Highlights
- MLB The Show 24 made improvements to Diamond Dynasty, but falls short in addressing content issues from The Show 2
- The game’s reliance on high-priced card packs frustrates players, pushing towards greater monetization.
- San Diego Studios has time to adjust the content approach for Diamond Dynasty, hopefully making card collecting more player-friendly.
MLB The Show has always given players plenty of ways to live out their baseball dreams. One of the franchise’s most consistently popular game modes has been Diamond Dynasty, developer San Diego Studios’ take on card collectors like Madden NFL‘s Ultimate Team. Both hardcore and casual fans flock to Diamond Dynasty year after year, and leading up to the release of MLB The Show 24, SDS promised some exciting new changes. As it has turned out, unfortunately, MLB The Show 24‘s Diamond Dynasty changes failed to correct certain mistakes from MLB The Show 23.
In MLB The Show 24, SDS made a conscious effort to revise its Diamond Dynasty content approach from last year’s The Show 23. After introducing card sets and seasons, it became rapidly apparent that content lacked both variety and accessibility. The Show 24 does improve on these issues by eliminating sets and making seasons longer, but only a month after launch, it’s clear some of The Show 23‘s content problems have carried over. It’s been a disheartening development for dedicated Diamond Dynasty fans, and it’s worth exploring just how The Show 24 has made its best cards more difficult to acquire.
MLB The Show 24 Review
MLB The Show 24 is a return to form for the series, revamping Diamond Dynasty while making its single-player modes a must-play for all baseball fans.
MLB The Show 24 Still Falls Into One The Show 23 Shortcoming
MLB The Show 23‘s Diamond Dynasty content structure was a major shift for the game mode, and one unfavorable change was the decision to put many of Diamond Dynasty’s best cards behind card packs. These packs could only be bought with The Show‘s in-game currency, or earned through arduous means, all but forcing players to spend money to build the best team possible. Many longtime fans who built an elite team without spending a cent didn’t respond well to these changes, and hopes were high that SDS would roll back that content strategy in The Show 24.
MLB The Show 24‘s content has mostly been an improvement compared to The Show 23. The longer seasons have led to a more fulfilling sense of progression, but high-priced card packs still frustrate many Diamond Dynasty players. In just a few weeks, SDS has updated Diamond Dynasty with several cards exclusive to packs and only a few high-quality cards that can be earned purely through gameplay. Compared to previous MLB The Show entries, which offered dozens of options for collecting cards for free, The Show 24 continues to push The Show 23‘s unpopular shift towards greater monetization.
MLB The Show 24 Has Time To Adjust Its Content Approach
If SDS wants to regain the favor of fans, it fortunately has a lot of time to do so. Season 1 of Diamond Dynasty is only halfway finished, giving SDS plenty of time to take in feedback and adjust Diamond Dynasty’s content accordingly. The best way to start would be to introduce more programs in The Show 24, instead of relying so heavily on card packs. Several card packs that have already been released would have made great candidates for brief programs, it would just be up to SDS to shift its thinking and make card collecting more player-friendly.
The Show has had a long reputation for being less reliant on microtransactions, something many fans have taken great pride in. Unfortunately, MLB The Show 24‘s current content model degrades that image, and there’s no clear sign of it improving in the future. In an industry rife with monetization, these changes can be disheartening, but SDS has been receptive to fan feedback in the past. The Show 24‘s Diamond Dynasty changes are a reflection of that, but they don’t fully address the issues from The Show 23. Hopefully, before the game’s lifecycle is over, The Show 24 players will have more ways to build the team they want.
MLB The Show 24
San Diego Studio’s MLB The Show 24 provides an in-depth baseball sim experience, allowing players to work their way up from the minor leagues to the World Series.
- Franchise
- MLB The Show
- Released
- March 19, 2024
- Publisher(s)
- MLB Advanced Media
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
