MLB The Show 24: Diamond Dynasty New Features and Details

In lieu of a feature premiere this week, we got a developer blog detailing changes in Diamond Dynasty.

MLB The Show 23 featured the debut of Sets and Seasons, where cards were only usable for two seasons before being rotated out. There was a sizable amount of rejection once all was said and done, with many DD veterans missing the power creep from previous years. I personally enjoyed the risk SDS took, though I agree that it wasn’t quite executed as well as it could have been.

It sounds like SDS heard all the feedback and made some pointed changes to Diamond Dynasty this year. There’s a lot of information so let’s jump right in.

MLB The Show 24 Diamond Dynasty New Features and Details

Seasonal Diamond Dynasty

Seasons will still exist within Diamond Dynasty, they’ll simply function differently than last year. Seasons will run for around 12-weeks at a time, bringing exclusive cards to each respective season.

One of the biggest complaints last year was the over abundance of 99 overall cards. While it was certainly cool to get 99’s of guys that typically never got high-powered cards, the relentless release of 99 overalls diluted the card pool with very similar cards. Captains and team building didn’t quite function as efficiently as we all hoped and the Sets and Seasons structure made it difficult to field true theme teams all year.

It sounds like SDS is combining the traditional power creep method with Sets and Seasons to a degree. At launch, we’ll see more 91 overall rated cards as the top-end as the cards will get more powerful from there as the season goes on. SDS specifically mentions using Silver and Gold cards in team building throughout each season, which is hopefully a sign that Captains have been tuned to make that a viable strategy.

In-Season Cards

Cards will still feature a badge displaying their respective seasons. While Sets are effectively going away, the rotation has not. Only current in-season cards will be eligible for Ranked lineups. That means that when Season 2 launches about three months after release, your Season 1 cards will no longer be usable unless selected as a Wild Card.

One area that fell a bit short last year was Wild Cards. We had the ability to choose a single Wild Card each season, meaning that card could be from any ineligible Set. As the year went on, this just resulted in a “feels bad man” attitude as our binders were full of cool 99 overall cards, yet we could only choose one from old sets.

SDS again heard the feedback and made a really cool change this year – four Wild Card slots. Starting in Season 2, we’ll be able to unlock up to four Wild Card slots through the Season XP Reward Path. This is an interesting wrinkle since it sounds like only players that play through the full season can max out on Wild Card slots in each following season.

That means that at the beginning of each new Season, you can bring four cards from your Season 1 squad into Season 2 to help you get going in the new season. This is a fantastic change that at least lessens the sting of favorite cards no longer being season eligible.

Core Cards

Core cards are also returning and as expected, all Live Series cards will be Core cards. We got random cards last year that fell into the Core category, like the Extreme Program’s Home Run Derby Ken Griffey Jr. For the most part, Live Series cards were the main Core cards and it sounds like that’ll be the case again. These cards can be used in any and all game modes all year, regardless of the current season.

SDS also confirmed that Core Card collections will return, including one available at launch featuring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This card appears to be a 91 overall, which should further bolster the fact that even some early collection rewards will be lower-rated and fit in with the power creep tradition.

Cornerstone Cards

There will be a special Cornerstone Choice Pack at the beginning of each season, offering players a chance to build their respective teams around a specific card. These are Captain cards with “special abilities” intended to help you truly focus on team building.

Each season will bring a new Cornerstone Choice Pack and players will be able to choose one. These packs are free and will be delivered directly to player inventories.

It’ll be interesting to learn if these are sellable, allowing us to change up our choice or if we’re locked into a Cornerstone Captain. More importantly, learning what these special abilities are will be a potential game changer. One area Captains fell short last year was the lack of true diverse abilities promoting a variety of team builds. Cornerstone Captains sound like they might provide next level teambuilding capabilities.

We already know the Cornerstone Captains for Season 1 when the game launches: Nolan Arenado, Byron Buxton, Kodai Senga and Greg Maddux.

Seasonal Starter Packs and Head Start Rewards

At the beginning of each season, players will receive a free 5-pack Seasonal Starter bundle in their inventories. MLB The Show is already the most generous sports game when it comes to handing out free packs. Getting a 5-pack bundle tossed into inventories at the beginning of each season is a nice touch and might even act as an incentive for some players to keep playing.

Additionally, SDS confirmed that Head Start Rewards will be coming back in MLB The Show 24. Head Start Rewards were one of the cooler additions from Sets and Seasons. Depending on the programs or collections you finished in the prior season, you could earn additional XP, Stubs or packs. We don’t have any firm details on Head Start Rewards and any potential changes, but their return is certainly welcomed.

Content Structure

As stated previously, seasons will run for around 12-weeks each or roughly 3-months. Because of the 12-week nature, it sounds like we’ll get 99 overall cards quicker than we normally would – we just won’t be drowning in them two weeks after launch. With 91 overall cards being some of the highest rated at launch, pacing will be important for SDS so I’ll be eager to see how they begin trickling out the power creep.

SDS went out of their way to confirm that Live Series collections would still be a thing. There was no mention that the collection structure would change, but we won’t learn more about the Live Series collection until the Live Content feature premiere on March 14.

It also sounds like there’s a more focused balance between online and offline players. SDS called out that multiplayer focused players will “earn high rated rewards initially” while solo players will earn better rewards over time. This sounds like we might see some substantial offline stat grinds for solo players leading to better rewards. Does this mean the World Series Choice Packs will be earnable offline, after an extensive grind that takes up most of the season? This will be an interesting detail to watch for offline players.

Online Modes and Sellable Rewards

SDS called out a renewed focus on the game’s economy, so we’ll see if that means a tangible effect on the market or card values. What we do know is that online modes will feature sellable rewards. This was a major complaint from across the community last year – non-sellable rewards. It hampered incentive to grind online for rewards that you couldn’t sell, especially when many of the rewards were arguably worse than other cards that were easier to earn. In addition to sellable rewards, Ranked is getting an exclusive program player reward as well.

Battle Royale’s getting a huge change, with the Flawless Choice Pack win requirements being reduced from 12-0 to 10-0. This is a pretty big deal as BR games can get silly, so having two fewer wins to chase can lead to many more successful runs for players.

Events are also running for two-weeks each. Events have always had odd durations, some lasting longer than others which made it difficult to balance all the game modes. If all Events are a solid two weeks, then those of us strapped for time will be better equipped to plan out our grind.

Finally, SDS will be handing out free themed packs every single week. We were given a hint that was more a confirmation that the first themed pack of the year will be based on the Seoul Series, which will see the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres face off on Korea to start the 2024 MLB season.

Team Affinity

Not only is Team Affinity returning, but we’re getting more of it than ever before. With new seasons launching roughly every three months, we’ll be getting a new Team Affinity chapter each month. In total, we’ll get three new Team Affinity drops every season.

Chapter 1 will be available at launch while Chapter 2 lands in mid-April and Chapter 3 arrives in May. Every TA Chapter will bring 30 new cards with each MLB team being represented.

We got a sneak peek at a couple legends in Chapter 1, including a new legend announcement featuring Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins. We also see the return of the Takashi Okazaki series from MLB The Show 22. This is probably my favorite all-time card series, at least in terms of card art. If we’ll have a chance to see this cards again or perhaps even see new cards in the series, that’ll be some unexpected icing on the cake.

Chapter 1 Team Affinity cards are 89 overall, with each new Chapter seeing an increase in power level.

There was a FAQ included about Team Affinity, but for the most part it mostly confirmed that TA itself will operate as it always has. You’ll earn progress no matter where you’re playing in Diamond Dynasty and there will be plenty of Moments and Showdowns along the way. There will also be various ways to earn vouchers to redeem for progress in TA.

The Closer

Diamond Dynasty had a lot of question marks coming into MLB The Show 24. Sets and Seasons was a fun twist that ultimately left a lot to be desired. Captains were an incredible premise, only to fall flat in execution and didn’t really succeed in true teambuilding. The Diamond Dynasty blog post did a ton of heavy lifting in clarifying expectations this year. A more refined approach to Seasons will attempt to marry the best of both worlds: power creep and rotation. Cornerstone Captains will function as “starter Pokémon” for each new season. If these Captains have true, unique abilities that redefine team building then we’ll be in a for a real treat. Beyond Cornerstone Captains, there wasn’t a ton said about Captains themselves. Realistically, if we just got a better variety of usable Captains that promoted theme team variety then we’ll be better than last year.

I’m incredibly excited to jump into Diamond Dynasty this year. It sounds like SDS truly was listening to the feedback and the result is a creative mix of ideas. Obviously, it’ll take time once the game launches to get a sense of how Diamond Dynasty and content feels but I’m ready.

SDS also left us with a teaser for what looks like a new Hall of Fame card series. The image is blurred, but it certainly helps build some extra hype over the next two weeks to launch.

Stay plugged into all the latest MLB The Show 24 news here at ShowZone with our ever-updating megapost. We’ll also have breakdowns like this on any other news that comes out and of course – we’ll have all the latest news, tips and more once the game releases into early access on March 15 with a standard release on March 19.