Sports simulation games have been turning heads recently, and the reason might just surprise you. It’s no surprise that any game, regardless of genre, is bound to polarise the community. But the issue this time isn’t a new feature or game mode, nor is it limited to a particular sports video game. The problem I’m talking about is regarding the advancing realism in simulation, and how that’s affecting the player base.
Now, this in no way means that a stricter following of rules or better physics in sports games is a bad thing. But it does raise some issues, especially as it continues to grow with every new iteration. So let’s take a deep dive into what the issue is, how it arose, and what the future for simulation sports games looks like.
As a disclaimer, I will only be using references from mainstream sports games in this article. However, the issue of hyperrealism in video games is widespread and covers almost every sports game out there.
What Are Simulation Sports Video Games?
To understand the simulation problem, first, you need to understand what a simulation is and how they’re incorporated into sports video games. By definition, a simulation is simply an imitation of real-world events in a digitized way, so simulation sports are actual sports digitized and made into video games.
The basis of this piece is the constant advance in simulations over the years. A decade or two ago, we didn’t have the technology to accurately replicate real-life circumstances in video games. But now? I’d say we’re more than halfway there. And while adding realism to a game is an obvious bonus, it also has unintended side effects.
See, sports are a culmination of a plethora of factors. Regardless of which sport you look at, you have the managerial side, the environment it is played in, interactions between players or objects, and, of course, on-field gameplay as well. Once all these factors work together, that’s when things run smoothly.
If we look back a decade, we see that video games didn’t require so much planning and min-maxing. You simply opened the game, started a match, and played. However, things aren’t so straightforward anymore. Now, players choose strategies down to every single movement (as seen in Madden NFL 26), and curate build stats (like in NBA 2K26). While this is fun for some, it really runs the risk of alienating the casual player base.
You should have a brief idea of why realism is becoming a problem for a part of the community; it’s time to take a deep dive into the problem itself.
The Growth Of Realism In Sports Games
If you read this far, some of you might argue that casual matches still exist in every sphere of sports. Be it football, basketball, or even skating. So why are players complaining? Well, that’s because this completely isolates the casual player base from playing competitive, but moreso, that realism affects casual gameplay as well.
Take, for example, a match of Madden 26. If you don’t know the plays in-depth, how to spot zone-coverage vs man-coverage, or setting up proper hot routes, the AI will destroy you every time. As realism grows, so does the AI. You could always turn down the difficulty, leading to the AI making more mistakes, but is that really fair to such a large portion of the community?
Let me take a minute to explain exactly where realism really kicks in in sports games to give you a clearer picture.
Mechanical Realism
The first part is mechanical realism, meaning realism relating to game mechanics. And this is exactly what I just explained. To have a shot at defeating AI at greater difficulties, or even actual players, you need to understand things like player physics, fatigue and stamina bars, playbooks and tactics, etc.
If we look at a relatively niche sports game, like PGA Tour 2K25, players need to understand wind directions, types and strengths of golf clubs, and even directional shots. Gone are the days when you saw the hole, had a selection of three clubs, and had to hit straight without thinking about wind resistance. You need to understand all these mechanics in order to get ahead, and truthfully, have fun.
NBA 2K26 has one of the heaviest customizations in the gaming industry, with players being able to choose the height, weight, playstyle, and exact attributes of their character. While you can always mess around and experiment with fun builds, meta builds that are adapted to the mechanics will always triumph over you.
Strategic Realism
The second part is strategic realism. This has less to do with the actual gameplay and more to do with pre-match settings. Things like AI-decision making, rule enforcement, probabilities, and pre-match setup all come under the guise of strategic realism. And you could argue that a lot of these aspects can be skipped by letting the game decide them for you, but those decisions will never be better than how the average player goes about their presets.
WWE 2K25 is a great example of this phenomenon, even though it might not seem like it at first. WWE 2K25 doesn’t require you to manage pre-match settings, but when it comes to decision-making and probabilities, the game has changed severely since earlier editions. Hell In A Cell and cage matches now require more finesse to climb out or on top, while placing a ladder in ladder matches is also more accurate.
I will say that strategic realism is an easier concept to wrap your head around, and some of it isn’t controlled by you, but continuously having to learn and adapt to new features can feel tiresome at times.
Why Realism Makes Things Difficult
We’ve gone over the definitions and the problems, but how do those translate into the issues the player faces? Simple: they make things harder. More mechanics = more learning. And learning isn’t everyone’s cup of tea when casual players look to video games for relaxation, not to grind.
There are three major problems when it comes to realism in simulation games:
- Slower pace
- Higher learning curves (over higher mastery curves)
- Mechanic overload
Slower Pace
Every mechanic needs time to execute, no matter how skilled the player is. The problem is, those minutes/seconds add up. Imagine a 5-minute basketball match in NBA 2K26. In older editions, there’s a break, one team gets possession, dribbles up, and scores. Since there are fewer mechanics, baskets are easier and faster, which keeps the game moving.
On the other hand, more mechanics (such as shot-blocking) and stricter rule-checks (like more fouls) slow down the pace, leading to slower gameplay loops. One side will have the ball for longer without being able to score, hence, an overall low-scoring match. While this might not be true for a few sports games, like skating, for example, it does apply to the majority.
Higher Learning Curves (Over Higher Mastery Curves)
Not only does the actual gameplay become slower and more monotonous, but an increase in realism also affects the learning curve. See, video games in general are supposed to have a low learning curve, or skill floor, with a higher mastery curve, or skill ceiling. If you raise the learning curve, players need to spend more time learning the game before actually playing it.
As someone who’s found it extremely difficult to get into first-person shooters, I can attest to how annoying it is when learning a game takes too long. You should be able to start a game with a basic understanding and learn as you go, but that’s not how it feels in today’s era of sports video games.
Mechanic Overload
This is pretty similar to the first point of games having a slower pace, so I won’t talk too much about it. But simply put, mechanic overload is seen mostly in situations with windups or telegraphs. For example, putting in golf.
There’s a multitude of factors under your control, giving you full autonomy of the shot, but on the flip side, adjusting each setting can get tedious and takes up a significant amount of time.
The Flip Side: The Arcade Alternative
I’ve talked extensively about where and how realism impacts games, but what’s the alternative to it? Well, that’s called an arcade-style of gameplay. Where realism prioritises accuracy and imitation, an arcade-style maximises fast-paced gameplay and usually includes abilities and power-ups.
Games like Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road and NFL Blitz are good examples of arcade-style gameplay. They’re based on fictional characters and sometimes even have different rules compared to real-life sports. Here, we see the same issue as with realism: a portion of the player base just isn’t interested.
Yes, it is fun to create your own rules, set special power-ups, and play with fictional characters. But these types of games end up not having much longevity. Since they don’t follow real-life seasons, it is difficult to keep pumping out updates with new features without overloading the game, the same issue faced with realism.
Is There A Solution?
Enough talk about problems, it’s time to look towards a solution. First of all, you can’t stop technological advancements. It is redundant to say that the pattern of growing realism should stop. But then how do developers stay at a steady growth without alienating part of the community?
More Updates, Fewer New Features
One of the biggest drawbacks of a new iteration dropping is the mountain of new features that come along with it. At times, it can feel like learning a new game altogether. An easy way to combat this would be to introduce fewer new features every year and focus more on updating features throughout the year.
This steady supply of harder mechanics would allow players time to get used to basic mechanics before moving on to more advanced gameplay. Not only that, but players would feel less stressed about having to comply with newer mechanics since they could still practice them without buying an entirely new game.
Difficulty Sliders
The next part is easier to apply, but not a dead-set solution. With difficulty sliders in-game, players can adjust them according to their needs. If they’re looking for a challenge, take it up a notch with a higher difficulty AI. But if you’re in the mood for just relaxing and not having to work too hard, you can always tone it down.
This works great in PvE game modes where you need to beat the AI to receive rewards, such as MLB The Show 26. But the downside becomes apparent in ranked gameplay. You can’t stop players from researching and perfecting newer mechanics, ones that will undoubtedly put them ahead of the pack. But that’s simply how ladder divisions are made to be: the more effort you put in, the higher you rank.
The Inevitable Concern
Now that everything’s done and dusted, there is one final part to talk about: the growing concern that realism might eliminate casual gaming. I kept mentioning how both arguments are supported by a part of the player base, right? But the part that can’t keep up is increasing in size with every update.
Games have already become an extreme grind, with limited-time events and special cosmetics that set you apart. This impacts a player’s daily life and requires them to de-prioritise other things. As sports video games introduce more mechanics into different game modes, it will eventually become too much for players to handle.
Players love authenticity; they love to feel like they’re in the shoes of all-time legends. But sometimes, the effort and grind required to reach that pinnacle overshadows the love of the game. And this is where they shift sides. While there’s no clear answer to this conundrum, one can only hope game developers find that thin balance between realism and accessibility that allows every type of player to enjoy the game.
Because without the balance, sports video games won’t just lose their playerbase, they will also lose out on the essence of sporting accessibility.
