Highlights

  • MLB The Show 23 introduced a new system in Diamond Dynasty with card sets and seasons, but it has proven to be unpopular due to locked high-level cards and lack of progression.
  • The previous content structure in Diamond Dynasty was more accessible and offered rewarding progression, making it a more player-friendly mode.
  • If SDS wants to fix Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 24, they should either go back to the old system or find a middle ground that allows for earlier availability of high-level cards without repetitive duplicates.

MLB The Show has been one of the premier baseball simulation franchises for well over a decade. Fans of America's pastime have been crushing home runs and slinging strikeouts with some of the best players the league has ever seen, and much like the sport itself, MLB The Show's gameplay formula has changed very little over the last few years. MLB The Show 23, however, introduced a handful of changes to the series' Diamond Dynasty game mode, The Show's answer to FIFA and Madden NFL's Ultimate Team. It was an ambitious decision on the part of developer SDS, but it wasn't without its string of consequences.

Before MLB The Show 23, Diamond Dynasty content was released gradually throughout a game's lifecycle. Early in the year, players would have to build a team using middle-tier cards, and upgrade to more viable cards as they were released. The Show 23 completely altered this system with card sets and seasons, which would make more high-level cards available from the start, with the trade off being that those cards would eventually become locked from competitive play in subsequent seasons. It had potential on paper, but in execution, it's proven to be a decision that should be left behind when it comes time for MLB The Show 24.

MLB The Show 24 PS5 Xbox Series X Graphics
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The Issues With MLB The Show 23's Sets & Seasons Explained

The Show 23's content problems became apparent rather quickly. Around the time Season 2 of Diamond Dynasty's content was released, many players started to recognize that while high-level cards were more plentiful, the most sought after were locked behind card packs. Acquiring these packs would often require a considerable amount of The Show's in-game currency, and even when players could get a hold of them, it wasn't guaranteed that they'd receive the card they were looking for. Compared to past entries where players could earn some of the best cards just by playing the game, this shift has become an unpopular one.

Alongside this change in how high-level cards are distributed, the quality and excitement around those cards took a hit in The Show 23 as well. In past games, there were certain cards that players would often look forward to because they were consistently the best to use in Diamond Dynasty. This included cards for MLB legends like Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr., but by making these high-level cards available early, and then locking them after certain seasons, SDS just ended up making duplicate cards for them. While their stats weren't identical, it took away any sense of progress in building a strong team throughout the year.

How SDS Can Fix Diamond Dynasty Content In MLB The Show 24

If SDS is going to rework Diamond Dynasty once again in MLB The Show 24, it would likely be best to just go back to basics. The mode's previous content structure may not have been as flashy as those found in other live-service titles like Fortnite, but it was nonetheless accessible and offered a sense of rewarding progression. If abandoning this new system isn't possible for one reason or another, SDS could at least find a middle ground that makes high-level cards available sooner, without making players feel like they're using different flavors of the same cards month after month.

MLB The Show's Diamond Dynasty has frequently been cited as one of the more player-friendly card collecting game modes in the sports genre. MLB The Show 23 struck a blow to that reputation, one SDS would be wise to rectify in MLB The Show 24. For the time being, there's next to no official information on what to expect from MLB The Show 2., but with how receptive SDS is to fan feedback, there may be hope yet that Diamond Dynasty will feel more satisyfing in MLB The Show 24.