MLB The Show 21 has officially launched for multiple platforms, and this is the first year the title landed on Xbox consoles and next gen.
From details on price and platform to what kind of features this year's game has, we've got all the details you need about MLB The Show 21.
Latest - Server issues plague launch week for MLB The Show 21
MLB The Show 21 has had some growing pains since launching on multiple platforms, and the servers have struggled in the last week.
Server issues continued yesterday with thousands of players reporting that online play was down entirely.
Sony San Diego has provided consistent updates through the official MLB The Show account on Twitter about server maintenance and actions they're taking to remedy issues.
While launch trouble is never a good thing, they do seem to be working as quickly and efficiently as possible to resolve the problems.
MLB The Show 21 Release Date
There's no longer any waiting required, as the MLB The Show 21 release date arrived when the game launched for all platforms and Xbox Game Pass on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
Early Access went live for players who chose to pre order any non-standard edition of the game on Friday, April 16, 2021.
Cover Athlete
There was a hot debate about just who would be chosen as the MLB The Show 21 cover athlete, but ultimately it was 22-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres who got to grace the cover this year.
The choice made Tatis Jr. the youngest cover athlete in MLB The Show series history, but he's continued to light things up even as this year's season gets rolling.
Iconic baseball legend Jackie Robinson was also chosen to be the focal point and cover athlete for non-standard editions of MLB The Show 21, including the Jackie Robinson Edition, Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition, and Digital Deluxe Edition of the game.
Trailer
MLB The Show 21 nearly a dozen trailers on the way to release, but it all began with the announcement and reveal trailer that you can see below.
In the weeks and days leading up to the launch of MLB The Show 21, further trailers took aim at specific game modes and new features coming to this year's title.
You can view every MLB The Show 21 trailer here.
Platforms
After years of being a PlayStation exclusive franchise, MLB The Show 21 finally broke that mold this year and landed on Xbox.
On top of that, another first came as the game hit next gen consoles and introduced upgraded graphics along with the new next gen-exclusive Stadium Creator.
MLB The Show 21 launched on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, including being a day one title available through Xbox Game Pass.
There are still hopes that the title could eventually land on PC or Nintendo Switch, but neither of those has been confirmed and may not happen until MLB The Show 22.
Price & Pre Orders
The Standard Edition of MLB The Show 21 costs $59.99 for PS4 and Xbox One, and it's $69.99 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Pre orders of MLB The Show 21 are no longer available, but you can find more info here on how the pre order process went for this title.
On top of the Standard Edition, players can purchase the Jackie Robinson Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, or Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition of MLB The Show 21 for extra rewards.
The Jackie Robinson Edition costs $84.99 while the Digital Deluxe Edition and Jackie Robinson Deluxe Edition both cost $99.99.
For details about all the various Editions and what they contain, head here.
MLB The Show 21 Review
MLB The Show 21 was one of the most highly anticipated sports games in some time, and definitely had the most hype in series history.
Even with those massive expectations, the title has largely delivered on improvements across the board and given an experience most players are enjoying.
You can check out the full Gfinity review of MLB The Show 21 here.
Game Modes
MLB The Show 21 chose both to improve on what previous installments had set forth and introduce some new aspects to the game.
The single-player Career Mode known as Road to the Show (RTTS) returned this year, Franchise Mode, March to October, and more.
MLB The Show 21 also includes Exhibition, Home Run Derby, and Stadium Creator is among the new features landing on next gen versions of this year's game.
MLB The Show 21 also saw the return of Diamond Dynasty, which is the Ultimate Team mode in this series, and you can find more information here on each of the various game modes within Diamond Dynasty.
New Features
We've got some of them detailed below, but you can read more here about the New Features in MLB The Show 21.
Ballplayer interacts with Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty
One of the biggest changes in MLB The Show 21 was the introduction of Ballplayer, a new mechanic for your create-a-player that integrates them with both Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty.
While there's been some criticism about it penalizing players who prefer not to play Diamond Dynasty, Sony San Diego has already committed to balancing this out in a future update for the game.
The above trailer revealed the new Ballplayer feature and how it could head outside of Road to the Show this year, and this has proven true as the game launched.
You can find more details here about Ballplayer and the new features introduced along with it.
Stadium Creator is a new next gen exclusive feature
While most of the new features in MLB The Show 21 had to do with improving core games modes that already existed, this year's newest addition is Stadium Creator.
This custom ballpark creation suite allows players access to a massive inventory of props and options to make the stadium of their dreams while keeping things fair for competitive play.
However, this new feature is only available on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, which Sony San Diego explained was due to the resource demand of the feature and the hardware available in next gen consoles.
You can find more details here about Stadium Creator in MLB The Show 21.
MLB The Show 21 Guide, Tips, and Tricks
MLB The Show 21 has introduced a lot of new players to the series, many of whom are trying the game for the first time thanks to Xbox Game Pass.
With that new influx has also come many who are still struggling to nail down the mechanics of various parts of the game or different modes, and we're here to help with that.
The following guides will provide you with tips, tricks, controls, and help as you explore and play MLB The Show 21:
- Hitting & Batting Survival Guide
- Pitching Survival Guide
- Fielding Survival Guide
- Baserunning Survival Guide
- Road to the Show Survival Guide
- Franchise Mode Survival Guide
- Diamond Dynasty Game Modes
You can find all the latest news and guides for MLB The Show 21 here.