After the 26 release, I gained a new appreciation for 25.
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MLB The Show 25 had a grounded, simulation‑first identity, and 26—while slicker in some areas—leans noticeably more toward “video game physics.”
Let me break down what I mean:
Why 25 feels more like a simulation
Even without being a dev, you can sense when animations respect physical constraints. In 25:- Fielding animations were weightier — players planted their feet, transferred momentum realistically, and throws came from believable arm slots.
- Double‑play footwork was tight and grounded — the 2B or SS would drag the bag, pivot, and fire with a realistic release angle.
- Player acceleration and deceleration had inertia — you could feel the body mass.
These things matter in a simulation because they create the illusion that the player is a physical object obeying physics, not a puppet snapping between animation states.
What changed in 26
example of the second baseman “launching upward” after touching the bag in 26:- The throwing animations often exaggerate vertical lift, almost like the game is prioritizing a dramatic, readable animation over a physically grounded one.
- Transitions between animations are faster, which makes the game feel snappier but less believable.
- There’s a subtle shift toward arcade responsiveness, especially in RTTS where they want to keep the pace high.
It’s not that 26 is “worse”—it’s that it’s chasing a different feel. And if you’re a simulation purist, that difference is glaring.
The Show is constantly trying to balance authenticity with accessibility.
RTTS especially has always been the “video game‑ier” mode, but 25 managed to keep the illusion of realism intact. 26 breaks that illusion more often.And honestly, Once you’ve internalized the rhythm of a game, even small animation changes feel seismic.
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I miss when pitching and a runner is on base and pulling left trigger the camera would switch so you were actually looking at the runner. This year it doesn’t do that anymore you have to rely on the little window in top right. It just makes it feel “off” more video game and not a sim at all. I miss the old way, they have broken more this year than ever before.
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I knew that SDS just couldn't resist the urge to complicate the simple and straightforward. SDS got the most critical part of RTTS just right in MLB 25 when they ditched all the convoluted methods of earning attribute gains, and went with a straightforward and simple process of earning points for tokens and then using those tokens to essentially purchase attributes and perk updates. The perks had to be initially earned through the same on-the-field performance skills as one would use to earn the points for tokens.
Soon as I saw the new layers of goals and other stuff that SDS would introduce more problems than they would create new interest.
The basic game code is just layered with too much competing junk now, so that any changes made end up causing more bugs than actual updates. The solution to this problem is simple, rewrite the code from the ground up. But, that requires either SDS hires a large enough staff of top flight sports video game coders, or employs a smaller staff and has them work for four years or so.
My guess is that Sony, seeing SDS as a cash cow they suck money from, would reject either option. At some point the house of cards is going to collapse, but my guess is Sony has plans for that eventuality -- sell off the pieces of SDS for their final cash draw and end SDS as it is known today.
