The NFL Draft is happening Thursday evening and EA made it official that Madden NFL 26 will be released Aug. 14 and, for the first time since 2013, the game will not be available for the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. It will, however, be launching on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
EA had its reveal for Madden 26 on Thursday with details about the price, release date and the special MVP Bundle that includes the latest Madden game and College Football 26. Also announced were the platforms for the new Madden game, which will be PS5, PC, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The PS4 and Xbox One will not receive a version of the game when it launches on Aug. 14.
Out of all the major video game publishers, EA tends to drag its feet on dropping platforms, especially for sports games. The last Madden game for the PS3 came out in 2016, which was three years after the launch of the PS4. Although that wasn’t the last EA game for the PS3, which was FIFA 19 in 2018, five years post-PS4 launch.
Madden 26 marks the return of the franchise to a Nintendo console. Thanks to the upgraded hardware in Nintendo’s new console, it appears to be enough to handle the football sim. The last time a Madden game was available on a Nintendo console was in 2012 with the release of Madden 13 on the Wii U.
Madden NFL 26 will be released on Aug. 14 for $70 with a Deluxe Edition costing $100. Those who purchase the Deluxe Edition will get early access to the game starting Aug. 11, along with 4600 Madden Points and other digital content. The MVP Bundle costs $150 and comes with Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition and College Football 26 Deluxe Edition, which has its own early access starting July 7 before the game’s July 10 release date, as well as more digital content. College Football 26, however, will not be coming to the Switch 2.
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