You’re out of luck this year if you were hoping for MLB The Show 26 to land on Xbox Game Pass day one. Sony San Diego Studio skipped the Game Pass partnership entirely, just like they did with MLB The Show 25.
MLB The Show 25’s Absence From Xbox Game Pass
Xbox partnered with MLB The Show for the first time with the 2021 version. For four years straight, Xbox players got every new release on launch day as part of their subscription, until MLB The Show 24. Franchise mode, Diamond Dynasty, the whole deal was included at no extra cost.
Xbox fans flocked to it, and the move boosted sales across the board, making MLB The Show a regular yearly release for Game Pass users.
However, things flipped after MLB The Show 24. When MLB The Show 25 launched in March 2025, it didn’t show up on Game Pass at all. Then, The Show 24 disappeared from the service not long after. The community wonders if the partnership expired or if the standalone sales were just too good. Maybe Sony wanted all the revenue for themselves.
In all likelihood, there was likely a deal in place between Microsoft and MLB to host The Show on Game Pass for a certain number of years to solidify the player base on the Xbox platform before pulling back once certain metrics were met.
MLB The Show 26 Launch Details
MLB The Show 26 arrives March 17, 2026, and it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Aaron Judge shines on the cover this year. Expect new Road to the Show draft features, a bigger Road to Cooperstown, and World Baseball Classic content in Diamond Dynasty.
There is no mention of Game Pass on any official channels. Pre-orders are open: $70 for Standard Edition and $100 for Digital Deluxe (which gets you early access starting March 13). Pure Xbox summed it up: as of late January 2026, “No sign of Xbox Game Pass”.
Gamer Options Now
If you’re sticking with Game Pass, you might be able to play MLB The Show 24 for a little while longer, but it’ll probably take an exit soon, like last year. If you want the latest rosters, pre-order The Show 26 for cross-play, cloud saves, and shared leaderboards across all platforms.
Xbox players lose out on the free trial hook, but the full game is still there to be purchased as a standalone. If you’re a casual fan, waiting for a discount might be smarter, as sports titles usually get discounted by Summer.
But if you’re a hardcore Franchise builder or Diamond Dynasty grinder, the launch day rosters and live MLB integration updates are tough to pass up.
What It Means For MLB The Show 26
Game Pass introduced the baseball classic MLB The Show to a whole new audience. Without that day-one drop, Xbox player numbers may dip short-term, but honestly, the series topped sales charts last year anyway.
In the meantime, we’ll monitor the potential of the next MLB The Show entry possibly being on PC.
