A look at the signature gameplay animations for TopSpin 2K25

As mentioned in our Gameplay Showcase Center Court Report, TopSpin 2K25 picks up wherever Top Spin 4 in terms of gameplay and animation quality. One of the first things you’ll notice when you see or play it TopSpin 2K25 is that we have added many new, distinctive animations for players’ serves, forehand and backhand movements, and backhand movements. In this Xbox Wire article, we’ll provide insight into the types of signature animations included in TopSpin 2K25before showing how we created these animations in Hangar 13: from player analysis to motion capture to animation.

While playing TopSpin 2K25Tennis fans will certainly notice the attention to detail in the animations of some of their favorite players. For example, you’ll be able to recognize Roger Federer’s stylish backhand, Serena William’s devastating serve, or Iga Swiatek’s powerful forehand animation, to name a few. In addition to these animations aimed at recreating the unique style of specific pros, we have also included a variety of animations that can be shared by multiple pros with similar swing moves. Players can also add signature styles to their MyPlayers using their 2K account, making them customizable not only visually, but also in the way they move and hit the ball.

Some signature styles will be available immediately at launch, so you can start working on your playstyle right away. We will also add new animations in the signature style with each new season. Players can use virtual currency to get some of their favorite signature styles from the Pro Shop. Additional styles can be unlocked via the Premium Center Court Pass (available at an additional cost). At the end of the sixth season TopSpin 2K25

Now we’re excited to share with you a little insight into the processes involved in adding these new signature styles to the game. The first step is to take a look at the players we have on our roster and identify which ones have a truly unique or recognizable style to their serve, forehand, backhand or return, and provide video references from each capture. We then create what we call a motion capture “shot list,” a list of individual animations that we want to capture with our athlete/actor/actress. For example, each forehand or backhand style consists of a total of nine individual animations that can be played before hitting the ball depending on the height of the ball or the direction and speed of the player.

Once the shot list is finalized, we can move on to the mocap phase and start recording all of these new animations. On the day of filming, we meet the Hangar 13 mocap crew, animators and designers, our team of semi-pro tennis players in this pretty cool looking mocap suit, who act as our actors and actresses, and we’re all set to go. We show our actors/actresses the movement we want to capture and look through the video references with them to identify all the key poses and elements that make that movement unique. When the actor/actress is ready, he/she starts practicing the movement to get a better feel for it. We then record it, play it back on the monitor on the mocap stage and compare it to the video reference. We repeat this until we are happy with the result and it is close enough to the reference.

For both Roger Federer and Serena Williams, we were able to spend time with them on the motion capture stage and record their actual serves, forehands, backhands and returns, so the end result in the game is even closer to their actual style.

After the data is captured and processed by the mocap stage technicians, it goes to the animators, who apply the data to a male or female character. At this point the animation still looks very rough, so the animators clean up all the poses and make sure that it doesn’t look broken, but also that it is as close to the pro player’s style as possible! The animators also make sure that the specifications are adhered to, such as that the racket hits the ball at the expected height or that it is correctly aligned during the swing movement, depending on the type of swing. The data from the mocap includes the movement of the bat, but not movement of the fingers, so the animators spend a lot of time making sure the hands and fingers grip the bat correctly.

Once the animation has gone through a first pass, it is exported and checked into the engine of the pro player it was created for, and then for the first time we really see everyone’s efforts come to life! The animation is implemented and checked by designers in the game. Afterwards there is often a feedback session and the animations are further refined.

A lot of care and attention to detail was really put into the animations from start to finish. We’re excited to show you the level of authenticity and realism that exists within TopSpin 2K25 – Keep rallying!

TopSpin 2K25 Cross-Gen Edition – Pre-Order

2K

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

The Cross-Gen Edition includes TopSpin 2K25 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Pre-order the TopSpin 2K25 Cross-Gen Edition* and receive the Under the Lights Pack with alternate outfits for Serena Williams and Roger Federer, the Wilson Nightfall Bundle and Night-Time Majors. The Under the Lights package is included in the Deluxe and Grand Slam® editions. WIN THE CAREER GRAND SLAM® Travel the world as an aspiring professional, compete with the biggest names in tennis and conquer Center Court at Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, the US Open and the Australian Open while in MyCAREER strive to become a Grand Slam® champion. COMPETE IN ICONIC VENUES Visit some of the liveliest tennis courts in TopSpin 2K25. From the four Grand Slam® tournaments to larger-than-life international arenas like Indian Wells, La Caja Mágica, Pala Alpitour, Foro Italico and more. TENNIS LEGENDS AND RISING STARS Play as tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams or create great highlights as Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Frances Tiafoe, Andre Agassi and others. Choose from over 24 playable professionals and unleash their explosive power and clever finesse against other players locally or online. DOMINATE THE COURT ONLINE Test the skills of your MyPLAYER and show off your tennis skills on the World Tour or join the 2K Tour as a playable professional and challenge players around the world with cross-play support. TRAIN WITH JOHN MCENROE From powerful serves to great drop shots, learn how to play like a legend with John McEnroe at TopSpin Academy. Master advanced controls as you complete a series of skills-enhancing exercises and challenges to gain an edge on any surface. PERSONALIZE YOUR MyPLAYER. Create a MyPLAYER tailored to your playing style and define your look on the court! With a wide range of customization options, you can refine your attributes and earn new trainers, kits and gear from adidas, HEAD, Lacoste, New Balance, Nike, Wilson and more. *Pre-order bonus offer available until April 25, 2024. Internet connection and 2K account required to redeem bonus content. The General Terms and Conditions. The Under the Lights Pack is included in the Deluxe Edition and Grand Slam® Edition and can be purchased separately for owners of the base game. The General Terms and Conditions. Certain portions of the game, including online multiplayer and other online features, are not accessible to child accounts. “Child” means players under the age of 13 unless local law requires otherwise. A 2K account is required to play the game.