Madden 26 Skips Xbox One and PS4, Marking End of an Era

For the first time since 2013, a newly released Madden game will not be available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Those with the older hardware will need to upgrade if they want to play the upcoming Madden 26. EA Sports, developer of the wildly popular football franchise, revealed the upcoming game on Thursday, April 24, which was when this detail, among others, was announced. On the flip side, though, the entry will be making its first appearance on Nintendo Switch, launching for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC, and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.

Typically, EA likes to offer its sports games for older generation consoles for as long as possible. They continued to release Madden football games on PlayStation 3 until 2016, and FIFA on the same console until 2018. Madden 26 making a return to Nintendo is also monumental. The last time the football simulation franchise had a Nintendo device powerful enough to run their game was the Wii U.

EA is offering several different packages for ordering that fans can choose from. The regular Madden 26 entry will launch on August 14, however, IGN outlines the rest of the options. “Several pre-order options are available, including a loyalty offer for players of Madden NFL 25, 24, or 23, which will give 10% off a purchase and a 99 OVR Player Pack for Madden NFL 25 Ultimate Team. There’s also the MVP Bundle, which packages the Deluxe Editions of Madden NFL 26 and College Football 26 into one big bundle.”

The base game of Madden 26 costs $69.99, and the MVP bundle will have to spend $149.99. The deluxe edition of the game on its own is $99.99. That edition will include the following extras to justify the cost: 3 Day Early Access (Aug 11-14), 4600 Madden Points, Early Access Ultimate Team™ Solo Challenges, Season 1 Elite Player Item (Pre Order before July 24), Cover Athlete Elite MUT Player Item, Superstar Legendary XP Boost, Player Card Exclusive Item, and Franchise Coach Ability Points.

Final Thoughts

Madden 26 will continue a long legacy of highly successful sports video games released by EA. While it is a disappointment not to have the game available for the many consoles possible, it is a logistical choice that makes sense. In the end, the cost outweighs the benefit for the developer, and many other games make the move far quicker than EA has. Fans can choose from one of the many options to buy, and look forward to the full release on August 14. Until then, players can watch the full announcement trailer here.