‘Madden 19’ Cover Athlete And Game Information Has Been Revealed

Get your popcorn ready?

 

EA Sports has surprisingly revealed their first bit of information on Madden 19 today, including an early release date of August 7th and the cover athlete on the “Hall of Fame Edition”:

 

 

The cover looks eerily similar to ESPN NFL 2K5—same player, same grey background, same Owens’ signature—which is interesting considering that Madden has been trying to climb out of 2K’s shadow for over a decade.

 

It could mean that they want to show they are serious about improving the product, but it might just end up leading to memes making fun of the game for the rest of the year. And that would be fair if Madden 19 is just another cookie-cutter experience for the football series.

 

Besides the cover athlete, EA Sports quickly explained some new features in a blog, with the main features as follows:

 

Enhanced control: Player experience is at the forefront of Madden NFL 19. Advances have been made to give players even more control and responsiveness, while bringing in fresh gameplay concepts to push Madden to unbelievable new height.

 

Real Player Motion: At the base of these advances is Real Player Motion, designed to deliver hyper-realistic animations with a higher level of gameplay. The elevated animations bring incredible elements to the ball carrier control.

 

Fan favorite celebrations: Celebrate your way with a full collection of fan-favorite signature celebrations and bring the swagger of today’s NFL.

 

Push the pile: Push blockers rather than maneuver around them for tough yards.

 

One cut: Accelerate and stop on a dime for explosive cuts to break through defenses.

 

Next level visuals: Last season broke visual ground with the inclusion of the Frostbite Engine. Madden NFL 19 will flex more of the Frostbite muscle, providing broadcast-quality graphics for a level of immersion for the ultimate gridiron gaming experience.

 

And here is the full “playbook” schedule for deeper dives into the features/modes:

 

Week of 5/28: Madden Ultimate Team

Week of 6/4: Gameplay

Week of 6/11: Franchise

Week of 6/18: Presentation

Week of 6/25: Graphics

July: Ratings

 

The company is finally showing a bit of transparency with a release schedule, but it’s a little concerning that, overall, they keep using “buzz words” like a weak politician would when they have nothing tangible to offer.

 

That said, custom draft classes are rumored to be included, which would be perhaps the best possible addition to the game. And we have also stumbled across a bonus in the H.O.F. Edition that could mean increased team customization (“2 custom uniforms in Madden Ultimate Team”). It will all come down to gameplay, though, and we won’t know the extent of the improvements until the game is actually released.

 

 

‘Madden 19’ will be released on August 10th, or August 7th if you pre-order the Hall of Fame Edition. Xbox One owners will likely be able to play the game even earlier than that with EA Access.