MLB, Minecraft partner for Home Run Derby

Thanks to a partnership with Microsoft Studios and The Misfit Society, Minecraft players can now download the MLB Home Run Derby DLC and swing for the fences in a fast-paced home run competition.

The first-of-its-kind athletic DLC for Minecraft allows players to compete as one of over a dozen Minecraft characters, and features all 30 MLB teams and stadiums with every park having been meticulously recreated using Minecraft’s notorious pixel art style.

Some of my favorite games growing up were NES Baseball and Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. on Nintendo 64, so we took a lot of inspiration from those games and put them into our game,” co-founder and managing director of The Misfit Society Gerald Bove said. “Now, being able to play this with my six-year-old son and being able to connect across different generations over a game that’s been around for the past 100 years is something that feels really good to me personally.”

Getting started is as simple as stepping into the clubhouse to select a character, uniform and stadium combination, before entering the batter’s box to compete in a point-and-click contest based on reflexes and accuracy. Rounds are timed, with each stadium’s scoreboard displaying time remaining, home run total, and the distance of a player’s last hit and longest home run. Players can also head to a batting practice arena within the game’s interactive menu to sharpen their skills before heading out to the field.