Backyard Sports is Making a Comeback After 9 Years

Backyard Sports is returning after years of being dormant. The classic childhood sports series includes games featuring a variety of sports, including baseball, football, hockey, and more. The series launched with its first title back in 1997, Backyard Baseball, and was playable on Windows and Macintosh PCs. The last Backyard Sports games to be released were Backyard Sports: Basketball 2015 and Backyard Sports: Baseball 2015 for Android and iOS mobile devices, marking almost a decade since the last title.

Philadelphia Eagles starting center Jason Kelce mentioned his interest in a Backyard Sports revival early in 2024. On the New Heights podcast in January, he stated that he loves the Backyard Sports series and wants to bring it back, with Backyard Football and Backyard Baseball named in particular.

The current holder of the Backyard Sports IP, Playground Productions, held a press release on August 20 confirming the revival of the series. A teaser trailer was released for Backyard Sports, showing off memorable characters like Pablo Sanchez and Stephanie Morgan. Playground Productions CEO Chris Waters mentioned in the press release that they are looking to expand the IP beyond just video games, like film, TV, and merchandise. Backyard Sports games have been named some of the best sports games that are not MLB or Madden by a variety of fans and critics, and the series has a rich history of memorable characters.

Backyard Sports Returns After 9 Years Of Dormancy

Backyard Sports has some of the most overpowered characters in video games, with Pablo Sanchez being a fan favorite. Playground Productions mentioned that NFL star Jason Kelce isn’t directly involved with the revival, but they acknowledged that he represents a number of people who fondly remember the franchise. Backyard Sports has been a memorable franchise to the millennial demographic in particular, and the revival of the IP reintroduces it to a generation who otherwise did not grow up playing it.

Sports games have seen a great number of sales, with EA Sports College Football 25 selling over 2.2 million Deluxe Edition copies. Madden NFL 25 released to mixed reviews on Steam, citing technical issues and complex gameplay. Both games have been anticipated to deliver fresh gameplay and features that would shake up the formula from previous EA Sports releases. It remains to be seen what a new non-licensed sports game like Backyard Sports could feel like, with many fans eager to see what the revived franchise will bring.