Your Guide to an (Unusually) Stellar Year in Sports Video Games

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People are always telling gamers to go outside and touch grass. To that I say: There's plenty of grass right here on the field. The football fields in Madden NFL 24 are (usually) made of grass! So are MLB The Show's baseball stadiums, EA Sports FC 24's soccer pitches, and Topspin's tennis courts (OK, if you're playing at Wimbledon). I'm trying to say that I can't dunk like LeBron James or shred like Tony Hawk—even if I did see the sun today. So, more often than not, I park my unskilled rump on the couch and play as one of my favorite athletes.

Thankfully, 2024 is an unusually stellar year for sports video games. WWE 2K24 lets you play as the referee, NBA 2K24 allows you to see if Michael Jordan could really play in the league today, and MLB The Show's advanced ballpark creator can even set the stadium back to the prehistoric age, with dinosaurs waiting beyond the outfield. Oh, and did we mention that college football is returning to a console year you? So, listen to that little devil on your shoulder and stay inside. Consider this your guide to the latest sports games and the ones that are yet to come.

Madden NFL 24

Madden is Madden. Either you're sick of the EA franchise's tried-and-true formula, or you're pounding the rock with Derrick Henry against strangers every other night. There's no in between. (For what it's worth, I'm very much the latter.)

NBA 2K24: Kobe Bryant Edition

Honoring four years since the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, the latest NBA 2K game allows fans to recreate some of the basketball legend's greatest moments throughout history. NBA 2K4 also features a major overhaul of its MyERA mode, as well as an expanded WNBA lineup.

OlliOlli World: Rad Edition

OlliOlli World is one of the best indie skating games of the past decade—and the latest "Rad Edition" upgrade made the title even better. Complete with Adventure Time-esque animation and two new worlds to explore, OlliOlli is the perfect way to shred in 2D.

EA Sports FC 24

EA Sports FC (formerly known as FIFA) is a couch-side classic for a reason. Arguably, no other video game has captured the finesse of its respective sport quite like this franchise—and we don't see that changing anytime soon.

Shredders: 2024 Expansion Edition

Until the gaming gods gift us a new SSX title, Shredders is the best way to plug into the slopes. The 2024 expansion also includes new outfits for the 540INDY—which is, no joke, the first-ever virtual snowboarding contest.

NHL 24

If you dig EA's NHL franchise, I'm willing to bet it's for one barbaric reason: you love to bodycheck a fool.(And/or fight someone outright.) And that's perfectly OK! Nowadays, there's much more you can do on the virtual ice, but nothing beats the satisfaction of a good ol' hockey fight.

WWE 2K24

WWE 2K24 celebrates 40 years of WrestleMania with cover stars “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and three-time women's champion Bianca Belair. WWE 2K24 also allows players to step into the ring as a referee (!), where they can set the counts and warn competitors if they've stepped out of line.

Release date: March 8

MLB The Show 24

Sure, baseball games are infuriating—if you have little to no plate discipline, good luck!—but MLB The Show has involved into an impressive experience over the years. Now, it's a downright celebration of America's pastime, especially a special experience that allows players to remember and celebrate the Negro Leagues.

Release date: March 19

TopSpin 2K25

For some puzzling reason, making a good tennis game is pretty damn hard. Some of the best tennis games of all time include Mario Tennis and Wii Sports, proving that simplicity is often best for such a nuanced sport. From what we've seen so far of Topspin 2K25—which is now up for preorder—hopefully the latest entry with enter the (admittedly small) pantheon of tennis video games.

Release date: TBA

College Football 25

All I have to say is... 🥲. After a decade-plus-long absence, college football will finally return to your console of choice. I'll save you the spiel about the NIL of it all—just start dreaming up your recruiting strategy, OK? Saturday afternoons are calling your name.

Release date: Summer 2024

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