Xbox Game Pass Has Bad News for Baseball Fans

MLB The Show 25 has been confirmed to be skipping a day-one release on Game Pass, ending a four-year tradition that began with the 2021 version of MLB The Show. Xbox fans had grown accustomed to getting new installments through their subscription at launch, but this streak has now ended, leaving many disappointed.

The MLB The Show partnership between Sony and Xbox was a surprise to many fans from the start. When MLB The Show 21 joined Game Pass, it was often cited as “one of the reasons Game Pass is worth the price,” sparking hope that similar deals could bring more PlayStation exclusives to Microsoft’s subscription service. However, the announcement for MLB The Show’s 20th anniversary celebration may have dashed those hopes—at least for baseball fans.

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On January 28, Sony published a blog post revealing the cover athletes and release date for MLB The Show 25. However, amid the good news was a disappointing announcement: the game will skip last-generation consoles and won’t come to Xbox Game Pass in 2025. The wording suggests that it could join the subscription service later, but for now, fans only know that one of the best baseball franchises in gaming is leaving Game Pass’s day-one lineup. MLB The Show 25 is set to launch on March 18, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. Based on previous releases, the standard edition will likely be priced at $70 across all platforms, while the MVP and Deluxe editions are expected to range from $85 to $100.

Game Pass Subscribers Are Not Happy with Sony’s Announcement

A quick glance at Xbox subreddits reveals that Game Pass subscribers are far from happy with the news. Under a post discussing the development, one fan commented, “I might buy [MLB The Show 24] for cheap and keep playing it for another five years.” Others have noted that MLB The Show 25 will exclude Sets and Seasons, jokingly suggesting that this should make up for the disappointment.

As controversial as it may be, Sony and San Diego Studio’s decision to remove MLB The Show 25 from Game Pass is possibly a financial move. Over the past four years, the series has consistently ranked among the top-selling games in the US, even with its Game Pass availability. Cutting off semi-free access to the latest installment could simply be a strategy to boost sales. After all, MLB The Show 24 was a best-selling Xbox game last year, and Sony’s decision will inevitably push some Game Pass subscribers to purchase the game outright for the sake of new content.

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Forge your baseball dreams in MLB® The Show™ 25 – the definitive baseball journey, powered by you.

Ignite your passion and build your very own path to greatness—from high school all the way to the Hall of Fame! Along the way, connect with iconic baseball stars in fan-favorite modes – updated with new ways to play. MLB® The Show™ 25 is built by baseball fans, for baseball fans.

This lovingly crafted entry in the series comes complete with a comprehensive suite of gameplay and quality-of-life enhancements. All this, designed from the ground up to get you to the action faster.

Franchise

MLB The Show

Released

March 18, 2025

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment