MLB The Show 26 Has Done the Impossible: It Made Me Stop Wanting to Play

I am MLB The Show’s target audience in almost every way. I love baseball. And I love video games. This has always been a franchise I’ve spent hundreds of hours in every year. Yet, MLB The Show 26 has done what I thought was impossible — it’s lost me completely.

There are many reasons why I’ve reached this point. But before getting into them, I want to make one thing clear: my frustrations with the game have nothing to do with the increasingly common claims that Sony San Diego has somehow become “woke.” There are legitimate criticisms to be made about MLB The Show 26, and reducing them to culture-war buzzwords only distracts from the real issues.

Get Online And Play The Cheaters

Connectivity and stability in online matches have been an issue in MLB The Show games for years. I thought this was on the right path, as MLB The Show 25 had less of this. At least for me.

But in MLB The Show 26 , it has reared its ugly head once again. Online players of all levels are stating that just finishing a game in Diamond Dynasty Ranked feels like it’s an accomplishment. And yes, Sony San Diego acknowledged the issues. But they always acknowledge the issues with matchmaking. At some point, the game needs to be functional at launch.

Frustration with connectivity has been exacerbated by the rampant spread of cheaters in MLB The Show 26. Cheating has always been an issue in sports games; there will always be people who feel it’s more fun to manipulate the game to win than it is to play the actual game. But it’s gone to an entirely new level in MLB The Show 26.

I’m not about to draw more attention to it by detailing how it’s done. But the difference with the MLB The Show 26 brand of cheaters is that they have organized themselves into some sort of club of game-ruiners. I’m not kidding — they have a Discord server and everything. And they’re strategic. They’ve organized ways to avoid high-profile players (streamers and influencers) so they don’t bring attention to themselves.

When did doing this become more fun than actually playing the game? All I know is that whoever said “cheaters never win” has never played MLB The Show 26 , and it’s beyond frustrating at this point.

MLB The Show 26 Gameplay

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also at least mention the gameplay issues that exist throughout MLB The Show 26. There are many, from hitting that feels “off” to pitchers like Josh Hader and Michael King having glitched primary pitches. Even modes like Franchise aren’t safe, with several issues plaguing players who love to dive in and control their favorite team’s destiny.

However, I play every sports game every year, expecting gameplay issues. Games like Madden and NHL are notorious for glitches and weird things happening. MLB The Show 26 is no different. That’s not an excuse, by the way. This year’s game feels like it has a lot more than normal, and the process of addressing it has been slower than most fans want.

The Almighty Dollar

Image: Sony Entertainment

However, the greatest villain in MLB The Show 2 6 is greed. I know, I know, welcome to America. It’s been progressing in this direction for a while, but between MLB The Show 25 and MLB The Show 26 , I can’t get engaged with Diamond Dynasty nearly as much anymore. What used to be a fun mode that anyone could compete in has become a hellscape where only those with big bank accounts or prominent Twitch followings get catered to.

I’ve spent money in Diamond Dynasty before. It’s not because I wanted a fast track to wins — I’m a 700s player in Ranked. It’s because I like supporting games that give me enjoyment. I haven’t, and won’t give MLB The Show 26 a single dime in the marketplace.

A lot of things make this time around different for me. More and more premium cards are being hidden behind paywalls or behind absurd collections that will take anyone without a credit card months to complete. And that’s only if they never play any other games. Even the Live Series collection, which I have completed for five years running (total flex, sorry), feels like too much of an investment now. And trust me, I really, really want that Albert Pujols and the Troy Tulowitzki. Just not enough to make bad decisions that this game doesn’t deserve.

In a time where everything costs more and money is definitely tighter for the average gamer, asking players to spend money in the marketplace of a game besieged by cheaters and glitches is unforgivable. I, for one, don’t know if I can forgive it. Because every time I load MLB The Show 26 up now, I can only think about what else I’d rather be doing.