Much like last year, this will be our “living document” that highlights everything you need to know about MLB The Show 24 as news rolls out, which includes info about game modes, its release date, new features, and so on.
Since MLB The Show 24 was just announced on January 30, we don’t have too much to go on quite yet, except of course that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the cover athlete. Still, we can still get you started as it’s a relatively tight pre-release schedule this year and so developer SDS will have a lot of ground to cover in the weeks ahead.
MLB The Show 24 Release Date And FAQ
As expected, MLB The Show 24 will be releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox One Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch again this year (there remains no PC version). We are getting a March 19 release date, and this likely means early access will begin on March 15 for those who pre-order.
That said, we do not have info yet on everything happening with pre-orders as the Collector’s Edition is not set to be unveiled until February 6.
FAQ
SDS also updated its FAQ for MLB The Show 24, and there’s some information here worth passing along.
Business As Usual:
- There will be no year-to-year saves once again
- Cross progression and cross play remain there for all platforms
- Custom stadiums and logos will transfer from one game to the next
- There is no PC version once again
- You can download MLB The Show 24 on day one via Game Pass on Xbox consoles
New Changes:
- There will be no tech test this year.
- The PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will only have a digital release
It’s a bummer about the tech test, but my guess is this is happening because it’s a tighter release schedule than last year. It’s always nice to get a look at the game and give that feedback but SDS either must feel confident in their product or just not have the bandwidth to pull that off this year.
As for the digital-only release for the PS4 and Xbox One, this is likely a sign that we’re getting close to the end of the cycle for last-gen releases. Some folks want these consoles to stop getting releases because they feel it’s holding back the current-gen versions — and there probably is some truth to that — and this is usually the first step before phasing out those older versions.
I also wonder if SDS has to release last-gen versions to satiate some sort of agreement with Microsoft dealing with Game Pass, or MLB to give access to as many folks as possible, or Sony due to the company wanting all its platforms supported. In other words, I’m sure SDS would be happy to move on from last-gen consoles at this point if it’s stunting the progress on current-gen consoles, I just don’t know if that decision is ultimately up to them.
Game Modes
There is really nothing to go on so far here for game modes, but we do know that every major game mode is returning. On the Nintendo Switch page for the game, Road to the Show, franchise mode, Storylines, March to October, and Diamond Dynasty are all mentioned.
On top of that, the narrator for Storylines last year, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, mentioned a couple weeks back that he had finished up Negro Leagues Storylines Season 2.
For now, that’s all the information we have on game modes and anything else would mostly just be speculation.
Feature Premieres
Feature premieres have returned for MLB The Show 24. Every week leading up to launch, SDS will drop information in video form on their respective Twitch and YouTube channels. The full schedule can be seen below, but SDS is being more cagey about what is going to be in each feature premiere as of now.
So we will have four feature premieres (fewer than years prior), and then we’ll also get a ratings reveal and a dev tourney (which is when we get to see the most gameplay).