The 2000s were a prosperous time for MLB-licensed and baseball video games, in general. Titles like 989 Sports’ MLB, Windows Baseball, and later, MVP Baseball littered the scene. But on the arcade side of things, no game might have been more impactful than Backyard Baseball, which saw many legends go back to their early days. Now, the franchise has seen a revival. The first trailer for the Backyard Sports — and Backyard Baseball — reboot went live, and here’s what gaming and baseball fans should know about the new series of games.

Contents

• New Backyard Baseball game
• Backyard Baseball ’01 re-release
• Backyard Baseball ’97 re-release
• Trailer for reboot
• PC specifications

Backyard Baseball release date

The new Backyard Baseball game will be released on July 9, 2026.

This title will be available for consoles, as well as PC and Mac devices. And, it will feature online play and many of the other components that made up the Backyard Baseball games of old.

Backyard Baseball ’01 re-release date

Backyard Baseball ’01 will be re-released on July 8, 2025, for PC and mobile devices.

This title, much like the original Backyard Baseball, will have real MLB team names and logos, albeit ones from 2001. Additionally, 28 returning legends will be back for the re-released version.

Returning players include Cal Ripken Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Larkin, Derek Jeter, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Jeromy Burnitz, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., Larry Walker, and Jose Canseco. However, this version won’t have the kid-like likenesses for Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds.

Backyard Baseball ’97 re-release

The reboot of Backyard Baseball was released on October 10, 2024, for the PC, and costs $9.99 USD.

Since then, the title landed on PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch.

We should note this is a re-release of Backyard Baseball ’97. It did not have official MLB players or team logos.

We reviewed the re-release of Backyard Baseball ’97 in October 2024.

Trailer and publisher information

On August 20, 2024, a teaser trailer for Backyard Sports was released, which heavily featured the Backyard Baseball IP. The trailer featured many household names from the franchise, including Pete Wheeler and Pablo Sanchez.

A second trailer, which confirmed when the new game will be released, dropped in February 2026.

The reboot marks a return for the franchise that made a name for itself in the 2000s. The original Backyard Baseball game launched in 1997 on PC but hit consoles in the early 2000s. Those later titles feature real MLB team logos and future MLB legends, including Randy Johnson, Albert Pujols, Mike Piazza, and Tony Gwynn, among others.

The last game in the franchise for consoles, Backyard Baseball: Sandlot Sluggers, in 2010, did not have official MLB teams or players in it.

Playground Productions, a family-oriented media and educational company own the Backyard Sports intellectual property. The game was originally developed by Humongous Entertainment and published by Infogrames/Atari. Mega Cat Studios developed the re-release.

Per Playground, it’s planning on branching out to film, TV, and video games. The team already released a special on YouTube, featuring the kids from the Backyard Sports games.

PC Minimum Specifications

First, here’s a look at what specifications are required to run the new game at the bare minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 – 64-bit (latest update)
• Processor: Intel Core i3-6100 @3.7GHz or AMD Athlon X4 88K @4GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB or AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband internet connection
• Storage: 13 GB

macOS 12.0 is the minimum for Mac computers.

Here’s a look at the minimum hardware specifications needed to run Backyard Baseball ’97 and ’01:

• OS: Windows 10 32bit
• Processor: 2.0+ Ghz
• Memory: 512 MB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 5670 1GB DDR3 Sapphire
• Storage: 200 MB available space

The OS and Graphics minimum requirements are quite low. The AMD Radeon HD 5670 1GB DDR3 Sapphire graphics card was released over a decade ago, meaning most computers should be able to run this game without an issue.

However, be mindful that there will be limitations to what hardware can be used for the game. Per the Steam listing, Xbox controllers will partially be compatible. The developers stated that because it doesn’t have access to the game’s source code, it’s not compatible with gamepads or the Steam Deck. Additionally, the original 32-bit code can’t be supported on modern macOS.

Be sure to check out more of our other gaming coverage, including when another notable baseball game — Professional Baseball Spirits 2024-25 — will be released.