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What time does Madden NFL 25 release?

EA Sports' bestselling football game is upon us. Here all the details about when you can play the much anticipated title.

By Brian Allen

2006 NFL Pro Football Hall Of Fame Enshrinement - August 5, 2006
2006 NFL Pro Football Hall Of Fame Enshrinement - August 5, 2006 / Kirby Lee/GettyImages
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Official Release Date

We have almost made it to the end zone, video game football fans. Madden NFL 25 will be available for everyone to play on Friday, Aug. 16. It will feature a revamped franchise mode, more options in career mode, and of course Ultimate Team will make its customary appearance.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Madden 05, which gave us the infamous Hit Stick, Madden 25 will be the first title in the series to have the Switch Stick. A simple flick of the analog can change defenders rapidly, the perfect counter for the one-play touchdowns that have become all too common in Madden.

Aug. 16 is the regular launch, however, Madden 25's official kickoff is Aug. 15 at 11 p.m. CT. Thanks to Madden's various special editions, things aren't that easy anymore.

Early Access Release Date

Players who ordered the Deluxe Edition get three days of early access gameplay. This was originally slated to begin Aug. 13, but EA Sports moved it up a day to Aug. 12. After pre-downloading, you can play it starting at 3 p.m. CT. This was the same for CFB 25, so perhaps this will be the way EA does it from now on for early access.

This Is The Second Madden 25, Believe or Not

Video game numbering systems can often get weird, especially where sequels are concerned. For example, not all Final Fantasy games were released in America at launch. Do not even get me started on Modern Warfare. Madden's 25th Anniversary Edition, which was released in 2014, was technically also called Madden 25. Its cover athlete was Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders. Ironically, Sanders will not appear in this game at all. He and EA Sports couldn't reach a contractual agreement this time around, so he won't appear in Madden 25 or EA Sports College Football 25.

Madden's standard edition is $69.99. The Deluxe Edition is $99.99, or $89.99 with an EA Play membership. The game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

The last-gen versions will not include all the game's features. The Fieldsense system, Superstar mode crossplay features, and updates to franchise mode won't be on last-gen due to technical specifications. PC will have the new features this time around, a reversal from previous iterations.