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Madden 22 Release Date & Features: 10 Things to Know

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We don’t have an official Madden 22 release date yet, but that should change in a few days when EA makes its annual announcement.

EA is currently working on two new football games. One is EA College Football, but that release is a couple of years away. The other is Madden 22, the next installment in the long-running Madden series, and a game that’s due out for consoles and PC later this year.

We don’t have a ton of official details and it will likely be weeks before EA’s ready to showcase all of the changes coming to current and last-generation platforms.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of gamers are already wondering about the Madden 22 release date, launch date, cover athlete, features, pricing, and more.

In this guide we’ll outline what we currently know based on leaked information, traditions, and our own expectations. Here’s a closer look at what you can expect from Madden 22:

Madden 22 Launch Date

EA will officially launch Madden 22 later this week.

EA says it will officially announce the game on June 17th. At the very least we’ll get the official cover athletes, but there’s a good chance we get a trailer of some kind as well.

The company’s also confirmed an EA Play Live event for July 22nd and we expect Madden 22 to make an appearance during the showcase.

So while we’ll get the first official details in June, we may have to wait until July to get a full blown look at next installment in the Madden series.

Madden 22 Release Date

EA says the Madden 22 release date will land sometime in Q2. EA’s Q2 stretches from July to September.

The Madden 22 release date will likely land in August ahead of the NFL season. The 2021 NFL season is set to begin on September 9th, but Madden 22 will almost certainly be out weeks before that date.

For reference, Madden 20 arrived on August 2nd while Madden 21 hit last-generation consoles (Xbox One, PS4) and Windows PC on August 28th.

EA then released an upgraded version of Madden 22 for current-generation consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X) on December 4th. The game landed for Google Stadia on January 28th, 2021.

The company could use a staggered release approach this year, but there’s a good chance the Madden 22 release date is the same for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X, PS5, and Windows PC.

EA will likely confirm the game’s official release date when it pushes the first gameplay trailer live.

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Madden 22 Cover

Last year, EA stuck with one cover athlete: Lamar Jackson, QB for the Baltimore Ravens and 2019 NFL MVP. This year, we could see multiple cover athletes.

EA’s released a teaser featuring former Madden cover athlete Peyton Hillis and goats. The trailer doesn’t confirm any names, but the presence of the goats suggests we’ll see at least one all-time player grace the cover.

The company says it that it’s planning something different for the Madden 22 cover, but EA CEO Andrew Wilson didn’t elaborate.

https://twitter.com/EAMaddenNFL/status/1404438481460289543

A leak from earlier this year showed reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Titans RB Derrick Henry on the Madden 22 cover athlete, but that’s far from confirmed.

Madden 22 Editions

You can expect two or three versions of Madden 22.

There will be a no-frills standard edition and we’ll likely see one or two bundles that come with some extras aimed at those who plan to invest a lot of time in the game.

If EA takes a page out of Madden 21’s playbook, we’ll see a base version of the game, an upgraded version, and a premium edition for most platforms.

For more on the Madden 21 Editions, check out our guide.

Madden 22 Pre-Orders

We sometimes see early pre-orders for Madden games, but most places wait for EA’s official announcements. In other words, you can expect the game to go on sale in the near future.

It almost goes without saying, but don’t buy any Madden 22 pre-orders from eBay or other services promising early access to the game right now.

Look for EA to provide shoppers with pre-order bonuses including an early release date for those who buy the game early. Those who pre-ordered a copy of Madden 21 were able to play the full game three days early.

For reference, these were the Madden 21 pre-order bonuses:

Madden 21 Pre-Order Bonuses Madden 21 Standard Edition Madden 21 Deluxe Edition Madden 21 MVP Edition
Base Game Yes Yes Yes
3 Days Early Access to Full Game No Yes Yes
5 Gold Team Fantasy Packs Yes No No
12 Gold Team Fantasy Packs No Yes No
17 Gold Team Fantasy Packs No No Yes
Choice of 1 out of 32 Team Elite Packs Yes Yes Yes
1 Large Training Quick Sell Pack No Yes Yes
1 MCS Ultimate Champion Pack No No Yes
1 Lamar Jackson Elite Item No No Yes

The Madden 22 pre-order bonuses won’t mirror this exactly, but look for the extras to revolve around the popular MUT game mode.

Madden 22 Consoles

The PS5 and Xbox Series X have replaced the PS4 and Xbox One as the flagship consoles, but EA won’t drop support for the aging consoles.

EA has a long history of supporting older consoles so it will likely be a few years before Madden skips the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

You can expect Madden 22 to support the following platforms:

  • Xbox Series X
  • Xbox Series S
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox One X
  • Xbox One S
  • PlayStation 5
  • PlayStation 4 Pro
  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation 4 Slim
  • Windows
  • Google Stadia

The Madden series hasn’t come to Nintendo Switch yet. And although we’ve seen speculation about a release for the popular console, we don’t have any concrete evidence.

EA did bring its FIFA series to the Nintendo Switch so the door is certainly open. That said, if Madden 22 does launch on the Switch, you can expect a toned down version of the game.

Madden 22 won’t come to PS3 or Xbox 360 so if you still own one of those consoles you’ll need to upgrade.

Madden 22 Price

EA will use tiered pricing for Madden 22 which means you can expect multiple price points.

The base version of Madden 21 price is $59.99 for Xbox One and PS4 while the base version for PS5 and Xbox One Series X is $69.99.

The Madden 21 bundles cost more than the base game. The Deluxe Edition, without a deal, retails for $79.99 while the MVP edition is $99.99 without a deal.

While fans of the series are hoping for a price drop, EA could stick with these price points for Madden 22.

Madden 22 Features

EA hasn’t confirmed the full Madden 22 feature list, but we do have some clues.

You can expect upgrades to graphics and performance, enhancements to staples like MUT, and new player ratings for Madden 22’s rosters.

The developer has outlined several potential upgrades coming to Franchise Mode in Madden 22. The company says that while it’s exploring these changes, it’s not committed to them which means they may not make it into the final version of the game.

Here’s the list of potential Madden 22 Franchise Mode improvements:

  • Coaching and staff management
  • Scouting improvements
  • New scenario engine enhancements
  • New team chemistry system
  • Commissioner Tools improvements
  • More Content – Examples: Relocation/Branding Assets for Franchise – New uniforms, names, and logos to relocation options for more variety and depth in deeper careers.

In a video, which you can watch above, EA’s Seann Graddy says the Madden team is “collecting input from a number of resources to ensure that we deliver a Franchise experience that our fans want.”

EA recently released its final Franchise patch for Madden 21.

Madden 22 Mobile

We expect EA to bring Madden 22 to iPhone, iPad, and Android. Last year the company brought Madden 21 to iOS and Android on August 6th, or, a few days before it arrived on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

The mobile version of Madden while robust, is a stripped down version of the game. However, unlike the full blown version of Madden, it’s free to play.

You can also expect a Madden 22 Companion app with access to your MUT and Franchise.

Play Madden 22 Early

You should be able to Madden 22 up to five days early on consoles and Windows.

If you want to get access to Madden 22 ASAP, you’ll need to pay for EA Play. EA Play will let you play for 10 hours during a trial and all of your progress will carry over to the final game.

EA Play is $4.99 a month or $29.99 for a year and you save 10% on games and in-game purchases.

3 Reasons to Pre-Order Madden 22 & 4 Reasons to Wait

Pre-Order Madden 22 for These Bonuses

Pre-Order Madden 22 for These Bonuses

If you pre-order a copy of Madden 22 for console or Windows PC, you'll get some nice bonuses with your order.

The Madden 22 pre-order bonuses, which apply to all of three versions of the game, include:

  • 20 staff points for Franchise Mode.
  • General Player Class Starting at Level 10 for Face of the Franchise and The Yard.
  • Tom Brady Gear Capsule.
  • Your choice of one out of 32 NFL stars for Madden Ultimate Team (MUT).

If you plan to invest time into Madden Ultimate Team, Franchise Mode, or some of Madden 22's other game modes, you might want to pre-order a copy today.

Last update on 2024-03-11. This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read our disclosure policy for more details. Images via Amazon API

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