MLB The Show 22 has revealed their Feature Premiere schedule, and many have quickly noticed that Franchise Mode isn't listed at all this year.
With launch just a few months away, it's already stoking worries among fans that MLB The Show 22 Franchise Mode won't have any new features.
MLB The Show 22: Franchise Mode missing from Feature Premiere schedule
MLB The Show 22 is finally revealing new details about this year's game as we start to barrel towards a launch in early April, but there's a missing piece.
Sony San Diego recently revealed their Feature Premiere schedule, and this specifically gives fans a heads up about which game modes will get a spotlight ahead of launch.
Each Feature Premiere tends to be about half an hour long, and in the process we get a deep dive from developers looking at all the ways things are changing this year and the new features that are on the agenda.
Unfortunately, many fans quickly noticed that Franchise Mode is entirely absent from the schedule, and fears are already increasing that the game mode will be ignored in MLB The Show 22.
No new features expected for Franchise in MLB The Show 22
Last year, MLB The Show 21 had a full Feature Premiere dedicated just to Franchise Mode and March to October, combining them largely due to the ways some of the improvements applied to both game modes.
While not always a fan favorite, March to October streamlines the Franchise experience and lets users play a condensed season with a particular team focused on only those big moments, and in the process it allows you to earn some Diamond Dynasty bonuses.
Last year, the primary two upgrades we saw were to Trade Logic and the Depth Chart, both of which were welcomed additions in areas where clarity was sorely needed.
The Depth Chart improvement was particularly helpful for a quality of life and user interface upgrade, but these new features left plenty to be desired in the larger game mode.
Fans are worried Franchise will be neglected in MLB The Show 22
When the official Feature Premiere Schedule was revealed and posted to the MLB The Show subreddit, it didn't take long for fan reaction to turn.
Despite some excitement for the Commentary update, opinions quickly turned with dozens of users calling out the lack of Franchise Mode being mentioned as a topic for a single one of the Feature Premiere videos.
With a good amount of time between now and launch it's always possible that Franchise will get something new this year and it just wasn't enough to merit a full Feature Premiere, but even in that situation any potential changes can't be that significant.
There are fears from dedicated Franchise players as some even mentioned in the comments that they worried March to October would merge and dissolve the existence of Franchise Mode, but we've seen nothing indicating that's currently planned.
The specific Franchise Mode new features requested can vary from player to player, but more Trade Logic upgrades and significantly improved development and draft features are among the most frequently mentioned.
The most likely scenario is simply that Sony San Diego turned their development time towards other things this year, which could still mean MLB The Show 22 is a great game, but it may be a disappointing one for players who primarily play Franchise.