Xbox Game Pass Has Bad News for Baseball Fans

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Summary

  • MLB The Show 25 breaks a four-year tradition of day-one Game Pass releases, disappointing Xbox fans.
  • Sony’s decision to skip Game Pass is potentially a financial move to boost sales of MLB The Show 25.
  • Game Pass subscribers expressed unhappiness over the exclusion of MLB The Show 25 from the subscription service.

It’s been confirmed that MLB The Show 25 won’t be available on Game Pass on its release day, breaking a four-year trend that started with the 2021 version of MLB The Show. Previously, Xbox subscribers could get each new installment at launch through their subscription, but this practice is no longer happening. This decision has left many fans disappointed.

Many baseball game enthusiasts were taken aback when it was revealed that Sony and Xbox had partnered on MLB The Show. When MLB The Show 21 became available on Game Pass, it was frequently pointed out as one of the main reasons why people thought Game Pass was worth its cost. This led to speculation that more PlayStation exclusives might be coming to Microsoft’s subscription service. However, the announcement for MLB The Show‘s 20th anniversary celebrations may have dampened those expectations – at least for baseball fans.

On January 28th, Sony announced the athletes featured on the cover and the release date for MLB The Show 25 via a blog post. While this news was generally positive, it also came with some unfortunate news: the game will not be available on last-generation consoles or Xbox Game Pass in 2025. Although there’s a possibility that it might join Xbox Game Pass later, for now, fans can only expect that MLB The Show 25, one of the top baseball franchises in gaming, won’t be part of Game Pass’s initial lineup next year. The game is scheduled to launch on March 18th, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. Based on past releases, it’s likely that the standard edition will cost $70 across all platforms, while the MVP and Deluxe editions are anticipated to be priced between $85 and $100.

Game Pass Subscribers Are Not Happy with Sony’s Announcement

A brief look at Xbox subreddits suggests that Game Pass subscribers are less than thrilled about the recent announcement. Under a thread discussing the update, one enthusiast commented, “I might purchase [MLB The Show 24] at a reduced price and continue enjoying it for another five years.” Some users have pointed out that MLB The Show 25 will not include Sets and Seasons, humorously suggesting this omission should compensate for the dissatisfaction.

In a somewhat contentious move, Sony and San Diego Studio’s choice to exclude MLB The Show 25 from Game Pass might be financially motivated. For four consecutive years, this series has been one of the top-selling games in the US, despite being available on Game Pass. Removing semi-free access to the latest version could simply be a tactic to drive sales up. Given that MLB The Show 24 was a best-selling Xbox game last year, Sony’s decision may encourage some Game Pass subscribers to buy the game outright to enjoy fresh content.

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2025-01-29 12:23