“This undertaking wouldn’t be doable with out our groundbreaking partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and their president, Bob Kendrick,” explains Russell. “It was paramount for us to provide context to those wonderful gamers and the historical past behind the Negro Leagues. Bob does this higher than anybody. Our job was to make these tales participating for a online game and let Bob do the educating.”
For this upcoming MLB The Present 24 season, there will likely be 10 new Negro League Legends added, every with their very own distinctive Storyline to expertise. Legends like Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Hank Aaron, and Toni Stone have been confirmed to be playable at early entry launch on March 15, 2024, for Xbox One and Xbox Collection X|S.
The subsequent set of three Negro Leagues gamers will arrive as a free downloadable content material drop in April, after which once more in Could. As well as, all of the gamers from Season 1 of Storylines will likely be included in MLB The Present 24 at launch — so in case you missed out on this characteristic from final yr’s sport, you’ll have quite a bit to expertise on day one.
“The creation and improvement of Storylines was a really natural course of. It wasn’t excellent, and we weren’t capable of embody all the things we needed to in yr one,” shares Russell. “Nonetheless, we began this undertaking with three objectives in thoughts: to coach, enlighten, and encourage by celebrating the wealthy historical past of the Negro Leagues. We completed these objectives and helped carry some much-needed consideration to such an necessary half and infrequently ignored chapter in American historical past.”
A giant a part of the rationale why there’s a lot historical past for Russell and the MLB The Present workforce to tug from is largely due to the efforts of Black newspapers and Black press who labored tirelessly to doc Negro Leagues historical past (you may study extra about them right here on the official Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Fame web site). With out these efforts we might have by no means heard about these Black baseball legends.
When you’ve got seen the design of this yr’s MLB The Present 24 Collector’s Version, because of this it’s been made to pay homage to those necessary members of baseball’s historical past. This yr’s theme, as Russell places is, “is a tribute to those that helped give a voice to the unvoiced.” With out these newspapers and the pioneering baseball writers, the Negro Leagues wouldn’t have survived; they preserved this often-overlooked chapter of American and baseball historical past.
“The Kansas Metropolis Name, Pittsburg Currier, and Chicago Defender are just some of the black-oriented newspapers within the Nineteen Thirties and Forties that fashioned a symbiotic relationship with the Negro Leagues,” Russell explains. ““They, together with what pioneering black writers like Wendell Smith and Sam Lacy documented, are so necessary to this story. We’re hoping our followers love the quilt artwork, and from the response we’ve acquired they the truth is do. For some followers the journey will finish there and that’s OK. For others, they could dig slightly deeper to study slightly extra in regards to the historical past behind the artistic.”
Of their continued partnership with The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas Metropolis, MLB The Present will donate $1 for each Negro Leagues Version, Digital Deluxe Version, and MVP version bought within the U.S. till 12/31/24 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. You’ll be able to go to the official web site of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum right here to study extra about their necessary work.
Search for MLB The Present 24 to launch on Xbox One, Xbox Collection X|S, and day one with Xbox Sport Cross on March 19, 2024. Xbox Sport Cross members can even choose up the Digital Deluxe Version and 4 days early entry by buying the Digital Deluxe Improve Add-On Bundle right here on the Xbox Retailer.
MLB® The Present™ 24 – MVP Version (Pre-Order)
MLB
$84.99
Pre-order to obtain a Gold Selection Pack and Early Entry on March 15, 2024.
This version of MLB The Present 24 contains:
• Full Sport for Xbox One and Xbox Collection X|S
• 10,000 Stubs™
• 1 Diamond Selection Pack
• 1 Gear Pack
• 10 The Present Packs
• 1 Double Each day Rewards
• 1 Cowl Athlete Bat Pores and skin
Unlock Your Second
It’s your Present. Able to personal it?
Set out on the highway to baseball greatness – no matter it’s you wish to obtain, MLB® The Present™ 24 has bought you coated.
Earn your name up from the minors to the massive leagues and show you’ve bought what it takes on the prime. Be taught from the legends of the game, take inspiration from their heroics and use it to enhance your sport. Maintain your nerve when it issues and earn the proper to be referred to as World Collection champions.
Chalk up the wins, choose your self up after the losses.
No matter occurs, know you left nothing within the dugout.
Celebrating Historical past with Storylines
Rejoice and find out about baseball legends all through the game’s historical past. The Storylines mode transports you into baseball’s previous to relive iconic moments of baseball’s unsung and unknown heroes. Expertise career-defining moments by means of a mix of immersive gameplay that can educate and encourage you to make historical past of your personal.
Highway to the Present
Unlock your second and construct your profession within the final baseball role-playing expertise. Turn out to be a ballplayer and journey from the minors to the majors to outline your legacy.
Franchise
Lead your workforce to World Collection glory as a workforce supervisor in Franchise mode. Expertise new options offering extra in-depth and dynamic gameplay from March to October.
March to October
Take management of your favourite workforce, deal with the important thing streamlined in-season moments and see if you will get to the Playoffs and past.
Diamond Dynasty
Construct your fantasy workforce of gamers from throughout all eras of baseball’s historical past as Diamond Dynasty returns for an additional season. Accumulate participant playing cards, construct your dream squad, and play head-to-head towards different gamers on-line and offline whereas customizing your workforce’s look.*
Multiplayer
Collect your folks and face off in cross-platform play.** Climb the leaderboards and compete towards others on-line, or expertise workforce glory collectively by means of on-line co-op play. With cross-progression, proceed your progress and earn and use content material on different console platforms.***
