MLB RIVALS

Greetings from Com2uS!

As the 2025 MLB Postseason heats up, thrilling matchups and unforgettable moments are lighting up the diamond, fueled by the dedication and passion of the players. 

We’d like to take this moment to express our sincere gratitude to all users who have spent another exciting season with MLB RIVALS. We remain committed to delivering content and updates that match your passion for the game.

Today, we’d like to share an update on the new features and systems we’re preparing for the remainder of 2025.

In the September update, we implemented a major Lineup Synergy Effect rebalance. This adjustment was designed to allow you to build lineups using a variety of card types—HOF Cards, Signature Cards, Moment Cards, FA Signature Cards, and Live/Season Cards—while ensuring that each card contributes meaningfully to your team’s synergy.

Whether you're building a lineup full of your favorite team’s stars or blending legends with today’s top talent, our goal was to make those combinations both effective and enjoyable to create. 

Synergy effects now activate even if a player card is newly acquired and not yet developed, meaning both newcomers and veterans can enjoy the strategic depth of lineup building right away.

In this Dev Note, we’ll provide more concrete updates on the development direction we previously outlined—bridging the gap between legendary HOF Cards and Preferred Team Signature Cards, while also expanding lineup options through Moment Cards.

We’ll also introduce several new features and improvements planned for November, December, and beyond.

As always, please note that any details shared here, including schedules and content, are subject to change depending on development progress.

■ Signature Black Cards (Tentative Name)

[Overview]

- Signature Black Cards are a new tier of Signature Cards designed for high-level users who have already fully developed most of their existing Signature Cards.

- Rather than encouraging users to focus all resources on a small number of cards, Signature Black Cards provide an additional growth path that builds on previously developed Signature Cards.

- When recruiting a Signature Black Card, all progress from the base Signature Card will carry over—including Training Boost, Training, and all detailed stat growth. Unlocked Potential levels and development will also be preserved, and no additional Limit Breaks will be required.

- However, additional systems such as Upgrade, Special Training, and other forms of growth after recruitment will require significant amounts of player cards and items.

- FA Signature Cards will also be eligible for Signature Black Card recruitment, with similar growth mechanics—excluding base stats and Deck Score, which may differ.

- In the following sections, we’ll cover each new system in more detail, including Recruitment, Additional Growth Features, Additional Skill Slot, Black Boost, Performance Tuning, and Transcendence Potentials.

[Recruitment]

- Signature Black Cards can be obtained through a separate recruitment system, which becomes available to users who have unlocked the World Champion 1 difficulty in League Mode.

- To initiate recruitment, the target Signature Card must be fully developed in most aspects—meaning it must have reached max levels in Training, Upgrade, Special Training, and Transcendence, and must hold 3 S-grade Skills, including at least one Gold Tier Skill.

- As this expands beyond the existing Signature Card, recruitment will require high-value materials, including multiple Signature Cards from the same team, Signature Cards from the same position, multiple S-grade Live or Season Cards, and Ultimate Coins.

- FA Signature Cards may be used in place of material Signature Cards, and S-grade Craft Cards can substitute for S-grade Cards.

* Recruitment Example

Target: Fully developed LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto ‘24 Signature Card

Materials: LAD Signature Card xN, SP Signature Card xN, S-grade Live/Season Card xN, Advanced Training Boost Ticket, Ultimate Coins, etc.

- Recruitment requirements for FA Signature Black Cards will be slightly less demanding than the standard ones.

- Additionally, the first recruitment of both Signature Black and FA Signature Black Cards will come with a discounted material and currency cost.

[Exclusive Attributes]

- Performance Tuning: A tuning system that allows minor adjustments to certain stats using materials. Batters can tune Hot/Cold Zones or Launch Angle, and Pitchers can adjust pitch grades slightly.

- Black Boost: An exclusive bonus applied only to Signature Black Cards, granting an additional +1 to +3 OVR boost. This bonus can be reset using specific materials.

- Year Change System: Allows you to change the year of a Signature Black Card to another version of the same player. For example, you can switch a Signature Black Card’s year by using a standard Signature Card of the same player from a different year as material. This system is designed to require fewer materials than the Same Player Development Transfer system.

[Growth System]

- Base Stats: When a player is recruited as a Signature Black Card, their base stats increase by +20 over the original Signature Card.

(For example, recruiting LAD Yoshinobu Yamamoto ‘24 with an OVR of 65 will result in a Signature Black Card with an OVR of 85.)

- Transcendence Skill Bonus: If the original Signature Card reached Transcendence Lv. 9, the skill level +1 effect for the 1st Skill Slot will carry over to the Signature Black Card.

- Training & Training Boost: Growth values from all 6 stat categories developed through Training and Training Boost remain unchanged from the original Signature Card.

- Training Reallocation: As with regular Signature Cards, you can select 2 stat categories to receive the fewest points.

- Limit Break: No additional Limit Break is required.

- Upgrade: Signature Black Cards can be upgraded up to Lv. 10. Upgrading requires 5 high-OVR Upgrade Cards, all of which must be registered at once to proceed.

- Deck Score: Default Deck Score is 26 for standard Signature Black Cards. (FA Signature Black Cards start with a Deck Score of 19.)

- Special Training: Available up to Lv. 5. Each level increase grants +1 to Deck Score, +1 to a chosen stat, and +1 to a random stat. (Stats can be rerolled later using materials.)

- Potential: Max level remains at 10, and all unlocked slots and developed Potentials from the original Signature Card are preserved.

- Development Transfer:

  > Same Player: Can transfer between Signature Black Cards of the same player and rarity.

  > Same Position: Can transfer between Signature Black Cards of the same position and rarity. Same Position Transfers count toward your account’s limit.

[Skill System]

- Upon recruitment, Signature Black Cards unlock a 4th Skill Slot.

- This new slot is pre-filled with a random S-grade Black Tier Skill, exclusive to Signature Black Cards.

- Among the four Skill Slots, only one slot can hold a Black Tier Skill. The Skill Lock feature is not supported.

- Black Tier Skills can be obtained using any type of Skill Change Ticket. Higher-grade tickets provide a greater chance of obtaining Black Tier Skills.

- Skill Preset System: Signature Black Cards support two Skill Boards, allowing you to switch between them freely. You can tailor Skill setups for different game modes, batting orders, or fielding positions. Switching between presets requires no materials or currency.

[Transcendence System]

- Signature Black Cards can undergo a separate Transcendence growth, up to Lv. 15.

- Each level grants additional stat boosts. Reaching Transcendence Lv. 9 grants an additional +1 level to the 1st Skill Slot.

- While Signature Black Cards are intended as endgame content, we are also exploring ways to make Transcendence growth easier for better accessibility.

■ Expanded Potentials and 6th Potential

- Cards that reach Transcendence Lv. 9—including (FA) Signature Black Cards, HOF Cards, and Moment Cards—will receive additional benefits to their Potential system. (This also applies retroactively to cards that have already reached Transcendence Lv. 9.)

- Potential Max Level Expansion (Unlocked at Transcendence Lv. 9): At Transcendence Lv. 9, you can expand the maximum level of one of the five Potentials by opening additional slots.

> Max Level per Potential (before expansion): 

  - (FA) Signature Black: 10 / HOF: 12 / Moment: 10 (excluding the expansion bonus applied during Transcendence)

> Max Level per Potential (after expansion): 

  - The maximum level per Potential becomes 15, and the selected Potential gains a random value increase. 

  - Signature Black: +1 to +5 / HOF: +1 to +3 / Moment: +1 to +5 (including the expansion bonus applied during Transcendence)

- You can reroll the Potential to expand its maximum level by using materials. As with the initial process, the maximum level value will also be granted randomly.

- Just like at Level 5 and 10, a new special bonus effect is granted at Level 15.

- New Transcendence Potential (6th Potential, Unlocked at Transcendence Lv. 12): At Transcendence Lv. 12, a brand-new Transcendence Potential (6th Potential) will be unlocked.

> The 6th Potential includes unique traits based on player type:

  - Batters: Lefty Punisher, Righty Punisher, Fastball Hitter, Breaking Ball Hitter, etc.

  - Pitchers: Lefty Stopper, Righty Stopper, Fastball Pitcher, Breaking Ball Pitcher, etc.

  * These traits activate under specific conditions or strike zone locations.

> The 6th Potential starts with a base of 4 level slots, and its type can be changed using materials.

> It can be leveled up using a dedicated Potential Note (F) and can be earned through a dedicated Potential Game.

- 6th Potential Level Expansion (Unlocked at Transcendence Lv. 15): At Transcendence Lv. 15, you can expand the maximum level of the 6th Potential.

> Signature Black: +1 to +6 / HOF: +1 to +8 / Moment: +1 to +6

> As with the standard Potentials, this expansion can be rerolled using materials.

* Important:

- All expansion and type reset systems for Transcendence-related Potentials are separate from the standard Potential Reset and the Advanced Potential Reset.

- For example, if your Full Swing Potential originally had 8 level slots and you gained 5 additional slots via Transcendence Lv. 9, the total becomes 13.

- If you then reroll the base Potential using a standard reset and the new base is 10 slots, the Transcendence-expanded 5 slots remain—bringing the total to 15 slots.

That wraps up our detailed overview.

We hope this information helps you better understand the direction of development.

The MLB RIVALS development team is committed to continually refining player acquisition, card growth systems, gameplay mechanics, events, and overall balance, so that all users—from newcomers to high-level veterans—can set and achieve meaningful goals across short-, mid-, and long-term play.

As shared in our previous Dev Notes, these new features and reworks remain a top priority for development. However, due to the scale of these new systems and the need to ensure stability, we plan to introduce these changes through an update scheduled for mid-December.

We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work hard to meet your excitement and expectations.

With the growing importance of Signature Cards acquired through the Team Selective Signature Pack, Position Selective (FA) Signature Pack, and (FA) Signature Pack, we’ll also work to expand ways to acquire these packs through various events, rewards, and the Event Shop.

In addition, we're preparing a revamp of cumulative rewards for both Premium Scout and Advanced Scout.

■ Additional Notes: Upcoming Oct.–Dec. Updates

- The October update will be rolled out as a Live Update.

- The next Version Update is being prepared to cover both October and November content, with a target release in mid-November.

[Upcoming October Updates]

- The 2025 Season Wrap-Up Event Scout will begin. You can earn items such as a Team Selective Signature Pack and a Normal Recruit HOF Pack simply by participating daily. Additionally, you can obtain a Team Selective Double Signature Pack by spending Stars.

- Skill Improvements: Skills that activate only for specific positions will now appear exclusively on cards of those positions.

> Game Calling: Catcher only

> One-Two Punch, Good Start, Quality Start, One of a Kind, Frontline Ace (HOF), Reliable Arm (HOF), Workhorse (HOF): Starter only

> Setup Man: Reliever only

> Double Stopper, Short Reliever: Reliever or Closer only

> Rising Star: Starter or Reliever only

- Postseason commemorative events will take place throughout October.

- New crafting recipes will be added to the Workshop at the end of October, providing more development support.

- New HOF Cards will be added to the Normal Recruit list by late October.

- A second exclusive offer (per account) to recruit from HOF Normal Recruit at a discounted cost will be added at the end of October.

[Upcoming November Updates]

- The November Trade Event will feature Signature Cards.

- The 2025 Offseason Pitch Event will begin, offering a Team Selective Double Signature Pack, Special Recruit Batch 1/2 HOF Pack, and more for daily participation.

- A new set of 2025 Special Cards is scheduled to be added in mid-November.

- A newcomer-exclusive league will be added to Live Match.

- In Ranked Battle, the opponent list match conditions will now reset based on midnight of the previous day, ensuring no matchmaking advantage or disadvantage based on playtime

- Senior Mission Stage 7 will be added.

- A higher difficulty level will be added to Potential Game.

- In-game improvements: Outfield diving catches will be improved, and replays will be added.

- Premium Scout and Advanced Scout cumulative reward systems will be revamped in November or December.

[Upcoming December Updates]

- Updates related to Signature Black Cards, Potential Expansions, and the 6th Potential are scheduled.

- Past-year Special Cards will be added alongside the mid-December Signature Black update.

- A Player Acquisition Event will be held, offering Signature Cards from your preferred team.

- When using a Training Reallocation Ticket, you will be able to select between the Before and New values. 

This concludes today’s Dev Note. Please note that some content and the schedule may change based on development progress.

We will continue delivering both Live Updates and Version Updates for any content that progresses through development more quickly.

Thank you for your continuing support!

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