MLB The Show 25 Shows Off Gameplay Updates

It’s Feature Premiere season for MLB The Show fans. Today, we got our first live stream from the developers going over the new gameplay changes we can expect to see in MLB The Show 25. We got information about the new ambush hitting system, the new GOAT difficulty setting, and a lot more!

Ambush Hitting

First up is the new Ambush Hitting setting. This new system is an extension of the zone hitting setting. This new setting will allow players to get a small boost if they can correctly predict which side of the plate the pitch will be thrown on.

Before the pitch, players will be able to select to try and look for pitches on the inside or outside part of the plate. Whichever side you choose, you will get a boost to your PCI and timing window size. This is true even if you guess incorrectly. If you guess correctly, hitting the ball will be one difficulty setting easier.

However, for the opposite side of the plate, you will receive a larger penalty to PCI and timing window. So, if you guess inside but the pitch is thrown outside, it will be two difficulty settings harder to hit.

GOAT Difficulty

There is a brand new difficulty setting coming to MLB The Show 25. GOAT difficulty will be above Legend difficulty. With this setting, fastballs will be faster and there will be more break on breaking balls. The timing windows will also be smaller than on Legend.

First-Person

In MLB The Show 25 when you are player locking a player, you will now be able to play in first person. You can enter or exit first-person at any time while in-game.

New cutoff plays have been added to player lock situations. Now, when playing the corner infield spots, there will be situations where you are responsible for lining up cutoff throws from the outfield. Once you get the ball from the outfield, you will have to decide which base to throw to.

When you are player locked as a catcher, you will have control of cut off throws in a similar way. While the throw is coming in from the outfield, you will be able to tell your infielders whether to cut off the throw and redirect it, or let the ball come to you to try and get the runner out at the plate.

New player lock moments have also been added for baserunners. Players will now have the ability to swim slide in certain situations. When this situation occurs, you will have to complete a quick-time event to avoid being tagged out while sliding.

Fielding Changes

In the field, new reaction animations have been added to infielders based on their reaction rating. This will affect how quickly a player can react to a ground ball heading their way. There are three tiers of reactions from infielders: an okay jump, a good jump, and a perfect jump. You will be able to see what kind of jump your defender got based on the color of arrows by the fielder’s feet. A blue arrow means a perfect jump, a green arrow means a good jump, and a yellow arrow indicates an okay jump.

There has also been an update to the throwing meter for outfielders. The perfect section for outfielders has now been moved to the end of the good throw section, on the border with the bad throw section. This will make it more difficult to pull off perfect throws from the outfield.

Also, the size of the good section and perfect section of the throw meter will now be tied to a fielder’s arm accuracy rating. This will make it more important for you to consider a player’s fielding attributes when building your lineup.

The home run rob meter has undergone some changes. The new meter will make it more intuitive for when to jump. Now, when the meter is in the green area, you will want to press the jump button. The player will then jump accordingly when the ball arrives. If the player needs to wait, stutter step, or climb the wall, they will if you time it when the meter is in the green.

Quality of Life

There are a few quality of life changes coming to MLB The Show 25 as well. In online matches, you will no longer need to warm up your pitchers before putting them into a game. Pitchers will enter the game already warmed up. Also, the pause timer for online games has been cut in half to 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Also, new settings have been added for the PCI anchor. There are four new settings based on the handedness matchup of the pitcher and batter. Now you will be able to set which area of the strike zone you want to anchor your PCI based on the matchup.

Finally, the sweeper pitch has been added to MLB The Show 25 as a brand new pitch. It will have its own unique movement, and does not replace any previous pitch.