Franchise Mode details for MLB The Show 18

There’s little doubt in recent years that Franchise Mode has taken a back seat in most sports games. MLB The Show is one of those which hasn’t done much to progress the mode and this year is facing additional backlash over the decision to remove Online Franchise.

Today the full details on what to expect out of Franchise Mode have been revealed and there really isn’t that much new to go over. The main addition called “Phases” assists by surfacing important information. It’s possible something more will be revealed through the developer stream on the subject but otherwise that’s about all there is, which is pretty disheartening coming from the official blog they titled “Everything New in Franchise Mode.” 

Front Office Phases

As a GM of a MLB team, you need to focus on making the right decisions at the right times. This year, we’ve broken Franchise mode down into 19 unique phases that contextualize the important moments general managers experience in a typical MLB season to help guide your franchise to success.

To help with this, each phase is labeled on the home page and calendar screen to remind you of your current phase, the upcoming phase, and when the next phase begins. Each phase contains a list of important tasks that are relevant to that time of the year., so you’ll no longer find yourself unsure of what to do next. Not interested in dealing with a specific task? Simply press square to switch it from manual to auto.

Phases also deliver you dynamic content and visuals throughout the season to help you make informed decisions that impact your team. For example, you can easily see:

-The result of your last game and who played well.
-Your next opponent, starting pitchers, and how they are performing this year.
-How your team stacks up per position compared to other teams.
-Your star players who are going to be free agents in the offseason.

This is just some of the content we’re now able to deliver at appropriate moments throughout the season, instead of requiring you to find it on your own. Phases also allow for navigation that is quicker and more intuitive than ever. Even if you decide to never leave the home page in Franchise mode, you can still make all the decisions necessary to manage your team to the World Series.

Playing With Your Team

After you’ve had a healthy dose of management tasks, it’s time to hit the field. In The Show 18, there are many ways to experience Franchise mode games, each of which offer varying completion times to fit your schedule.

–Play Full Game: Roughly 45 minutes. This is the full 9-inning game experience. You take full control of your players and all in-game management decisions.

–Critical Situations: Roughly 10 minutes. As the season progresses, you’re prompted to join in on intense gameplay moments that occur during different games.

–Player Lock: Roughly 10 minutes. Play as a single player on your team and experience the game from their perspective.

–Quick Manage: Roughly 5 minutes. A text-based simulation that unfolds based on your decisions and input. You also have the option to jump in and out of the action at any time.

–Manage Full game: Roughly 45 minutes. For our most hardcore fans that enjoy managing a team. You have the ability to jump in game as the manager and make every management decision for your team.

–Retro Mode: Roughly 30 minutes. New this year, play at any time with your franchise team in Retro mode. Retro mode features simplified gameplay controls and a retro presentation package to recreate that nostalgic feeling from past baseball video games.