NBA Playgrounds has been doing very well on the Nintendo Switch. It’s been sitting comfortably as one of the top ten most downloaded titles on the eShop since it launched, despite its issues. The game still doesn’t have online multiplayer like the Xbox One, PC, and PS4 versions, and the visuals and loading time need a lot of work on the Switch version. We were supposed to have Online Play within days of launch, but we’re still waiting on that patch.
Developer Saber Interactive isn’t ignoring fans, though. It hears all of us. It knows that we love the game, and it knows that Switch owners aren’t getting what they paid for. A patch was supposed to drop today, but unfortunately it seems to have been delayed. To apologize, Saber is going to be giving Switch owners a free copy of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn when is launches later in the fall. Here’s the statement from Saber:
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“We had every intention of launching online play for NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch within days of release, but, despite our best efforts, it didn’t play out that way,” said Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber. “We sincerely apologize for the delay and want to let everyone know the fix will be coming very soon. But words are cheap, and games are not. So we’re giving everyone that bought NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch before the online play patch hits a free copy of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn on Switch when it is available this fall to express our gratitude.”
That’s a pretty neat way to say sorry we suppose, but more than anything we’re hoping that NBA Playgrounds gets the TLC that it deserves. We believe that Saber is actively working on the fixes and updates, and it has stated that Nintendo has been a great partner. Apparently there are a few extra hoops that Saber has to jump through to get the patch live on the Switch, and it’s creating some unforeseen hangups.
We’ll let you know as soon as a solid release window for the Nintendo Switch patch is announced. In the meantime, we can get hyped about a free game.
