It’s that time of the year, nestled just before the kick-off of the real thing, the latest iteration of EA Sports’ flagship Madden is around the corner.
Understandably it’s got everyone that has even a passing interest in American football very excited indeed.
The release of the game is one of the biggest dates in the sports gaming calendar, alongside the yearly release of FIFA, and this year looks no different. Since 2013 EA Sports has sold more than 100 million copies of Madden, for sales in excess of $4bn and sales of Madden 22 look set to outstrip those of 21.
Indeed, such is the anticipation that some sportsbooks were even taking bets on who would appear on the cover. Odds on this, with Aaron Rodgers leading the race, were pretty similar to odds you’d get on https://www.sidelines.io for the NFL MVP award, which was of course picked up by the Green Bay Packer QB.
Madden 22 will be released on August 20, just three weeks before the NFL season kicks-off, which of course works perfectly for those salivating fans looking to prepare for the big day.
The three editions of the game come in the form of Dynasty, MVP and Standard and each of these offers different conditions for users. Both Dynasty and MVP, which clearly cost more, offer you the chance to play three days ahead of launch via an early-access version.
The Dynasty version offers 22 packs of MUT packs and the MVP offers 11, the standard comes with less add-ons but still comes with 20 staff points.
The all-important player ratings started to be released from late-July, leading to a great deal of internet chatter, as per usual. Indeed one of the best things about each release is watching real players react to their ‘fantasy’ ratings on the Madden games, talking of which it’s clear that the Philadelphia Eagles were not all that impressed with the ratings they received.
Last year’s version had a number of issues that fans of the game desperately wanted addressed and it looks as if their wishes have been heeded. Among the updates for Madden 22, as per a recent EA Sports announcement;
“A more detailed staff management and skill tree progression systems, with comprehensive weekly game strategy that integrates into your gameplan”
They also promise more live service updates to keep the game as up to date as possible as the season progresses. Indeed they have already scheduled an update for September, when no doubt some players will have burst onto the scene while others may have dipped.
Superstar KO is back, having been brought in last year, and this time around this comes with a co-op eliminator mode. Another feature added last year, The Yard, is also back and will feature new locations in Madden 22.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Madden 22 MVP cover pairs up Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, with EA Sports nicely hedging their bets in terms of star pulling power.
Image via: Attack of the Fanboy
Source: https://estnn.com/excitement-builds-for-madden-22-heres-what-you-need-to-know/