MLB The Show 22 Road to the Show will be the primary single player experience this year, and it's one that will benefit once more from the knuckleball.
After seeing the pitch removed last year, players can get ready to see this classic make an MLB The Show 22 comeback with one catch.
MLB The Show 22: Knuckleball returns in Road to the Show (RTTS)
MLB The Show 22 will mark only the second year that Road to the Show integrates Ballplayer into Diamond Dynasty, but it'll see one major change this year.
Players grew frustrated last year after realizing around launch that the knuckleball was no longer an option in Road to the Show for MLB The Show 21.
This was a major shift, as the knuckleball had been accessible in Road to the Show for several years, but the culprit for the change appears to be Diamond Dynasty.
With Diamond Dynasty integration allowing your Ballplayer from Road to the Show to be used in your squad for the first time, devs likely realized the danger of the knuckleball affecting online play.
Every pitch works differently and has its own strengths and weaknesses, but the knuckleball is clearly impactful enough that it could be abused online and negatively affect the balance of gameplay.
As a result, last year we saw it removed entirely, but the knuckleball is back in Road to the Show this year.
Knuckleball tied to Archetype, not allowed in Diamond Dynasty
With the major issue last year that saw the removal of Knuckleball being Diamond Dynasty integration, the solution Sony San Diego landed on was to simply keep the pitch out of online play.
While players will still be able to take their Ballplayer to Diamond Dynasty, those who create a pitcher with the Knucksie pitching archetype will not be able to use that Ballplayer in Diamond Dynasty.
This allows single player focused gamers to create the knuckleballer they loved using in the past or try something new, but at the same time keeps the Diamond Dynasty link in MLB The Show 22.
One additional factor that makes this more approachable as an option this year is that you can have more than one Ballplayer in MLB The Show 22.
For players who want to both enjoy Diamond Dynasty with a Road to the Show player, but also would like to make a run with a knuckleballer, they'll now be able to create a Ballplayer that fits each role.