With the new Backyard Baseball game releasing in July 2026, we’re going back to review the classic Backyard Baseball ‘01, released in 2025.

Last year, Playground Productions and Mega Cat Studios re-released Backyard Baseball ‘01 for PC. It was the second re-released Backyard Baseball game since Playground Productions bought the IP for the franchise, and far significant of a release given that it was able to release with official MLB logos, team names, and players via the Alumni Association.

With the new game releasing in July 2026, let’s take a look back at how the last game turned out.

Back to old times

For those who grew up playing the old Backyard Baseball games – I’m included in that bunch – this was certainly a pleasant throwback. Playground Productions & Mega Cat Studios re-released the game with essentially what was in the old game, not a shock given nothing from the source code was touched.

The features are just like what the game had back in the day. A pick-up game mode where players could draft from the selection of Backyard Sports kids, plus most of the MLB legends who featured in the game as active players back in 2001. Some are missing, and I’ll get to that in a minute.

Plus, a season mode where one can pick a team and then play against other squads, made up of the Backyard cards, plus CPU-generated players and MLB legends, to compete for titles.

One of the better things about what Humongous, the original developer of the title, did was ensure that the game was easily playable for the youth. Very few moving parts to this title, and it’s simply see ball, hit ball. The difficulty can be tuned from Tee-Ball (the easiest) to Hard, and there are assists like the Ball Locator that can be turned off for an even greater challenge.

But as one would expect, the game is relatively straightforward and true to what was in the game in 2001. Power-up pitches and swings, adjustable difficulty settings, and all can be run on mid-range laptops, PC, and the Steam Deck very efficiently.

What is missing?

There is no official online multiplayer in Backyard Baseball 01’s re-release, even though this was a feature in the original version. Mega Cut Studios was unable to get it to function. A workaround within the code can activate but for review purposes, it won’t be mentioned here since it’s not an officially listed feature.

Aside from that, there were also some modifications made to the team names/logos, plus the available legends.

Most of the players who originally appeared in 01 are in the game. Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Mike Piazza, Tony Gwynn, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez are among those who are in it. However, some very notable names were not included.

Ken Griffey Jr., in the 01 edition, is not in the re-release. Nor are Frank Thomas and Barry Bonds, the latter of whom has been missing from officially licensed – and all baseball games, for that matter – MLB games for over two decades.

Additionally, some of the team names and logos were modified. Since the original was released in 2001, teams like the Angels, Marlins, and Rays have modified their logos and also their names. However, all three have their classic looks. Thus, one can play with the Angels using the navy blue and red A, while the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays have their retro look.

Even the Montreal Expos, who moved to Washington after the 2004 season, are in Backyard Baseball ‘01.

However, the Indians are nowhere to be found. Instead, Cleveland is now labeled as the Guardians, going by the name that organization has had since the 2022 season. Also, the franchise formerly known as the Oakland Athletics just goes by the Athletics.

Verdict

It’s hard to score this game poorly, as it’s merely a re-release of what was a very simple yet incredibly fun baseball game.

Would it be nice to have online multiplayer? Absolutely. But that’s not the end of the world, especially when taking into account that the game can be purchased at a low price point.

There’s a good amount of repeatability, thanks to higher difficulties and also Steam Achievements.

Score: 9/10

Check out more of our gaming coverage, including a look at our Backyard Baseball ’97 re-release review.