Madden 16: Release Date, Cover and Ultimate Team Details
In just eight days, on August 25, Madden NFL 16 will be available to thirsty gamers all over the country.
Xbox One owners who also subscribe to EA Access can actually get an early preview on August 20. In any case, Madden Season will be in full swing by the time September rolls around. By design, that's just in time for the start of the NFL season.
Per Samit Sarkar of Polygon.com, EA Access announced that it will make a 10-hour preview of Madden 16 available to its subscribers.
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For those of you who have been out of the loop, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. won this year's fan cover vote. Here he is on the cover of the soon-to-be-released game, per EA Sports Madden NFL on Twitter:
Ultimate Team Is Still a Really Big Deal
The revenue EA Sports has generated from its Ultimate Team modes is staggering.
Per EA Sports, digital purchases were up on consoles 96 percent, and much of that is likely due to the massive popularity of the Ultimate Team modes. The concept spans four EA Sports series (Madden, NBA Live, NHL and FIFA). It blends card-collecting and fantasy sports concepts.
Madden is perhaps the most popular of all when it comes to the Ultimate Team format.
This year loyal fans from Madden NFL 15 will get a nice—or should I say Ultimate—reward for continuing their enjoyment with the mode. Here's a look at the rewards and stipulations for returning MUT players, per Madden Ultimate Team on Twitter:
Along with those goodies, MUT gamers will also get cool badges that show other members of the Madden community their rank in the MUT universe.
MUT can be a ton of fun, and I know several guys who can't go long without completing a challenge or taking their team online. However, I am hoping we one day see the option to completely customize uniforms, logos and stadiums for our teams.
Collecting NFL jerseys is nice, but imagine how awesome it would be to name and design your own squad and to fill it with the best players of today and times past.
Perhaps that's an innovation we'll see down the road. For now, Madden Season is calling your name, and it won't be long before you're calling in to work to use a sick day.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
