For years, Xbox Game Pass users have enjoyed MLB The Show landing on Game Pass from day one, no extra cost, step in and swing. Every mainline entry of the franchise from MLB The Show 21 through 24 was a given on Game Pass, but then came The Show 25, and everything changed.
The Shocking Announcement From Sony
Sony San Diego Studio broke the news back in January 2025, right during their reveal stream. MLB The Show 25 wouldn’t just skip Xbox Game Pass; it wouldn’t be available on PlayStation Plus, either. Not now, not later, so if you wanted in, you’d have to buy the game outright.
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Developers pointed to shifting MLB licensing terms as the culprit. After years of boosting Xbox numbers with Game Pass, they wanted to steer things back to direct sales and away from subscription-based platforms. In fact, MLB The Show 24 disappeared from Game Pass almost immediately after 25 was announced, just to clear the deck around launch week.
Where Things Stand Now
Fast forward to February 2026, and there’s still no sign of a Game Pass comeback for MLB The Show 25. The Xbox store page still reads clearly: you need to buy the game to play. Cloud streaming works, but only if you own the game. Forums and subreddits lit up with “maybe later?” threads right after launch, but official updates suggest nothing.
Some players hoped for a surprise drop after the World Series, like other sports games sometimes do, but MLB The Show 25 stays locked in behind that paywall.
How It Plays Out For Xbox Players
Cross-play is still alive, so Series X/S players can jump right in with friends on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. Sure, you lose the Game Pass access, but new features like the revamped Road to the Show and Ambush Hitting system still draw in diehards. Franchise mode gets some love, plus there are new stadiums to explore.
It’s the casual gaming crowd that gets hit hardest here. Game Pass brought in a wave of casual players who would dip in for quick Ranked seasons and binged stubs packs. Now? You have to buy the standard edition or wait for holiday sales to arrive.
Any Hope At All?
Sony hasn’t shut the door completely. Other sports series like 2K or Madden often circle back to subscription services months or even years later to boost playerbase. However, with MLB The Show 26 already picking up hype for its March 2026 release, all eyes are on it. So it is unlikely for The Show 25 to appear on Game Pass anytime soon.
Published: Feb 17, 2026 03:30 pm