Baseball fans have been swinging for the fences in MLB The Show 21 for about a month now, and so far it's proven to be one of the most impressive entries in the franchise yet. Gameplay is as solid as it has ever been, and the addition of a stadium creator has proven to be a massive hit with fans. This year's installment has also been boosted by the fact the franchise has come to Xbox for the first time, after being one of PlayStation's trademark exclusives. The Show is available to more gamers than ever before, and MLB The Show 21 already seems to be ushering in a new era for the series.
One of the most consistently popular features in The Show is Diamond Dynasty, the card collecting multiplayer mode that allows players to build their own fantasy team. The mode largely reflects Madden and FIFA's Ultimate Team modes, but one important distinction with The Show is that it doesn't compel players to rely on microtransactions as much. Developer San Diego Studio has made it very possible for players to build a stellar team without spending additional money, but it's important to know what tools players can use in order to accomplish that.
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Even though Diamond Dynasty is a predominantly multiplayer, there are a handful of offline modes that players can take advantage of to build up a team. The Moments and Conquest modes all put players against CPU opponents, and they both bear some pretty good rewards. Certain Conquest maps will give players upwards of 10 card packs as they go through the map, some of which offer some of the best cards in the game. The Moments offerings can be a little less varied, but they can often be completed in quick succession so players don't feel like they're grinding so much.
Diving straight into multiplayer without a solid team might seem a little intimidating, but it's not impossible to win some games with some lower tier players. The two main online modes for players to tackle are Ranked Seasons and Battle Royale, and they both hold some of the best rewards in the game. For players bold enough to take on Battle Royale, if they're able to win 12 games in a row they'll receive a number of diamond-level players and an exclusive card pack that gives even more high-tier cards. It can often be one of the most challenging modes in the game, but the rewards can give players a solid team really quick.
For players that want to pursue a team by more unconventional means, the Community Market on Diamond Dynasty is another viable option. The Community Market allows players to buy and sell cards with The Show's currency, Stubs. It may seem a little intimidating at first, but the Community Market can be used to make a lot of Stubs really quickly by way of flipping cards. It ends up operating similar to the stock market, with players buying low and selling high to make the most profit off of cards as possible. After getting enough Stubs through flipping, players can just buy some of the best cards outright instead of grinding for them.
Building a Diamond Dynasty team in MLB The Show 21 takes a lot of determination as the game continues to release more impressive cards. There are often cards that are fantastic at first, but it's best to stay up to date on newer, higher overall cards that will remain viable in Diamond Dynasty for longer. It can be tempting to get an advantage by spending money on microtransactions, but it's important to know that that's not the only option. MLB The Show 21 stands out from other sports games by giving players a refreshing amount of content to build a free, top-tier team, and it's better for it.
MLB The Show 21 is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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