WBSC and KONAMI team up to release WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS on Nintendo Switch™ and PlayStation®

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. (KONAMI) have published WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS, the official WBSC video game, in over 60 countries on the PlayStation™ Store and Nintendo eShop.

WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS marks another significant step in the long-standing partnership between the international governing body of baseball-softball WBSC and video game publishing giant KONAMI.

Baseball aficionados and gamers alike have a new, fun and exciting way to enjoy baseball through eSport and expand the love of the game to millions of fans. With over 300 characters to choose from, players can assemble their team of batters, catchers and pitchers to compete in online games against rivals from all over the world. Mix and match different athletes with different stats to find the winning formula.

Once a team is assembled, players can compete online in games with friends or online competitions like Championship Mode with rivals from all over the world.  

Featuring iconic character designs synonymous with the critically acclaimed POWERFUL PUROYAKYU series, WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS is perfect for newcomers and experienced gamers alike with its authentic and in-depth strategy game play which recreates baseball in all its tactical and technical aspects.

WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS is the latest title in the POWERFUL PUROYAKYU series which has sold over 24 million copies, as of September 2022, since the first release in 1994.  

The global release launches at SRP $0.99 and supports up to four players on Nintendo Switch™ and PlayStation® and single players online.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: “The strong and dynamic partnership between the WBSC and KONAMI has hit another home run with the launch of this exciting new video game. It is testament to our commitment to innovation and connecting with both baseball fans and gamers alike through digital platforms.

“The WBSC continues to lead from the forefront when it comes to eSports as we further expand the footprint of our newest discipline to both reach, and make our sport relevant to, new audiences globally.”

Konami Digital Entertainment Representative Director, President Hideki Hayakawa said: “We are very pleased to launch our global eSport initiative with the WBSC through the release of "WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS". We would like to continue to support the development of the baseball and softball communities around the world through gaming, utilizing the know-how we have accumulated through our eSport initiatives.”

The launch of WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS follows the signing of a WBSC-KONAMI Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year to develop and create a new baseball video game, alongside new international eSport competitions.

Previous versions of KONAMI’s baseball title have already featured in many successful eSport events, the latest of which was the inaugural edition of the Olympic Virtual Series where the WBSC and KONAMI partnered for the first time in eSport to deliver a successful tournament.

The WBSC Executive Board approved eSports as a new discipline of baseball and softball in December 2020, a decision that was also ratified by the WBSC Congress in 2022.