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- Derek Weston via GameSpot - All Content
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MLB Lockout Threat Looms Over 2027 Season and Baseball Video Games
ReMLB Lockout Threat Looms Over 2027 Season and Baseball Video Games
With the MLB collective bargaining agreement expiring December 1, 2026, and a salary cap dispute threatening a lockout, the future of the 2027 season and annual baseball video games like MLB The Show and Out of the Park Baseball hangs in the balance.
The expiration of Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement on December 1, 2026, is casting a long shadow over the 2027 season and the baseball video game industry that depends on it. With owners and the MLB Players Association deeply divided over a proposed salary cap, the possibility of a lockout—where owners bar players from team facilities—is growing more likely. Unlike the brief 2022 lockout, which delayed the season's start but preserved a full 162-game schedule, this standoff could result in a reduced number of games in 2027, or even threaten the season entirely.
For video game fans, the annual rhythm of baseball titles like Sony's MLB The Show is now in question. Typically released each spring with updated real-life rosters for all 30 MLB teams, The Show's development cycle is tightly coupled to the league's calendar. If a lockout prevents a new CBA from being reached before the game's launch, Sony and developer San Diego Studio may be forced to adapt. The company has not responded to requests for comment on its contingency plans, and those plans could still shift as negotiations continue.
History offers some guidance. Matt Bertz, former managing editor of Game Informer and current senior VP of Games at consulting firm Magid, points to the 2011 NBA lockout, which began in July and lasted until December. Despite the disruption, NBA 2K12 still launched in its usual October window. «The money train needs to stay on the track, and those licenses aren't cheap,» Bertz said. However, updated rosters and rookies were unavailable until the lockout ended. To compensate, developer Visual Concepts leaned into basketball history with the NBA's Greatest mode, celebrating 15 legendary players with era-specific presentation and commentary. Bertz suggests a similar strategy could work for MLB The Show, given baseball's rich history and the game's existing use of legends and Negro Leagues content.
Yet historical content has traditionally been a supplement to live rosters, not the main draw. A full-season content rollout, which relies on current players and real-world events, would be difficult to replicate with past greats alone. While a mode focused on nostalgia could offer temporary appeal, it may lack the sustained engagement of a traditional live-service model.
MLB The Show is not the only baseball game with an MLB license. Out of the Park Baseball, a deeply detailed management simulation, also depends on accurate league data. Rich Grisham, president of developer Out of the Park Developments, remains optimistic. «I think history is the best guide in terms of video games, and luckily, we've been blessed with Major League Baseball not having a lot of labor issues over the last, you know, 10-15 years,» Grisham said in August. «But if you look at history where there have been labor disputes in the past, the video games around the sport, their release schedules didn't change. So I don't think video game baseball fans have any reason to be concerned about their video games.»
Grisham's confidence extends to the 2027 season existing in some form, though he acknowledges uncertainty about its start date. «Will there be baseball exactly on time or a little later? You know, that is all up in the air,» he said. For Out of the Park Baseball, which prides itself on granular authenticity, a new CBA is essential to implement rule changes and financial structures accurately. The development team aims to incorporate updates as soon as possible but cannot plan for all outcomes until negotiations conclude.
As the December 1 deadline approaches, both game developers and fans are left waiting. The stakes are high: a prolonged lockout could disrupt not only the 2027 MLB season but also the annual release of baseball video games that have become a cherished part of the sport's ecosystem. For now, the only certainty is that the coming months will determine whether the virtual diamond mirrors the real one—or if fans will have to settle for reliving the past.
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