Madden NFL 25 will be free to play Sept. 5-8
By Brian Allen
Lo and behold, NFL football is back. Madden NFL is an annual rite of passage, along with fantasy football drafts and tailgate parties. Even the people who are "never buying Madden again" get tempted once the game drops.
EA is increasing that temptation by making its hit NFL simulation free-to-play on the game's opening weekend, from Sept. 5-8. Also, EA Sports Madden Cruiser will be on hand when the Seattle Seahawks host the Denver Broncos.
Coach John Madden was not a big fan of flying, so he traveled from one NFL destination to the next in a custom bus. EA Sports designed its own replica with five gaming stations, which travels all over the country promoting Madden NFL.
Madden 25 received a huge update before this free-to-play jaunt including College Football 25's revamped passing, the ability to delay the Switch Stick, some player likeness updates and 6,000 new lines of commentary.
Anyone that has played Madden will tell you the improvements needed most are to the defensive side of the ball. EA is working on it. They're addressing hard flats, cover 3 deep zone and press animations. The Madden Kickoff Classic just hosted the best players in the world and even their games are finishing with 52-48 scores.
In spite of all the issues, and the rumors that the NFL might be considering other dance partners, I suspect EA has another hit on its hands with blockbuster sales coming. If any game franchise is too big to fail, Madden NFL is.