Madden 19: Release Date Info and Newest Features

EA Sports' Madden NFL 19 is reeling in droves of positive reviews—which is only fitting for a game featuring a superstar as universally liked as Antonio Brown on the cover.

For those fans who have EA or Origin Access, the game is available now. The general release is August 10.

As always, the latest edition of the juggernaut sports series is littered with improvements across the board aimed at not only creating a deeper, more realistic experience but also expanding in scope with accessibility in mind.

As our official review noted, one of the biggest additions to Madden NFL 19 is the enhancements to Real Player Motion. Player physics and the sheer foundation of gameplay have improved over the past few years with the implementation of the Frostbite engine.

But not quite like this. New here is better ball-carrier options, including intuitive jukes based on the flick of the stick. Slamming the stick backward will cause the player to do the same. On defense, suppressing a left trigger centers the defender, and the turbo button—normally reserved for offensive players—provides some extra juice on those hit sticks.

Not only does this make Madden look truer to life than ever, but it also offers users the chance to be rewarded for skillful, timely decisions, as developers at EA Sports noted via the developer's website:

"In Madden 19, you can chain together ball carrier special moves and make a smooth transition from one to another before each is completed. You want to quickly transition from a Juke to a Spin and back to a Juke? Real Player Motion allows the freedom and creativity for our players to take their best shot at putting out some of the best highlight videos ever seen."

This isn't the only on-field addition meant to up the fun factor and match the happenings of the real thing, either. It will sound silly to some, but flicking the right stick one way or the other lets a player choose between certain post-play celebrations after sacks, touchdowns or otherwise. These range from recognizable superstar antics to a widespread team celebration.

Away from the field, EA Sports shoves more innovation into the depth department. In franchise mode, users are now greeted with screens analyzing the different schemes a head coach can run. It examines the roster and provides a percentage fit. Want to make the New England Patriots a run-first team? Add and subtract players until the percentage is correct and have at it.

Franchise mode also features one of the all-time requests from fans: draft class creator. For those who don't feel like making hundreds of prospects, the Madden community will do the heavy lifting and have them up for download online, likely including ways to circumvent the lack of a college football video game.

Continuing this theme of depth, Madden NFL 19 offers specialists in the following forms:

• Power halfback
• Slot receiver
• Rush left end
• Rush right end
• Rush defensive tackle
• Sub linebacker 
• Slot corner

It's simply another layer on the depth chart, though an important one. No longer do users have to worry about positioning a wideout properly on the depth chart so he will mostly land in the slot. Defensive ends' ability to now kick inside to pass rush is refreshing given how commonplace it is.

This wouldn't be Madden without talking about Ultimate Team. New features here include MUT Squads Challenges, which let players tackle hurdles together for rewards. But solo players haven't been omitted from the new features, with weekly Solo Challenge tournaments also offering rewards and leaderboards.

While it isn't necessarily a new feature, Longshot: Homecoming takes another stab at the Hollywood-esque football story after last year's successful debut of Longshot. Aimed at providing another superb mo-capped story but with a heavier emphasis on gameplay, Devin Wade and Colt Cruise have returned for another tale worth the time of fans who love the sport.

Like the year before, Madden NFL 19 doesn't rest on its laurels. It keeps going to the air, trying to stretch out the lead—this time again in the form of game-wide upgrades. Building atop a solid physics foundation has this year's game feeling new again, and offering deeper customization when it comes to franchise and the general depth chart makes it feel right in line with the simulation it strives to be.

For those still waiting, Madden NFL 19 launches August 10.