MLB The Show 23 influencer annoyed by recent changes: “MLB The Show finally went all in on packs over grind…but their pack odds are even worse”

One of the most popular gaming modes on MLB The Show has always been Diamond Dynasty, however, many fans of the series have been left disappointed. In the past, fans have been committed to playing their way through their games and season in order to earn new packs and cards, but some are concerned with the latest iteration.

“MLB The Show 23 wants to buck that trend, though the continued focus on microtransactions— while not as egregious as Madden/NBA2K/FIFA— is a downer. Madden continues to sink to new lows. NHL is stale and going through the motions. NBA 2K is all about grinding/microtransactions.” – @PeteSkerritt

Known as microtransactions or loot boxes, these small purchases remove the need for gamers to earn their rewards by simply spending more money. Sometimes, these purchases come in the form of new skins, but in the case of MLB The Show, it helps gamers acquire better cards and upgrades, which are more difficult to come by when simply playing.

Some fans are concerned that MLB The Show’s Diamond Dynasty is inching closer and closer to a pay-to-win format than the beloved grind. Many different video game series have been plagued by companies implementing the use of microtransactions to reward spending money over actually playing the game.

“So MLB The Show finally went all in on packs over grind…but their pack odds are even worse. Real shame. I had hoped for something landscape changing this year. I was wrong.” – @MillsTwitch

Among the video series that fans have criticized for their money-grabbing microtransactions and loot boxes are Star Wars Battlefront, FIFA, Diablo and Fallout. Now, some fans of the baseball video game series are concerned that recent changes to the playing style of The Show are following the same route as the games mentioned above.

Critics claim that Sony has reduced the need to grind through MLB The Show 23

Developers at Sony announced that they made higher overall player cards available, which reduces the amount of time that gamers need to acquire them as they did in past versions. However, this is a dangerous trend that could encourage games to spend less time grinding, which was one of the favorite aspects of the Diamond Dynasty mode.

As someone who refuses to pay for these microtransactions, I hope that companies reduce the emphasis on these purchases and keep gaming fun. That being said, many critics of microtransactions in video games have mentioned that while they are present in MLB games, they are much less predatory compared to the likes of Madden.

“Keep harping on it. This should be the standard, not the exception. Too many card collecting modes are all about how they can make the most out of their microtransactions and delivering sub par gameplay. MLB The Show has it’s issues, but it blows every other game out of the water”- @k1ng0fHartss