At their New York Comic Con panel, Playground Productions not only celebrated the successful return and relaunch of the beloved Backyard Sports video games but also announced exciting future plans. They’re completing the Backyard Sports retro collection with Backyard Basketball ’01 and Backyard Hockey ’02, both set to arrive in mid-November. Fans can also look forward to new high scores and events for Backyard Baseball ’97, alongside fresh details about the series’ anticipated animated special.
To dive deeper, IGN spoke with Playground Productions CEO Lindsay Barnett and Chief Product Officer Chris Waters about the cherished franchise’s past and future. They explained what makes these games so enduringly special.
Waters shared, “We believe it resonates because the games have always been character-focused, full of humor, and incredibly accessible. The goal wasn’t to create the most realistic simulation; it was to capture the joy of going out, picking up a bat and ball with friends, regardless of athletic skill, and seeing what chaotic fun unfolded. That unique spirit truly transcends time and technology.”
Backyard Sports’ Retro Collection is Nearing Completion, Plus New Features for Backyard Baseball ’97
Whether you’re a long-time fan or just discovering the series, you’ll be thrilled to hear that the Backyard Sports retro library will be complete this November. Backyard Basketball ’02 and Backyard Hockey ’02 are both launching on Steam in mid-November, and even better – they’ll be free to download and keep!
These new additions, along with Baseball ’97, Baseball ’01, Football ’99, and Soccer ’98, will be part of the Backyard Sports Retro Bundle. This bundle will be available for $26, offering a 40% saving compared to buying each game individually. You can even ‘Complete the Set’ by only paying for the games you don’t already own at the discounted price.
For mobile players, Backyard Soccer ’98 and Backyard Basketball ’02 will also be available for free on iOS and Android when the Steam retro bundle goes live next month.
On the mobile front, Backyard Baseball ’97 is introducing an exciting new gamification feature in collaboration with Lucra. Fans can now compete in weekly and monthly events, such as Home Run Competitions or Most Strikeouts.
Global high scores will be tracked in real-time, and this new feature is entirely free. It even offers a chance to win incredible prizes, including tickets to the 2025 World Series and a rare Pablo Sanchez trading card. The feature will initially launch on iOS, requiring players to opt-in and provide some personal information.
Waters explained the motivation behind these new gamification features: “We want to foster a growing community and allow players to interact and compete. Since we don’t have the original source code, we can’t completely remake these games. However, by adding a tournament layer, we’re essentially creating a unique, ‘backdoor’ co-op mode.”
In a fascinating twist, Playground Productions revealed they didn’t receive the source code for most of these games when acquiring the rights. The team had to ingeniously hack the old CD-ROMs and rebuild the games from scratch.
Barnett recounted, “We initially thought those games were lost forever. It was an incredible achievement by Mega Kat Studios to reverse engineer and hack the CD-ROMs to make them playable again. What we didn’t anticipate was the opportunity to make the games even better. We managed to fix original bugs, add leaderboards, introduce competitions, and make them playable on modern systems that didn’t even exist back then, like the Nintendo Switch.”
The Future of Backyard Sports: An Animated Special is Now Complete!
Our conversation then shifted to the future of the franchise. While the team couldn’t share details about upcoming games, they proudly confirmed that production on the new Backyard Sports animated special has officially wrapped. This exciting project further expands the brand’s beloved characters and rich intellectual property.
The special is a collaboration with Lighthouse Studios, renowned for their work on popular shows like Bob’s Burgers and Rick & Morty. It promises an “all-star cast,” with announcements expected in early November. Fans can look forward to its release at Dave & Buster’s in early 2026, followed by a direct-to-consumer launch shortly thereafter.
Waters emphasized the core appeal: “The characters are what truly make Backyard Sports special. For us, the chance to bring these fan-favorites to life in a fresh way was an obvious choice. We’ve always envisioned this as a multi-platform franchise, extending beyond just games. We adored the beautiful animation and incredible detail in the original games; it made you connect with and understand the characters, inspiring you to choose your favorite. So, we’re genuinely honored to expand into more animation.”
He continued, “This special serves as our declaration of tone and style, firmly establishing Backyard as a multi-platform experience. You’ll soon enjoy it in many different forms. I’m eager to share more details, but I can assure you, with my 20-year background in animation, we’ve pulled out all the stops to create something that perfectly captures the humor, magic, and spirit of this world.”
Through these games and multimedia projects, the Backyard Sports team aims to highlight the pure fun of sports, inviting a new generation to enjoy them alongside the original fans.
Waters noted, “Streamers are picking up these games, not because they’re expert players, but because they’re bringing these characters to life through their own unique perspectives. It brings back that feeling of playing baseball for the first time—just for the sheer joy of it. I believe that’s the key to why this franchise is so timeless and classic.”
Barnett added, “It’s about celebrating all the different characters in your backyard, embracing their strengths, and even their quirks. You laugh and overcome challenges together. You play, you might win, you might lose, but the fun is always there. Unfortunately, that spirit is often missing in many sports today, not just video games.”