https://www.u4gm.com/mlb-the-show-25-stubs MLB The Show 25 has arrived with updated rosters, new features, and a promise to elevate the baseball simulation experience. Yet, beneath the surface improvements lies a growing concern that has sparked debate among fans and critics alike: the continued use of an aging and, some argue, outdated game engine. While San Diego Studio has consistently delivered high-quality baseball gameplay, the lack of innovation in the core engine has led to increasing frustration within the community.
At the heart of the controversy is the perception that the game engine, which has powered MLB The Show for several years, is beginning to show its age. While new animations, lighting updates, and presentation tweaks have been added over time, the fundamental physics, animations, and player movement still rely heavily on legacy code. This has led to repeated complaints about recurring bugs, clunky animations, and inconsistencies in gameplay that some fans feel should have been resolved long ago.
Pitching and hitting, two of the most critical mechanics in the game, are still plagued by timing discrepancies and questionable outcomes. Many players report feeling a disconnect between input and result, with perfectly timed swings resulting in weak contact, or fastballs missing their intended mark despite accurate meter placement. These issues have existed in various forms for years, and the lack of meaningful improvement has led some to believe the game engine is the main culprit.
Another major concern stems from fielding and player movement. While MLB The Show 25 boasts new fielding animations and smarter AI positioning, players still encounter awkward transitions, poor responsiveness, and animations that don't always sync with the action on screen. These moments break immersion and leave the impression that the game is being held back by technology that hasn’t been meaningfully upgraded in several iterations.
Online play also continues to suffer from latency and synchronization problems, which many players attribute to the limitations of the engine. In competitive modes like Diamond Dynasty, these issues can have a serious impact on fairness and the overall quality of the experience. When precision is crucial, any lag in input or delay in game response becomes more than a minor inconvenience—it becomes a core gameplay flaw.
What frustrates long-time fans even more is that while other sports franchises have invested in new engines or overhauled their systems for modern hardware, MLB The Show seems content to rely on minor refinements year after year. With the transition to next-gen consoles now fully underway, many expected a deeper leap forward in terms of realism, physics, and gameplay responsiveness. That leap, according to critics, has yet to arrive.
San Diego Studio has acknowledged player feedback and has committed to ongoing updates and patches, but some argue that band-aid fixes won't resolve the underlying structural limitations. A more fundamental shift—a completely new or significantly reworked game engine—may be necessary to truly advance the franchise.
Despite the controversy, MLB The Show 25 still offers one of the best baseball simulations on the market. But the goodwill it has earned over the years is being tested by growing discontent over the game's technical foundation. If the developers fail to address these concerns in a substantial way in future releases, the franchise could begin to lose its position as the undisputed king of baseball gaming.