With an expected release just months away, Out of the Park Developments has officially announced Out of the Park Baseball 18.
The game will release on March 24 for PC, and will cost $34.99 unless you pre-order the game prior to January 27. The game will be $31.99 for those players.
The game follows up the hugely successful Out of the Park Baseball 17 that sold over 100,000 copies for the first time in history. It was also named Metacritic’s 2016 PC game of the year.
New features for OOTP Baseball 17 include Negro Leagues for Historical Seasons, custom tournaments, fall leagues and improved 3D mechanics, among others. Full details regarding new features can be found below courtesy of the official press release.
Out of the Park Baseball 18 will also include:
- 2017 roster sets with all Opening Day MLB rosters, as well as the complete minor league system from Triple-A to rookie leagues as well as the Arizona Fall League. All major league (and over a thousand minor league) player ratings will be based on the popular ZiPS player projection system. The 8 international leagues, as well as independent minor leagues in the US, also return this year with accurate rosters.
- Historical Negro League clubs, thanks to a partnership with OOTP’s acclaimed historical database experts and Seamheads.com. This feature will allow baseball fans to explore the league’s rich history, create compelling what-if scenarios, pit major league clubs against their Negro League counterparts, and much more.
- Improvements to 3D mode, including: Even more ballpark detail; better on-field player models and enhanced on-field decisions; and the ability to save all 3D highlights and watch a highlight reel, whether the game was played out or simulated.
- Custom and real world tournaments for all the teams included in the game. National and international tournaments are a breeze to create, as is the ability to import historical teams.
- Extensive AI improvements, including roster management, trades, and in-game decision-making.
- A redesigned injury system that features detailed injury histories for all players, little nagging and long-term injuries, and more.
- Many more improvements, including:
- A beautiful new interface
- Improved game recaps
- An upgraded player morale/team chemistry system
- Enhanced play-by-play text and league news
- A sophisticated system for team relegation and promotion between leagues
- The ability to retain player salaries in trades
- The incorporation of many 2017 rule changes
- Faster import speeds of historical minor league seasons
- And more to be announced prior to release