MLB The Show 24 will let you create and play as a woman for the first time in the series history, with Road to the Show: Women Pave Their Way, a new addition to the Road to the Show Mode. As well as charting the player character’s path to fame, the Women Pave Their Way mode will also feature a unique storyline featuring an original female character and her ongoing friendship with the player.
Just like the classic RTTS mode, players will be able to create their own character and follow a unique, personalised story of their own rise through the world of professional baseball.
In an interview published on the PlayStation blog, narrative designer Mollie Braley explained that the new mode was inspired by stories of real women in baseball, and was created in consultation with some of the industry’s top female players.
“We wanted the scenarios and characters in this new experience to feel as authentic as possible, so we went straight to the source, interviewing and drawing inspiration from some of the most successful women in baseball, such as Kelsie Whitmore,” Braley said.
“We learned about the immense importance of community and support amongst the small but ever-growing group of women in baseball,” she added. “This is one of the main reasons we chose to include a buddy character in RTTS for the first time ever. Mia Lewis, your RTTS player’s childhood friend and fellow ballplayer, represents the camaraderie professional players like Kelsie Whitmore have said is so important to their success on and off the field.”
Kelsie Whitmore was also interviewed about the new game, adding, “I am proud of MLB the Show for taking a chance of applying real life change into the game. To me, this project is a great opportunity for the world to be informed of women who play baseball and that taking their skills to the next level is possible.”
Former champion tennis player and campaigner for equality in sports Billie Jean King also shared the news on Twitter, congratulating San Diego Studios on its decision.
For the 2023 edition of the game, MLB The Show included the Negro Leagues for the first time, letting players experience a vital part of baseball history as part of the game. This year for the Negro Leagues Season 2, trailblazing player Toni Stone will also be showcased as the first woman to play in the Negro American League back in 1953.
MLB The Show 24 will launch on March 19 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game will also be a day one release for Xbox Game Pass.