With MLB The Show 22 right around the corner, some fans are understandably keeping their eye out for arcade competitor RBI Baseball 22.
Unfortunately, it looks like the first franchise to include actual MLB player names has officially come to an end for the second time.
RBI Baseball 22 cancelled, series ends as MLB The Show 22 hits Nintendo Switch
MLB The Show 22 is set once again to set the standard for baseball gaming with another highly touted release, but in the past they weren't the only baseball sim available.
Last year, RBI Baseball 21 saw a worldwide release just one month prior to the launch of MLB The Show 21, and even this smaller delivery had some value.
We took a closer look in our RBI Baseball 21 Review of the game's release on Nintendo Switch, and the simplified arcade style was definitely fun to try out.
Home Run Derby was where the game shined most, streamlining a classic game mode on Nintendo Switch at a time when MLB The Show still had no presence on the console.
Sadly, it looks like last year's release will be the final one in this storied franchise, as the game has quietly vanished from storefronts before a Twitter DM from their official game account confirmed the news.
As seen in the message above, one gamer reached out to the verified RBI Baseball account to inquire about the title and learned RBI Baseball 22 won't be happening at all.
Instead, they've pointed fans towards MLB The Show 22 with a link to The Show's website and details on platforms and release date for the game's next installment.
One big piece of the puzzle here is likely the fact that MLB The Show 22 is hitting Nintendo Switch for the first time, as one of the biggest things RBI Baseball 22 had going for it was being the only baseball sim on that platform.
RBI Baseball 22's cancellation marks the end of a franchise started in 1987
If you were thinking this might just be a sign of the series being delayed, the extra nail in the coffin of RBI Baseball is that the title has been removed from all storefronts.
While the message seen above does state that players who "currently own any games within the R.B.I. franchise" can continue enjoying them, it's now unavailable to purchase or download.
We can confirm that even if you actively owned a copy of RBI Baseball 21 on Nintendo Switch, the only way you'd be able to continue playing it is if the title is already downloaded to your console.
If you deleted it at any point to clear space, it is no longer possible to access the game on the Nintendo eShop and redownload the files to continue playing.
While it is still visible on Microsoft's website, the game is no longer purchasable, and it's unlikely to still be downloadable on any platforms.
It's a sadly silent final chapter for a game that kicked things off on the Nintendo VS. System in arcades in 1987 before making a console debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988.
While it wasn't the first baseball video game ever made and didn't have an MLB license to include team names, it was the first to be licensed by the MLB Players Association and include actual MLB player names.
After a few strong years on Sega platforms, RBI Baseball saw its first series ending in 1995, but it was revived by MLB Advanced Media in 2014 to serve as a more arcade-style baseball sim alternative to competitor MLB The Show.