MLB The Show 23 is just one month away from release. The Tech Test for the game wrapped up earlier this week. This test gave players the opportunity to try out the new gameplay changes for free for a whole week. To follow that up, SDS just held their next Feature Premier live stream talking about new changes coming to the most popular mode in the game.
Grind 99
The live stream with the group from SDS talking about how in the past, Diamond Dynasty often made players frustrated when they worked hard to get a new card, only for a better card to be released a few days later. This made players feel like they were constantly missing out on the latest cards. To be honest, this is a problem that has plagued card collecting modes across all sports games.
To combat this, MLB The Show 23 is promising 99 OVR cards in the game on day one. This goes beyond the usual 99 OVR cards that are in the live series collections on day one. From the moment the game releases, players will be able to work their way toward 99 OVR cards in modes like Ranked Seasons and Battle Royale, as well as the programs that are in the game.
This is a big change from how card-collecting modes have functioned in the past. Usually, there would be a power crawl where 99 OVR cards would not be released until much later in the year. This would encourage players to constantly engage with the latest content or risk being at a competitive disadvantage.
Sets and Seasons
The next new feature in Diamond Dynasty are sets and seasons. Seasons are new periods of time in the mode that will run from 6-8 weeks at a time. All the cards released during these seasons will be part of the same set. So the cards released in Season 1 are part of Set 1, cards from Season 2 are part of Set 2, and so on. There will also be a set called the Core set. This set will feature cards like Live Series cards and the Live Series collection rewards.
Some modes will restrict the cards you can use in your lineup. These restricted modes will only allow you to use cards from the current and previous sets. However, the Core set will be available at any time to use. So in Season 2, you can use cards from the Core set, Set 1, and Set 2. Once Season 3 starts, you will no longer be able to use Set 1 cards, but Set 3 cards will be added for players to now earn.
Ranked Seasons will be the only mode to feature these set restrictions at all times. Events, Conquest, and Mini Seasons will at times restrict lineups based on sets, but other times will allow for any set to be used. Battle Royale, Play vs Friends, Play vs CPU, and Casual Head to Head will have no lineup restrictions based on sets.
There will also be a wild card slot in your lineup. This will allow you to carry one card on your lineup that is not usually allowed in the current season. So in Season 3 you will be able to add one Set 1 card to your lineup.
Captain Cards
The next big addition coming to Diamond Dynasty is the Captain Card. This is going to be Diamond Dynasty’s version of theme teams. These cards will have certain requirements and boosts attached to it. If your lineup meets the requirements, you will get the corresponding boost.
For example, Miguel Cabrera is a captain card and his requirements are based on how many Tigers hitters are in your lineup. If the requirement is to have 5 Tigers hitters in your lineup, and you meet that requirement, those Tigers hitters, including Cabrera, would get the bonus. The players in your lineup that do not contribute towards the requirement will not get the boost. The requirements can be different based on the card. Some will be based on team, card series, or even era like the Willie Mays card shown.
Players will be able to have two captains on their team, one hitter and one pitcher. The hitter captain must remain in the game for at least two-thirds of the game if they are applying a boost. The pitcher captain, who can be a starter or reliever, will be able to apply their boost to the entire pitching staff whether they appear in the game or not.
The captain boosts will not apply in Battle Royale. However, Ranked Seasons, Ranked Co-Op, Play vs CPU, Conquest, Mini Seasons, and Showdown will all allow for captain boosts to be applied. The team at SDS said they will monitor the captain cards throughout the year and make any changes needed if one particular card becomes too powerful.
Mini Seasons 2.0
New options for playing Mini Seasons will be added in MLB The Show 23. The classic version of the mode will still be available with no lineup restrictions. There will also be timed options for the mode that feature unique themes. Player lineups will be restricted based on these themes. These themes could be anything from the current season to lefties only. The teams you play against in these timed versions will also feature the same lineup restrictions as players.
Other Changes
The DH is finally coming to Diamond Dynasty. We found this out shortly before the Tech Test, but it was mentioned again today. Any player you have can be slotted into the DH position. There will also be players listed as DH, such as David Ortiz.
Two-way players have been fixed in the game. Now, players will be able to DH two-way players while they are in your rotation. Two-way players will also now feature secondary positions allowing you to play them as a pitcher, fielder, or DH.
We also learned in a post steam clip that Team Affinity will be returning in MLB The Show 23. This will be a welcome return for many players who missed it in the previous game.
MLB The Show 23 releases on March 28th, 2023 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.