How San Diego Studio built Field of Dreams in MLB The Show 21

As the MLB season heats up with teams battling for a postseason berth, we take a small break to celebrate the smaller things, specifically a baseball field nestled in a cornfield in Iowa as the Field of Dreams stadium is added to MLB The Show 21 on Tuesday, August 10 in a free content update for all players on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles.

Check out San Diego Studio’s design journal below to learn more about the development process!

As the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox step onto the diamond this week in the cornfields of Iowa, you too can step onto the field with this update and live out your dreams. The team at San Diego Studio worked closely with the field architects and MLB to accurately replicate this one-of-a-kind field. We didn’t stop with just adding this iconic stadium to MLB The Show 21, but we have an entire week of live content dedicated to Field of Dreams.

Reconstructing the most famous cornfield in Iowa to include in MLB The Show 21 was an awesome chance to show what makes this game unique and why we love baseball.

Since Major League Baseball is coming to Iowa this August, we figured, why couldn’t we? At the start of the year, we received artwork that would help us build a stadium paying homage to the famed Field of Dreams in rural Iowa. I remember watching the movie with my dad back in 1989 thinking how exciting it would be to play here. When the opportunity arose to bring this new stadium adjacent to the most famous cornfield in Iowa I thought, this might be the only chance that fans get to experience this so we must get this right.

Recreating the Field of Dreams was no small task for us, and because of that we needed to be very fluid in our build process.  We started listing all the elements in the stadium that would be unique and representative of this famed site, like the corn for example. We were able to start designing the light structure locations, seating area, and general surroundings. One of the more technically important things in-stadium is the field dimensions. This render was a good start, but far from the essential information we needed to create a true representation that this stadium demands. 

We then received the first detailed layout of the stadium, which was essential for our teams to begin production. With the bleachers, while we didn’t have exact dimensions available, our team has been designing stadiums for so long, we felt we had a good idea what they would realistically look like.

After designing stadium dimensions, we received the first look at the stadium during construction. With reference material in hand, from here it was up to the artists to create the details and bring the stadium to life. As stadium construction in Iowa had yet to be finished, our designers needed to research previous construction projects from the builder to craft all the minute details that would make a true-to-life stadium interior. Ultimately, our designers aimed to create a playable, in-game replica that gives the Field of Dreams the respect it deserves and is something that we, the fans, and the Players would be proud of.

We hope you enjoy playing in the Field of Dreams as much as we enjoyed designing it. Hit homers, pitch no-hitters, and bask in the glory of corn. If you haven’t had a chance to try MLB The Show 21, now is the perfect opportunity. For a limited time now through August 18 on PlayStation Store, the MLB The Show 21 Standard Edition is up to 33%* off MSRP and Stubs are up to 40% off. 

For all updates follow our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our YouTube accounts for the latest updates about MLB The Show 21. To see more details on how we created Field of Dreams for MLB The Show 21 and more, head over to theshow.com.

*PS4 Standard Edition is 33% off MSRP, PS5 Standard Edition is 29% off MSRP.