.

The balance pass

• Steals got trimmed again. Reduced reach range, speed, and angle — on top of June’s energy-cost nerf. The gamble-steal era keeps shrinking; contain defense keeps winning.
• AI overhaul on both ends — the notes call out improved offensive and defensive behavior.
• “Off the Heezay” got friendlier: more generous distance and angle, and a longer stun on the victim.
• Rim physics tuned — reduced rim friction and bounce speed.
• “Good Shot” outcomes tuned again, and near-intercept range extended — passing lanes are a little more dangerous.

Jalen Brunson: the first “4-Crown” player

The patch’s headline player change: Jalen Brunson is now the game’s first 4-Crown player — and the card re-read settles where the crowns landed. Confirmed: Handles, Stamina, and Aura went gold, joining his existing 2-point crown. Every other bar came back identical to the pre-patch card (the same zero-drift result our June re-read produced), so this was a pure crowning — no bar moved, including his 5-bar 3-point and passing, which stay uncrowned. His page reflects the new card, and the finding is also community-confirmed in the Lab thread’s Evidence Locker.

Also player-side: Kyrie Irving got a new jumpshot and advanced-trick animations, Damian Lillard a new jumpshot, Wembanyama polished block animations, and there’s a batch of new alley-oop and putback animations across the board.

Fixes and polish

Root-displacement (sliding) fixes, refined sound design, updated French localization, and a KO Solos fix so performance bonuses register Cred correctly.

What we’re testing

Every patch gets a Lab thread. Brunson’s crown question is already answered (card read + community confirmation), but the open ones are live: whether the steal nerf kills the passing-lane gamble, how deep Peterson’s Deep Threat range dot actually runs, and whether Block Party flips squad-building toward blocks. Bring your clips: the July 21 Lab thread.