Has KBO support improved in OOTP 27?

[heroes21v]

I previously purchased OOTP 26 but ended up requesting a refund, and I am now waiting to see how OOTP 27 turns out. The reason I refunded 26 was due to several issues that made the KBO experience feel underdeveloped and not fully supported.

Lack of KBO-optimized systems

1) Coaching staff structure limitations
In recent years, KBO teams have placed increasing importance on coaching staff specialization. Many teams now employ a wide range of roles such as battery coaches, assistant coaches, development instructors, and even mental skills coaches. These are not cosmetic additions — they reflect how teams actually manage player development and performance.

However, in OOTP, coaching staff structures are locked into a fixed system. Users are restricted to predefined coaching slots, and there is no way to create new coaching roles, combine responsibilities, or customize staff structures to match league-specific realities. This makes KBO teams feel artificially constrained compared to their real-life counterparts.

2) Name display and localization issues
Player names are displayed in awkward mixed formats using both Korean and English (for example, a player like Kim Ha-seong appearing as something like “김, Ha-seong”). This is not how names are presented or recognized in KBO contexts.
In addition, several menus — especially newer features introduced in OOTP 26 — remain English-only, which creates usability friction for Korean users.

3) All-Star Game absence
Although KBO is operated as a single league, it still holds an annual All-Star Game by dividing teams into groups for exhibition play. This is an established tradition designed for fan engagement.
Given that OOTP already allows detailed rule customization in many areas, it seems technically feasible to support this type of format. Yet no KBO-specific configuration options exist to replicate it.

4) No KBO historical mode
KBO now has more than 40 years of history, filled with iconic moments, legendary players, and deeply meaningful narratives for fans. Considering the league is officially licensed, the absence of a historical mode for KBO is disappointing. It feels like a missed opportunity to celebrate and utilize the league’s rich legacy.


OOTP is a very appealing baseball simulation overall. However, for users in Korea who want to play specifically within a KBO environment, the experience does not feel particularly accommodating or thoughtfully designed.

I understand that it may be difficult for all of these issues to be addressed immediately at launch. But if they have been improved in OOTP 27 — or if they could be considered for future patches or upcoming versions — it would mean a great deal to Korean fans who have been waiting for a truly satisfying KBO experience.

(If these issues have already been resolved, I would honestly be willing to buy even ten copies just to support that progress.)

[kq76]

1) I'd love to see a widened coaching staff (I've wanted bullpen and catcher coaches, and more, for a while now), but if I'm understanding your request for a more open system (have some positions filled, some not, have the ability to create some user-defined roles), I think that would be difficult as they kind of have to map roles out to actual things that impact the game. Or I guess they could re-think it entirely and each thing that impacts the game could be like a pool and each staff member contributes a bit to each pool? But I think we'd much more likely get some new roles than re-think the system entirely.

I'm totally onboard for more roles, but I also think it's a necessity that they streamline the personnel search process as it must be a nightmare for people unless they make their own spreadsheets for it like I do.

2) That's unfortunate. I hope that gets improved for you.

3) I'd like some ASG customizability, but to be perfectly honest, I think the ASG is pretty low on the totem pole, at least in North America. The MLB ASG maybe the most well-respected ASG in North Americans sports, but that's really not saying much as the others are jokes. I wonder, is the ASG a big deal over there in Korea, or is it more like ours where it's something that fans don't seem to care that much about, but they still play it seemingly largely for the sponsors?

4) Is there a database of statistics for the KBO that goes back to its early history? I honestly have no idea, but I'm just thinking that the database would need to exist first before OOTP could add a KBO historical mode like we have for MLB. Like for MLB we have what's known as the chadwick database and it's pretty comprehensive. There could be other major issues like having to add rules that the KBO once had that they no longer have, but the first necessity would be the database.

I'd be interested in looking at it myself if it exists as I've learned a lot about the *** in the last couple years and I'm kind of wanting to do the same with the KBO now.

[renojedi]

I am not superfamiliar with KBO rules but I have been to Korea and have watched games since the pandemic when they were on ESPN and now on streaming so my focus is more on the 3D simulator.

I usually wait to start an MLB save until they patch most of the release bugs and update rosters. In the meantime, I play KBO so I get about 2 months of play time per OOTP version.

With that in mind, KBO games in OOTP are basically MLB games played with KBO players. It really kills the immersion especially for anyone who has watched actual KBO games.

Can we please get signs in Hangul even if it is a translation of the generic ootp signs?

Can we get Korean chants and stadium sounds instead of American ambient sounds where everyone speaks English?

How about the ability to display player names in Korean format even if it is English (last name then first name)? I play in English so can't speak to the OPs comments on Korean language screens and options. But just a having the proper name order will match how names are spoken on actual KBO broadcasts. Keeping western name order is fine for MLB but with KBO it should be authentic.

OOTP has the license but other then player and team names, uniforms, and the stadiums, it is basically no different than playing an MLB save. Would love that to change.