View source for Madden NFL

{{short description|American football video game series}}

{{Infobox video game series  
| title = Madden NFL
| image = [[File:EA Sports Madden NFL logo (no year).png|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| caption = ''Madden NFL'' series logo (2020–present)
| genre = [[Sports video game|Sports]] ([[American football]])
| developer = [[EA Orlando]]<br>[[Visual Concepts]]<br>High Score Productions<br>[[Blue Sky Productions]]<br>[[Electronic Arts]]<br>D.C. True, Ltd.<br>[[Park Place Productions]]<br>[[Bethesda Softworks]]<br>Halestorm<br>[[Tiertex Design Studios]]<br>[[Stormfront Studios]]<br>[[Exient Entertainment]]<br>[[Budcat Creations]]<br>[[Floodgate Entertainment]]<br>infiniteMonkeys<br>[[Hudson Soft]]
| publisher = [[EA Sports]]<br>[[THQ]]<br>[[Black Pearl Software]]<br>[[Malibu Games]]<br>[[Hudson Soft]]
| platforms = [[Amiga]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], [[Sega Genesis|Genesis/Mega Drive]], [[Game Gear]], [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]], [[Nintendo 64]], [[GameCube]], [[Wii]], [[Wii U]], [[Game Boy]], [[Game Boy Color]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Nintendo DS]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], [[MS-DOS]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[PlayStation 2]] [[PlayStation 3]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[PlayStation 5]], [[PlayStation Portable]], [[PlayStation Vita]], [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Xbox One]], [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]], [[iOS (Apple)|iOS]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[BlackBerry PlayBook]], [[Arcade game|Arcade]], [[Nintendo Switch 2]]
| first release version = ''[[John Madden Football (1988 video game)|John Madden Football]]''
| first release date = June 1, 1988
| latest release version = ''[[Madden NFL 26]]''
| latest release date = August 14, 2025
}}

'''''EA Madden NFL''''' (known as '''''John Madden Football''''' until 1993) is an [[American football]] [[sports video game]] series developed by [[EA Orlando]] for [[EA Sports]]. The franchise, named after [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] coach and commentator [[John Madden]], has sold more than 130 million copies as of 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 13, 2018 |title=Fans Are Going Mad for Madden, EA SPORTS Madden NFL Franchise Passes 130 Million Copies Sold |work=[[Business Wire]] |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180813005649/en/Fans-Are-Going-Mad-for-Madden-EA-SPORTS-Madden-NFL-Franchise-Passes-130-Million-Copies-Sold |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211229101938/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180813005649/en/Fans-Are-Going-Mad-for-Madden-EA-SPORTS-Madden-NFL-Franchise-Passes-130-Million-Copies-Sold |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |access-date=December 29, 2021 }}</ref> From 2004 until 2022, it was the only officially licensed [[National Football League]] (NFL) video game series, and has influenced many players and coaches of the physical sport. Among the series' features are detailed playbooks and player statistics and voice commentary in the style of a real [[National Football League on United States television|NFL television broadcast]]. {{asof|2013}} the franchise has generated over $4 billion in sales, making it one of the most profitable video game franchises on the market.

[[Electronic Arts]] (EA) founder [[Trip Hawkins]] conceived the series and approached Madden in 1984 for his endorsement and expertise. Because of Madden's insistence that the game be as realistic as possible, the first version of ''[[John Madden Football (1988 video game)|John Madden Football]]'' did not appear until 1988. EA has released annual versions since 1990 with the number used in each release generally representing the year after the game's release date; for example, ''[[Madden NFL 2005]]'' was released in 2004, ahead of the [[2004 NFL season]].

== History ==

===1980s – Creation===
{{rquote|right|The real reason that I founded Electronic Arts was because I wanted to make computerized versions of games like Strat-O-Matic.|Trip Hawkins{{r|lemire20110210}}}}

[[Trip Hawkins]] created a clone of the [[Strat-O-Matic]] paper and dice-based football simulation game as a teenager. The game was unsuccessful due to its complexity, and he hoped to one day delegate its rules to a computer. At [[Harvard College]], where Hawkins played football for the [[Harvard Crimson football|Crimson]], he wrote a football simulation for the [[PDP-11]] minicomputer which, he later said, predicted that the [[Miami Dolphins]] would defeat the [[Minnesota Vikings]] 23–6 (actually 24–7) in the [[Super Bowl VIII|1974 Super Bowl]].{{r|thefranchise}}<ref name="ferrell198805">{{cite news |url=https://archive.org/stream/1988-05-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_096_1988_May#page/n15/mode/2up |title=These Are a Few of Their Favorite Games |work=Compute! |date=May 1988 |access-date=10 November 2013 |author=Ferrell, Keith |pages=14}}</ref> After founding Electronic Arts in 1982{{r|thefranchise}}—"The real reason that I founded [it] was because I wanted to make computerized versions of games like Strat-O-Matic", Hawkins later said<ref name="lemire20110210">{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/joe_lemire/02/10/strat.o.matic/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213071202/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/joe_lemire/02/10/strat.o.matic/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 13, 2011 |title=Strat-O-Matic more than a game for its founder and devotees |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=2011-02-10 |access-date=December 10, 2012 |author=Lemire, Joe}}</ref>{{r|suellentrop20100125}}—the company began designing a microcomputer football game. Hawkins first approached his favorite player [[Joe Montana]] to endorse the proposed game but the quarterback already had an endorsement deal with [[Atari, Inc.]], and his second choice, [[California Golden Bears football|Cal]] coach [[Joe Kapp]], demanded up-front royalties far in excess of what Hawkins was willing to pay.<ref name="thefranchise" />

[[File:John Madden (Higher Quality).jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[John Madden]], a former NFL coach and then-announcer, agreed to lend his namesake and knowledge of football to the game series.]]
In 1984, Hawkins approached former NFL coach and then-announcer [[John Madden]]. Hawkins and game producer [[Joe Ybarra]] arranged a follow-up meeting with Madden during an [[Amtrak]] train trip over two days because of Madden's [[fear of flying]].<ref name="thefranchise">{{cite web | url=http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100805/madden&redirected=true | title=The Franchise | publisher=ESPN | date=2010-08-05 | access-date=23 January 2015 | author=Hruby, Patrick}}</ref><ref name="pham20090417">{{cite news |last=Pham |first=Alex |title=Popular Madden NFL game will continue |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2009-04-17 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-17-et-madden-games17-story.html |access-date=2010-05-02}}</ref><ref name="IGN_History">{{cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |title=IGN Presents the History of Madden |website=IGN |date=2008-08-06 |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/896/896893p1.html |access-date=2009-03-30 |archive-date=2009-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221111848/http://retro.ign.com/articles/896/896893p1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{r|bissell20120117}} The EA executives promised that the proposed game would be a sophisticated football simulation and they asked the retired Oakland Raiders coach for his endorsement and expertise. Madden knew nothing about computers beyond his [[telestrator]] but agreed; he had taught a class at the [[University of California, Berkeley]], called "Football for Fans", and envisioned the program as a tool for teaching and testing plays.<ref name="thefranchise" /><ref name="markazi20090821">{{cite magazine |last=Markazi |first=Arash |title=John Madden talks retirement, video game, plans for '09 season |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=2009-08-21 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/arash_markazi/08/21/john-madden-talks-retirement/index.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119111334/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/arash_markazi/08/21/john-madden-talks-retirement/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2013 |access-date=2010-05-02}}</ref><ref name="30for30">{{Cite podcast |url=https://30for30podcasts.com/episodes/maddens-game/ |title=Madden's Game |website=30 for 30 Podcasts |publisher=ESPN |last=Wheaton |first=Wil |access-date=2020-09-19}}</ref> (Madden would continue to see the game as an educational tool. When asked in 2012 to describe ''Madden NFL'', he called it "a way for people to learn the game and participate in the game at a pretty sophisticated level".{{r|bissell20120117}}) Hawkins and Ybarra during the train trip learned football plays and strategies from Madden from sunrise to midnight.<ref name="thefranchise" />

EA likely expected Madden to endorse the game without participating in its design. Early plans envisioned six or seven players per team because of technical limitations but Madden insisted on having 11 players,<ref name="thefranchise" />{{r|bissell20120117}} stating "I'm not putting my name on it if it's not real".<ref name="IGN_History" />{{r|30for30}} Ybarra, who had played [[chess]], not football, in high school, became an expert on the subject through his work, but found that 11 players overwhelmed contemporary home computers. Most projects that are as delayed as ''Madden'' are canceled; Ybarra and developer Robin Antonick needed three years, more than twice the length of the average development process. The project became known within the company as "Trip's Folly", and Madden—who had received $100,000 [[advance against royalties]] that EA's outside auditors advised to [[write-off]] because it would never be recouped—believed at times that EA had given up.<ref name="thefranchise" />{{r|30for30}}

The company hired [[Bethesda Softworks]] to finish the game, but this only got them partway to their goal. While EA used many of its designs, including contributions to their physics engine,<ref name="escapist">{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_83/471-Bethesda-The-Right-Direction|title=Bethesda: The Right Direction|access-date=15 June 2016|archive-date=5 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805204330/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_83/471-Bethesda-The-Right-Direction|url-status=dead}}</ref> within a year Bethesda stopped working on ''Madden'' and sued EA over EA's failure to publish new versions of Bethesda's ''Gridiron!'' football game. This added to the delay.<ref name="IGN_History" /> After a final development push, ''[[John Madden Football (1988 video game)|John Madden Football]]'' debuted in 1988 for the [[Apple II]] computers.  Hawkins and an exhausted Ybarra ("All my memories are of pain") could move on to other projects.<ref name="thefranchise" />

Contracted to provide plays,{{r|30for30}} Madden gave EA the [[1980 Oakland Raiders season|1980 Raiders]] playbook, and EA hired ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]'' writer Frank Cooney, who had designed his own [[miniature model (gaming)|figurine]] football game with numerical skill ratings. Those skill ratings, also utilized in a spreadsheet based game called Grid Grade, were a precursor to player ratings in Madden Football.  Although the company could not yet legally use NFL teams' or players' names, Cooney obtained real plays from NFL teams.{{r|thefranchise}} The back of the box called the game "The First Real Football Simulation" and quoted Madden: "Hey, if there aren't 11 players, it isn't real football." Documentation included diagrams of dozens of offensive and defensive plays with Madden's commentary on coaching strategies and philosophy.<ref name="c64sets">{{cite web |url=http://www.c64sets.com/set.html?id=33&show_all=1 |title=John Madden Football by Electronic Arts |work=Commodore 64 Boxed Sets |access-date=November 22, 2012}}</ref> In addition to submitting plays, Cooney worked with programmers and producers to create numerical ratings for every player so they would perform appropriately in the game, especially in man-to-man situations. In the beginning there were eight to 12 traits that were graded for each player. That number would grow to more than 200 as the game became more sophisticated. The game sold moderately well<ref name="thefranchise" /> but given the sophisticated playbook its interface was complex, and Madden's insistence on 11 players caused the game to run slowly.<ref name="IGN_History" />

During this period, Madden turned down the opportunity to buy an "unlimited" number of options for EA stock in its [[initial public offering]], a decision he later called "the dumbest thing I ever did in my life".<ref name="thefranchise" /><ref name="bissell20120117">{{cite news | url=http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7473139/tom-bissell-making-madden-nfl | title=Kickoff: ''Madden NFL'' and the Future of Video Game Sports | work=Grantland | date=2012-01-17 | access-date=January 21, 2012 | author=Bissell, Tom}}</ref>

===1990s===
In early 1990, EA hired [[Park Place Productions]] to develop ''Madden'' for the [[Sega Genesis]] [[video game console]]. Park Place had developed ''[[ABC Monday Night Football (video game)|ABC Monday Night Football]]'' with "arcade-style, action-heavy" game play, and its ''Madden'' also emphasized [[hyperreality]] compared to the computer version's focus on exact simulation.<ref name="thefranchise" />{{r|horowitz20071123}} Impressed with Park Place's work, EA chose it for the Genesis ''Madden'' instead of completing an in-house version by Antonick.<ref name="harris201503">{{cite web | url=http://readonlymemory.vg/john-madden-hockey | title=John Madden Hockey | publisher=Read-Only Memory | date=March 2015 | access-date=28 March 2015 | author=Harris, Blake J.}}</ref>

EA [[reverse engineering|reverse engineered]] the console to sell the game without paying the standard $8 to $10 license fee per cartridge to Sega, then proposed a compromise of $2 per cartridge and a $2 million cap on the fee. The console maker agreed, afraid that EA would sell its reverse-engineered knowledge to other companies; the agreement saved EA $35 million over the next three years. As its own Joe Montana-endorsed football game would miss the 1990 [[Christmas shopping season]], Sega asked EA to let it sell ''Madden'' with the Montana name. EA refused, but offered an inferior alternative that lacked ''Madden'''s 3D graphics and most of its 113 plays.<ref name="thefranchise" />{{r|horowitz20071123}} ''[[Joe Montana Football]]'' sold well despite shipping after Christmas 1990, and it remained popular after [[BlueSky Software]] took over development.<ref name="IGN_History" /> ''[[John Madden Football (1990 video game)|John Madden Football]]'' for the Genesis, however, became both the first hugely successful ''Madden'' game—selling 400,000 copies when the company expected 75,000{{r|harris201503}}—and the first [[killer application|killer app]] for EA and Sega, helping the console gain market share against the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]].<ref name="thefranchise" /><ref name="IGN_History" /> From 1992 to 1994, ''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'' placed the game at #1 in their monthly Top 100 Mega Drive Games of All Time.

In 1990, EA producer [[Richard Hilleman]] brought in veteran sports game designer [[Scott Orr]], who had founded the mid-1980s [[Commodore 64]] game publisher GameStar and led the design of their best-selling sports games. The team of Orr and Hilleman designed and led the development of what is today still recognizable as the modern ''Madden''. Early versions of ''Madden'' were created by external development studios such as Bethesda, [[Visual Concepts]], and [[Stormfront Studios]]. ''John Madden Football '92'' also featured the ambulance which would run over any players in its path.

After Visual Concepts failed to deliver ''Madden NFL '96'' for the new [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] in 1995, EA hired Tiburon Entertainment for ''Madden NFL '97''<ref name="IGN_History" /> and later acquired the company, centralizing development in-house.<ref name="thefranchise" /> It planned to release ''John Madden Football'' as its first sports-based [[arcade game]], but the game was cancelled due to unenthusiastic reactions from [[Game testing|play testers]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Off the Wall at AMOA|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=76 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=January 1995|page=34}}</ref> EA's refusal to release ''Madden'' and other sports titles for the [[Dreamcast]] in 1999 contributed to the console's lack of success and Sega's exit from the hardware market.<ref name="IGN_History" />

By 1996, ''Madden'' was the best-selling sports video game franchise, with more than eight million units sold up until then.<ref>{{cite news |title=Press release: Electronic Arts Ships MADDEN NFL 97 for the Sega Saturn; Industry's Best-Selling Sports Video Game of All Time Leads EA SPORTS' Holiday Push onto the Sega Saturn Platform |url=https://segaretro.org/Press_release:_1996-09-26:_Electronic_Arts_Ships_MADDEN_NFL_97_for_the_Sega_Saturn;_Industry%27s_Best-Selling_Sports_Video_Game_of_All_Time_Leads_EA_SPORTS%27_Holiday_Push_onto_the_Sega_Saturn_Platform |access-date=16 October 2021 |publisher=[[Electronic Arts]] |date=September 26, 1996 |language=en}}</ref>

====Franchise Mode====
{{expand section|date=September 2012}}
In 1998, Electronic Arts added "Franchise Mode" to ''Madden Football'', giving players the ability to play multiple seasons, make off-season draft picks, and trade players.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.cnn.com/1998-09-04/tech/9809_04_madden99.idg_1_madden-nfl-big-year-playstation?_s=PM:TECH |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119113004/http://articles.cnn.com/1998-09-04/tech/9809_04_madden99.idg_1_madden-nfl-big-year-playstation?_s=PM:TECH |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-19 |title=Madden NFL 99 the best PC football game bar none – CNN |publisher=Articles.cnn.com |date=1998-09-04 |access-date=2012-09-24 }}</ref>
Within Franchise Mode, players take on the role of general manager and manage all personnel matters, including contracts, free agency, draft picks, and hiring and firing coaches. The player also acts as a head coach-like character (although there is a head coach figure in-game), choosing which players to play, making substitutions, running practices, practicing gameplans, etc.

Players may play with any of the NFL's 32 franchises; they can choose whether or not to have trade deadlines and salary caps and if they want to start their franchise with a 49-round fantasy draft of all active NFL players. Players can also upload created teams for use in the game.

Once in game, players run training camp (individual drills for improving players' attributes), play in preseason games and compete in a regular 16-game NFL season, including playoffs and the Super Bowl. The player has the option to play any game in the simulation, including those involving other teams if they so desire, or may simulate through the games as they choose. Most versions of ''Madden'' give a player 30 years with their franchise, sometimes with an opportunity to apply for the Hall of Fame at the end of the simulation.

Throughout the history of Franchise Mode, there have been many issues and glitches including data corruption, gameplay bugs, and developer mistakes.  Franchise Mode is one of Madden's most consistently criticized game modes each year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-01 |title=Madden 23 Franchise Mode Is Actually Broken |url=https://www.operationsports.com/madden-23-franchise-mode-is-actually-broken/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=Operation Sports |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Madden NFL 24 Bugs & Glitches Thread – Page 4 – Operation Sports Forums |url=https://forums.operationsports.com/forums/madden-nfl-football/1013553-madden-nfl-24-bugs-glitches-thread-4.html |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=forums.operationsports.com}}</ref>

===2000s===
====''Madden NFL 2000''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 2000}}

''[[Madden NFL 2000]]'' was the first Madden to have a play editor, arcade mode, and the Madden Challenge. The game was released on August 31, 1999, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, and Classic Mac OS. The cover athletes were former Raiders Coach John Madden and the Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders in the background. This was the second Madden to have someone besides John Madden on the cover.

====''Madden NFL 2001''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 2001}}

''[[Madden NFL 2001]]'' featured a segment called "Great Games" where one would be put in a situation where they control one team and would have to win the game with a set amount of time. If the player wins, they unlock either a new team or a stadium. Overall, there were more than 60 teams and over 80 stadiums in ''Madden NFL 2001''. [[Tennessee Titans]] running back [[Eddie George]] is the cover athlete.

====''Madden NFL 2002''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 2002}}

''[[Madden NFL 2002]]'' featured for the first time Create-A-Team where one would make a team and play with that team in either Play Now or Franchise mode. It also featured Create-A-League mode but it never caught on. Create-A-Team was not featured in ''Madden NFL 13'' and moving teams was first featured in ''Madden NFL 2004'' called "Stadium" in the Franchise mode of the game. ''Madden NFL 2002'' was the 2nd highest selling game in 2002. [[Minnesota Vikings]] quarterback [[Daunte Culpepper]] is the cover athlete.

====''Madden NFL 2003''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 2003}}

There are multiple modes of game play, from a quick head-to-head game to running a team for a whole season or even multiple seasons. Online play, which was a new feature for ''[[Madden NFL 2003]]'' (in this version there are also mini-camp challenges) was only available for users of the [[PlayStation 2]] console, [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console, or a [[Microsoft Windows]] PC until early [[2004 in video gaming|2004]]. [[St. Louis Rams]] running back [[Marshall Faulk]] is the cover athlete.<!-- At [[E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)|E3 2004]], Microsoft and EA Sports -->

====''Madden NFL 2004''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 2004}}

Also, starting with ''[[Madden NFL 2004]]'', EA Sports created the new ''Playmaker'' tool, using the right analog joystick found on each of the adjustments previously unavailable in prior installments of the franchise.<ref>{{cite web | last = Navarro | first = Alex | title = Madden NFL 2004 Impressions | website = [[GameSpot]] | date = 2003-07-09 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/madden2004/news.html?sid=6071304 | access-date = 2009-04-01 }}</ref> One such adjustment includes the ability to switch which direction a running play was going without changing the formation. Prior to the Playmaker tool, the Player could only call one of four available "hot routes." With Playmaker and the use of the right thumb stick, the player is given 4 additional Hot Route options. When the quarterback has the ball the Playmaker Tool can be used to make receivers alter their routes mid-play. When running the ball on offense, the runner can control the direction in which the blocker is going. Defensive alignment adjustments, however, were not available leading to obvious imbalance in favor of the Offensive player. [[Atlanta Falcons]] quarterback [[Michael Vick]] is the cover athlete.

====''Madden NFL 2005''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 2005}}

In ''[[Madden NFL 2005]]'', EA Sports ran a campaign with the Theme "Fear the D" emphasising their improvements on the "other side of the ball." In an attempt to re-balance the players experience, EA gave a Playmaker Tool to the defense. Similar to the offensive Playmaker Tool, the defensive Playmaker allows the player to make pre-snap defensive adjustments. EA Sports further utilized the right analog joystick on defense by creating the "Hit Stick", an option on defense that allows the controlled player to make big hits, with a simple flick, that increases the chances the ball carrier will fumble. Also introduced for the first time is the "Formation Shift." This new feature allowed players to shift their formation in the pre-snap audible menu without actually changing the play. For example, if you call a run play up the middle out of a goal line formation, you could then call a formation shift and make your players spread out into a four wide receiver formation while still in the same running play. The problem with this new function was that EA also added a fatigue penalty for the defense causing defensive players to get more tired each time there was a formation shift. This led to players on offense calling multiple formation shifts each play making the defensive players too exhausted to keep up and force them to substitute out of the game until they are fully rested. This led to more imbalance that could only be fixed by turning off fatigue. [[Baltimore Ravens]] linebacker [[Ray Lewis]] is the cover athlete.

''2005'' also added "EA Sports Radio", a fictional show that plays during the menu screen of Franchise mode to provide a greater sense of a storyline during gameplay. It features [[Tony Bruno]] as the host, who often interviews players and coaches about how the season is going and also has quiz questions in which fake listeners call in to make attempts at answering football-related questions. It included mock interviews of famous NFL players and coaches throughout the in-game season. Some fans have criticized [[EA Sports]] for not including new features to the 'programming' as the radio became stale after only two seasons in franchise mode, but the feature drew acclaim for adding content to the Franchise menu. Also added was the Newspaper where the player could look at National News from licensed USA Today and Licensed Local papers for almost each of the 32 NFL teams. Lastly, 2005 also saw the introduction of multiple progressions during franchise mode. Previously NFL players in Madden would only progress or regress at the end of each season. Now at the end of Week 5, 11, and 17 the game would use a program to "progress" players based on their performance in addition to end of season progression.

====''Madden NFL 06''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 06}}

In ''[[Madden NFL 06]]'', the "Truck Stick" was introduced. This feature allows the offensive player to lower his shoulder and break a tackle, or back juke to avoid one. Another new feature is the ''[[Be-a-pro mode|Superstar Mode]]'', which allows the player to take control of a rookie and progress through his career.<ref>{{cite web | last = Ekberg | first = Brian | title = Madden NFL 06 Superstar Mode Preview | website = GameSpot | date = 2005-07-01 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/maddennfl2006/news.html?sid=6128568 | access-date = 2009-04-01 }}</ref> This includes an IQ test, interviews, workouts, the NFL Draft, hiring an agent, and other aspects of a superstar's life. [[Philadelphia Eagles]] quarterback [[Donovan McNabb]] is the cover athlete.

EA also introduced the ''QB Vision'' feature in the 2006 installment. With this feature, a cone of spotlight emits from the quarterback during passing plays, simulating his field of vision. To make an accurate pass, the quarterback must have his intended receiver in his field of vision. Passing to a receiver not in the cone reduces pass accuracy significantly. The size of the quarterback's vision cone is directly correlated to his Awareness and Passer Accuracy rating; [[Brett Favre]] and [[Peyton Manning]] see nearly the entire field at once, whereas an inexperienced quarterback such as [[J. P. Losman]] or [[Kyle Boller]] sees only a sliver of the field.<ref name="thefranchise" /> This feature also allows for bigger plays and more interceptions.

Also, EA sports added the ''Smart Route''. This means that when pressing a hot route to the corresponding receiver, you put the analog stick down and the receiver will run to the first down, and you can throw him the ball.

While current gen Madden remained the same with the exception of a "Smart Route" and "QB Vision", this was also the first year Madden was released on the next-gen Xbox 360. It was completely stripped down, almost every change made in the previous gen was wiped away.

====''EA Sports Madden NFL Football''====
This is an arcade game developed by [[Global VR]] and released in 2005. The game comes in standard and deluxe cabinets. It can be played with up to four players and includes five game modes: Exhibition, Training, Tournament, Competition, and Career. It features rosters from the 2004–2005 season.<ref>{{cite web | title = EA Sports Madden NFL Football flyer | url = https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/flyers_video/globalvr/332000302.jpg | access-date = 2019-09-01 }}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 07''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 07}}

In ''[[Madden NFL 07]]'', EA introduced ''Lead Blocker Controls'' which allow users to control blockers during running plays. In addition, EA redefined the Truck Stick into the ''Highlight Stick''. With the Highlight Stick, users can have their running backs perform different running moves and combos, instead of just bowling over defenders. Truck Stick features still exist for bigger backs, but not for smaller backs who would never realistically use them anyway. Instead, more agile backs perform acrobatic ducks and dodges to avoid tackles.<ref>{{cite web | last = Navarro | first = Alex | title = Madden NFL 07 Review | website = GameSpot | date = 2006-08-22 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/madden07/review.html | access-date = 2009-04-01 }}</ref> [[Seattle Seahawks]] running back [[Shaun Alexander]] is the cover athlete.

====''EA Sports Madden NFL Football: Season 2''====
This game is the sequel to EA Sports Madden NFL Football. Like the original, it was also developed by [[Global VR]]. It was released in 2006 only in arcades. This version adds QB Vision, the Hit Stick, and the Truck Stick. The rosters are also updated for the 2006–2007 season.<ref>{{cite web | title = EA Sports Madden NFL Football: Season 2 flyer | url = https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/flyers_video/globalvr/332002801.jpg | access-date = 2019-09-01 }}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 08''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 08}}

In ''[[Madden NFL 08]]'', the ''Weapons'' feature was added, allowing superstar players to be noticed. [[Randy Moss]], for example, is a Go-To-Guy, allowing him to make amazing one-handed grabs. [[Peyton Manning]] is a Franchise QB. It also includes new skill drills, Hit Stick 2.0, and Ring of a Champion features. [[Tennessee Titans]] quarterback [[Vince Young]] is on the cover. ''Madden NFL 08'' was also the last ''Madden'' game released for [[macOS]] and the last [[GameCube]] game ever released. It was also the last to appear on Windows until ''Madden NFL 19'' in 2018.

====''Madden NFL 09''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 09}}

''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' was released on August 12, 2008. Citing business concerns, EA chose not to release the game on PC platforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080403-another-blow-for-pc-gaming-ea-drops-pc-version-of-madden-09.html|title=Another blow for PC gaming: EA drops PC version of Madden '09|date=3 April 2008|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> The game features quarterback [[Brett Favre]] on the front cover, initially in a [[Green Bay Packers]] uniform, but also with a downloadable cover featuring Favre in a [[New York Jets]] uniform.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/videogames/news/story?id=3366051|title=Madden NFL 09 cover to feature NFL great Brett Favre|date=25 April 2008|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> Favre had retired before the start of the season as a member of the Packers, but came out of retirement late in the summer and was traded to the Jets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://kotaku.com/first-look-at-new-brett-favre-madden-jets-cover-5035824|work=Kotaku|title=First Look At New Brett Favre Madden Jets Cover|access-date=2019-09-08}}</ref> ''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' was the first of the series to offer online, league game play, allowing up to 32 players to compete in an online, simulated NFL season. EA Sports Senior Producer Phil Frazier, up to 32 players were able to participate in competitive games, the NFL Draft and conduct trades between their teams. The game was also the first of the series to incorporate a Madden IQ. The Madden IQ is used to automatically gauge your skills through a series of mini-games consisting of run offense, pass offense, run defense, and pass defense. At the end of each of the drills, the player receives a score ranging from rookie to all-Madden. The final Madden IQ is a mixture of those scores which is used to control the game's difficulty.<ref name="thefranchise" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/maddennfl09/news.html?sid=6189938&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures;title;1:|title=Madden NFL 09|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/maddennfl09/news.html?sid=6191473&mode=previews:|title=Madden NFL 09|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 10''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 10}}

''[[Madden NFL 10]]'' was released on August 14, 2009. It features [[Arizona Cardinals]] wide receiver [[Larry Fitzgerald]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] strong safety [[Troy Polamalu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/sports/blogs/sports-blog/909097139/26870251/madden-nfl-10-ea-answers-your-questions.html|title=GameSpot: EA Answers Your Questions|access-date=15 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510003344/http://uk.gamespot.com/sports/blogs/sports-blog/909097139/26870251/madden-nfl-10-ea-answers-your-questions.html|archive-date=10 May 2009}}</ref> Compared to previous iterations, Madden NFL 10 has been extremely transparent with its development efforts, maintaining a weekly blog updates as well as a constant presence on various message boards. A new design team has also taken over the game, including members from NFL Head Coach 09. The direction of Madden NFL 10 has been shifted to much more of a realistic and simulation focus, with info already released including Procedural Awareness (a robust head tracking system), a new philosophy on player ratings, and big improvements to realism in QB play, WR/DB play, and other areas across the game. Madden 10 has several new features including the PRO-TAK animation technology, which allows up to nine man gang tackles and fumble pile-ups to help players 'fight for every yard', in this year's tagline. Madden 10 also features an in-game weekly recap show called The Extra Point. Madden 10 offers a series of multiple play packages. This allows for more options to score. This version features a completely overhauled rating system for players, featuring new categories such as throw on the run and specific ratings for short, medium, and deep passes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/firstcuts/entry/view/28609/houshmandzadeh_mad_about_madden_rating|title=Sporting News – NFL – NCAA – NBA – MLB – NASCAR – UFC – WWE|website=Sporting News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731132328/http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/firstcuts/entry/view/28609/houshmandzadeh_mad_about_madden_rating|archive-date=2009-07-31}}</ref> The game's soundtrack features rap, alternative rock, rap metal and hard rock bands such as [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Pantera]], [[System of a Down]], and [[Kid Rock]].

===2010s===
====''Madden NFL 11''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 11}}

''[[Madden NFL 11]]'' was released on July 27, 2010 (moved up from its original release date of August 10, 2010 for promotional reasons<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-games-madden|title=NFL on Yahoo! Sports – News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games|website=Yahoo Sports|access-date=2017-01-09|archive-date=2011-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629065620/http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-games-madden|url-status=dead}}</ref>), and features [[New Orleans Saints]] quarterback [[Drew Brees]] on the cover. It features several new additions to the franchise, such as Online Team Play,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gomadden.com/news/footballgame/new-madden-11-video-talks-online-team-play-with-designers/|title=New Madden 11 Video Talks Online Team Play with Designers – GoMadden<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> Online Scouting<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gomadden.com/news/footballgame/madden-11-to-introduce-enhanced-online-scouting/|title=Madden 11 to Introduce Enhanced Online Scouting – GoMadden<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> and online attribute boosts for co-op play.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gomadden.com/news/footballgame/madden-11-boosts-to-be-purchasable/|title=Madden 11 Boosts to be Purchasable – GoMadden<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> Along with these new game additions is a new rating (sponsored by Old Spice) known as Swagger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gomadden.com/news/footballgame/madden-11-has-lots-of-swagger-literally/ |title=Madden 11 Has Lots of Swagger… Literally – GoMadden |access-date=15 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702151847/http://gomadden.com/news/footballgame/madden-11-has-lots-of-swagger-literally |archive-date=2 July 2010 }}</ref> Although early speculation was that this new rating would be reflective of "confidence" or "composure," it was quickly confirmed to be directly tied to a player's personality for celebrations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gomadden.com/news/footballgame/madden-11-swagger-is-pure-personality/|title=Madden 11 Swagger is Pure Personality – GoMadden<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 12''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 12}}

''[[Madden NFL 12]]'' was released on August 25, 2011. The release was delayed by two weeks due to the [[2011 NFL lockout|NFL lockout]],<ref>{{cite news |title='Madden NFL 12' release delayed three weeks |url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/story/permalink/23440 |work=[[Pro Football Weekly]] |date=April 13, 2011 |access-date=2012-03-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509184344/http://www.profootballweekly.com/story/permalink/23440 |archive-date=May 9, 2011 }}</ref> and features [[Cleveland Browns]] [[running back]] [[Peyton Hillis]] on the cover. However, there is a limited edition in which the cover features [[St. Louis Rams]] running back [[Marshall Faulk]].

====''Madden NFL 13''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 13}}

''[[Madden NFL 13]]'' was released on August 28, 2012, and features [[Detroit Lions]] [[wide receiver]] [[Calvin Johnson]] as the cover athlete. ''Madden NFL 13'' is the first ''Madden'' game to be released on the [[PlayStation Vita]], and it is also the first game in the series to have [[Kinect]] support as well as a new physics engine promoting real in game physics.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stein |first=Scott |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57499940-1/madden-13-on-vita-and-kinect-new-technology-in-the-huddle/ |title=Madden 13 on Vita and Kinect: New technology in the huddle &#124; Crave – CNET |publisher=News.cnet.com |date=2012-08-24 |access-date=2012-09-24}}</ref>

''Madden NFL 13'' included a complete revamp to online franchise mode which became known as Connected Careers Mode (CCM). Some of the new CCM features included player contracts, the ability to trade draft picks, a salary cap, and up to 30 seasons worth of gameplay.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-athlete.net/blog/3/entry-208-madden-13-online-franchise-replaced-by-connected-careers-mode/#.U-QltvldVdU |title=Madden 13: Online Franchise Replaced by Connected Careers Mode |publisher=e-Athlete.net |date=2012-06-04 |access-date=2014-08-07 |archive-date=2014-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808061158/http://www.e-athlete.net/blog/3/entry-208-madden-13-online-franchise-replaced-by-connected-careers-mode/#.U-QltvldVdU |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 25''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 25 (2013 video game)}}

In early 2013, EA Sports announced that the next installment of the Madden series would be released on August 27, 2013. As this installment is the 25th anniversary of the series,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/article/madden-25-coming-soon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201183400/http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/article/madden-25-coming-soon|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2013|title=Madden 25 Coming Soon|publisher=easports.com|date=January 29, 2013|access-date=January 31, 2013}}</ref> the game is called ''Madden NFL 25'', instead of ''Madden NFL 14'' with the year like the previous versions.<ref name="Madden 25 confirmed">{{cite web|last=Goldfarb|first=Andrew|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/01/ea-confirms-madden-nfl-25?abthid=510bf9c97463d5c65500007d|title=EA confirms Madden NFL 25|website=[[IGN]]|date=February 1, 2013|access-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref> The cover vote consisted of two brackets containing past players ("Old School") and active players ("New School").<ref>{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Forte-in-running-for-Madden-cover/e0315b79-1895-4f1a-8673-5d3e5532dabe|title=Forte in running for Madden cover|publisher=[[Chicago Bears]]|date=March 12, 2013|access-date=March 12, 2013|archive-date=June 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630072848/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Forte-in-running-for-Madden-cover/e0315b79-1895-4f1a-8673-5d3e5532dabe|url-status=dead}}</ref>

"Old School" player and [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]r [[Barry Sanders]] was chosen as the cover athlete for ''Madden NFL 25'' on the April 24, 2013, episode of [[ESPN]]'s ''[[SportsNation (TV series)|SportsNation]]''. The "New School" finalist was [[Adrian Peterson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sportsnation/story/_/id/9208257/barry-sanders-wins-madden-25-cover-vote-adrian-peterson-minnesota-vikings|title=Barry Sanders wins Madden vote|work=[[ESPN]]|date=April 24, 2013|access-date=April 24, 2013}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 15''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 15}}

On March 13, 2014 [[EA Sports]] posted on its website that user would be able to design and submit uniforms for Connected Careers by March 17, 2014, for "the next Madden NFL."<ref>{{cite web | title = DESIGN LOGOS AND UNIFORMS FOR THE NEXT MADDEN NFL | publisher = EA Sports | date = 2014-03-13 | url = http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news-updates-gameplay/article/uniform-design-contest | access-date = 2014-04-12 }}</ref> On April 28, 2014, EA announced the release of Madden 15 pre-ordering in a release video with NFL linebacker and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year [[Luke Kuechly]]. The game was released August 26 in North America and on August 29 in the EU for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The game featured "dramatic all-new camera angles, as well as dynamic pre-game and halftime features."<ref>{{cite web | title = Madden NFL 15 Available on August 26 | publisher = EA Sports | date = 2014-04-29 | url = http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news-updates-gameplay/article/madden-15-release-date | access-date = 2014-04-30 }}</ref> During the Detroit Lions 10th pick of the [[2014 NFL draft]], Barry Sanders announced fans again would be able to vote for the cover athlete.<ref>{{cite web | title = Madden NFL 15 Cover Vote Now Underway | publisher = EA Sports | date = 2014-05-09 | url = http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news-updates-gameplay/article/madden-15-cover-vote | access-date = 2014-05-09 }}</ref> On June 6, [[Seattle Seahawks]] [[cornerback]] [[Richard Sherman (American football)|Richard Sherman]] was announced as the cover athlete.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Farrar|first1=Doug|title=Seahawks CB Richard Sherman wins Madden NFL 15 cover vote|url=http://nfl.si.com/2014/06/06/richard-sherman-madden-15-cover-seahawks/?eref=sihp|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=June 7, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140607061007/http://nfl.si.com/2014/06/06/richard-sherman-madden-15-cover-seahawks/?eref=sihp|archive-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 16''====
{{Main|Madden NFL 16}}

EA decided not to have players vote for the cover athlete through a traditional bracket, but rather through collectible cards in ''[[Madden NFL Mobile]]'', or through Ultimate Team on the console devices. On May 4, 2015, the four finalists were announced for the 2016 game cover: [[New England Patriots]] tight end [[Rob Gronkowski]], [[Arizona Cardinals]] cornerback [[Patrick Peterson]], [[New York Giants]] wide receiver [[Odell Beckham Jr.]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] wide receiver [[Antonio Brown]]. On May 13, Beckham Jr. beat out Gronkowski in a fan vote for the cover of ''Madden 16''. It was released on August 25, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Odell Beckham makes cover of Madden 2016|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/odell-beckham-makes-cover-of-madden-2016-0ap3000000492622|website=NFL.com|access-date=May 13, 2015}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 17''====
{{main|Madden NFL 17}}

''[[Madden NFL 17]]'' was released on August 23, 2016. The features in the game include an upgrade of the Ground Game, a redesigned and better Franchise Mode, "Madden 365", new Ball Carrier UI Prompts, the new Path Assist and more.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/2016/madden-nfl-17-features-overview|title=Madden NFL 17 Features Overview|website=www.easports.com|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref> [[New England Patriots]] tight end [[Rob Gronkowski]] serves as the cover athlete.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/15520923/new-england-patriots-te-rob-gronkowski-cover-madden-nfl-17|title=Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski to be on cover of 'Madden NFL '17'|website=ESPN.com|date=12 May 2016|access-date=2016-05-26}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 18''====
{{main|Madden NFL 18}}

''[[Madden NFL 18]]'' was released on August 25, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl|title=Madden NFL 18 – Football Video Game – EA SPORTS Official Site|website=www.easports.com|date=17 June 2021}}</ref> The game is the first in the series to be developed in the [[Frostbite (game engine)|Frostbite Engine]], and it incorporates a story mode titled Longshot Mode, akin to ''The Journey'' in [[FIFA 17]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/madden-nfl-18-release-date-new-features-game-play-mode-cover-tom-brady/g3gl89sady92zjry45hyp1fq|title='Madden NFL 18' to introduce story mode, feature new play styles|date=12 May 2017|access-date=16 May 2017|archive-date=15 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515105208/http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/madden-nfl-18-release-date-new-features-game-play-mode-cover-tom-brady/g3gl89sady92zjry45hyp1fq|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was announced that [[New England Patriots]] quarterback [[Tom Brady]] would be on the cover, marking the second consecutive year where a Patriot will be on the cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19363661/new-england-patriots-qb-tom-brady-cover-madden-nfl-18|title=Patriots QB Tom Brady to be on cover of 'Madden NFL 18'|date=12 May 2017}}</ref> Furthermore, an enhanced '''G.O.A.T.''' edition was also announced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/games/2017/05/what-is-madden-18-goat-edition-features-cover-release-date-meaning-comes-with-price-when/|title='Madden 18' GOAT Edition: Release Date, Features & Price|first=Jonathan|last=Adams|date=13 May 2017}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 19''====
{{main|Madden NFL 19}}

''[[Madden NFL 19]]'' was announced with [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] wide receiver [[Antonio Brown]] as the cover athlete.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24129734/steelers-wr-antonio-brown-madden-19-cover|title=Steelers receiver Antonio Brown featured on Madden cover|work=ESPN.com|access-date=2018-07-18}}</ref> It was released on August 10, 2018. This is the first entry since ''Madden NFL 08'' in 2007 to receive a [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] release.

====''Madden NFL 20''====
{{main|Madden NFL 20}}

''[[Madden NFL 20]]'' was announced with [[Kansas City Chiefs]] quarterback [[Patrick Mahomes]] as the cover athlete.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://andscape.com/features/kansas-city-chiefs-quarterback-patrick-mahomes-covers-madden-20/|title=Patrick Mahomes becomes fifth black QB on 'Madden 20' cover|work=[[Andscape]]|access-date=2019-09-08}}</ref> It was released on August 2, 2019. This game features an online eliminator mode called [https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/news/superstar-ko-deep-dive#:~:text=Players%20start%20at%20the%2050,ball%20in%20the%20right%20direction. Superstar K.O.], as well as a revamped story mode titled [https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/06/how-to-get-started-with-madden-20s-face-of-the-franchise# Face of the Franchise: QB1].

===2020s===
====''Madden NFL 21''====
{{main|Madden NFL 21}}

''[[Madden NFL 21]]'' was announced with [[Baltimore Ravens]] quarterback [[Lamar Jackson]] as the cover athlete.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/2020/04/21/Ravens-Lamar-Jackson-to-be-Madden-21-cover-star/4521587491107/|title=Ravens Lamar Jackson to be Madden 21 cover star|last=Butler|first=Alex|date=April 21, 2020|website=UPI}}</ref> It was released on August 28, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/madden-nfl-21-preorder-guide-editions-bonuses-rele/1100-6478568/|title=Madden NFL 21 Pre-Order Guide: Editions, Bonuses, Release Date, And More|date=June 16, 2020|access-date=June 17, 2020|work=GameSpot}}</ref> Introduced that year was a new, backyard-football inspired online mode called The Yard, similar to [[NBA 2K|NBA 2k's]] ''MyPark.''

Due to the [[Washington Redskins]] announcing the retirement of the team's [[Washington Redskins name controversy|controversial moniker]] on July 13, 2020, EA announced on July 17 that it would be doing an update on ''Madden NFL 21'' to remove the team's logo and name and replacing them with a generic Washington logo and name pending further developments.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.redskins.com/news/washington-redskins-retiring-name-logo-following-review| title=Statement From The Washington Redskins Football Team | date=July 13, 2020| website=Redskins.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Jacob|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29483103/electronic-arts-remove-washington-redskins-name-logo-madden-nfl-21|title=Electronic Arts to remove Washington nickname, logo from Madden NFL 21|website=ESPN|date=July 17, 2020|access-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 22''====
{{main|Madden NFL 22}}

''[[Madden NFL 22]]'' was announced with both [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] quarterback [[Tom Brady]] and [[Kansas City Chiefs]] quarterback [[Patrick Mahomes]] as the cover athletes. It was the second cover appearance for both players.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shook |first1=Nick |title=Two G.O.A.T.s: Tom Brady, Tyreek Hill share 'Madden NFL 22' cover |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/two-g-o-a-t-s-tom-brady-Tyreek-Hill-share-madden-nfl-22-cover |website=NFL.com |access-date=17 June 2021}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 23''====
{{main|Madden NFL 23}}

''[[Madden NFL 23]]'' was announced with head coach [[John Madden]] as the cover star on Madden Day (June 1, 2022, the same day the series' first installment, ''John Madden Football'', was released) in honor of his death on December 28, 2021. The cover of the next gen version is a picture of Madden celebrating his victory as the head coach of the [[Las Vegas Raiders|Oakland Raiders]] at [[Super Bowl XI]]. The All Madden Edition is based on the cover of the series' 1st installment, ''John Madden Football'', made by Chuck Styles.

====''Madden NFL 24''====
{{main|Madden NFL 24}}

''[[Madden NFL 24]]'' was announced with [[Buffalo Bills]] quarterback [[Josh Allen]] as the cover athlete.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rothstein |first1=Michael |title=Bills QB Josh Allen on Madden NFL 24 video game cover |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37811958/bills-qb-josh-allen-cover-madden-nfl-24-video-game |website=ESPN.com |access-date=8 June 2023 |language=en |date=7 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenawalt |first1=Tyler |title='Madden 24' cover goes to the Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/madden-24-cover-goes-to-bills-qb-josh-allen-151254752.html |website=Yahoo Sports |access-date=8 June 2023 |date=7 June 2023}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL 25''====
{{main|Madden NFL 25 (2024 video game)}}

''[[Madden NFL 25 (2024 video game)|Madden NFL 25]]'' was released in early September 2024, with [[San Francisco 49ers]] running back [[Christian McCaffrey]] as the cover athlete.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EA SPORTS™ Unveils Christian McCaffrey as the Madden NFL 25 Cover Athlete |url=https://news.ea.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2024/EA-SPORTS-Unveils-Christian-McCaffrey-as-the-Madden-NFL-25-Cover-Athlete/default.aspx |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=news.ea.com |language=en-US}}</ref> It is the last entry to be released on [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-24 |title=Madden 26 Skipping PS4/Xbox One, Launching On Switch 2 |url=https://kotaku.com/madden-26-ps4-xbox-one-switch-2-ps5-series-x-august-1851777745 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Madden NFL 26'' ====
{{main|Madden NFL 26}}

''[[Madden NFL 26]]'' was announced in April 2025 and released on August 14, 2025, with [[Philadelphia Eagles]] running back [[Saquon Barkley]] as the cover athlete.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Eric Van |date=2025-04-24 |title=Madden NFL 26 Locks in Release Date, Hits Nintendo Switch 2 but Ditches PS4 and Xbox One |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/madden-nfl-26-locks-in-release-date-hits-nintendo-switch-2-but-ditches-ps4-and-xbox-one |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> With a simultaneous launch on [[Nintendo Switch 2]], it is the first ''Madden'' entry to be released on a Nintendo console since ''Madden NFL 13'' on [[Wii U]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madden NFL 26 For Switch 2 - Preorder First Entry For A Nintendo Console In 13 Years |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/madden-nfl-26-preorder-nintendo-switch-2-ps5-xbox-series-x-amazon-walmart/1100-6531099/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref> It is also the first entry to exclusively launch on ninth-generation home consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sarkar |first=Samit |date=2025-04-24 |title=It’s only April, but EA’s NFL draft ad got me excited for football season |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/564751/madden-nfl-college-football-26-release-date-ps5-xbox-switch-2-pc |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> '''Madden NFL 26'' is also the first entry in the series to recognize [[long snapper]] as a distinct position.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/sports/article/nfls-most-thankless-job-perk-100100138.html |title=The NFL's most thankless role has a perk — the best job security |first=Greg |last=Rosenstein |work=NBC News |publisher=Yahoo Sports |date=September 19, 2025 |access-date=September 21, 2025}}</ref>

===License history and spinoffs===
====Licensing====
Until 1993, the Madden series did not have official licenses from the [[National Football League]] (NFL) or [[National Football League Players Association]] (NFLPA). ''[[Madden NFL '94]]'' was the first game in the series to include real NFL teams, and ''[[Madden NFL '95]]'' added an NFLPA license for real players through the [[National Football League Players Incorporated]] (NFLPI).<ref>{{cite web|title=Then And Now: Madden Football Turns Twenty|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6195748/index.html|website=GameSpot.com|date=August 11, 2008|access-date=April 3, 2009}}</ref> The licenses restrict EA from including certain content in current ''Madden'' games, such as the humorous ambulance that picks up injured players in 1991's ''[[John Madden Football II]]''.{{r|thefranchise}} The NFL Coaches Association sold the rights to have NFL coaches' names appear in the ''Madden NFL'' games; ''[[Madden NFL 2001]]'' was the first game in the series to feature this license.<ref>{{cite web | last = Ajami | first = Amer | title = Madden NFL 2001 First Impressions | website = GameSpot | date = 2000-05-13 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/maddennfl2001/news.html?sid=2569203 | access-date = 2009-04-03 }}</ref> Neither [[New England Patriots]] coach [[Bill Belichick]] nor [[Bill Parcells]] appeared in the game as they are not members of the NFL Coaches Association. Likewise, non-NFLPA players (such as [[Thurman Thomas]] during his playing career) do not appear in the game, instead being replaced with generic placeholders.

====Exclusivity====
In 2004, EA signed an exclusive licensing rights agreement through 2009 with the NFL and the NFLPA to give the company the exclusive rights to use the NFL's teams, stadiums, and players in a video game.<ref>{{cite web|title=EA and NFL ink exclusive licensing agreement|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/12/13/news_6114977.html|website=GameSpot.com|date=December 13, 2004|access-date=June 14, 2007}}</ref> Mike Mika, who was working on ''NFL 2K'', described the agreement as "like a nuclear bomb going off in the game industry", canceling rival NFL projects.{{r|30for30}} This exclusive license prevents other rival video game developers from producing official NFL video games. The deal, reportedly worth $300 million and later extended to 2013,<ref name="thefranchise" /> has been widely criticized. Some competitors, such as the ''[[Blitz: The League]]'' series, have elected to continue, seeking to distinguish themselves through innovative gameplay while others, such as the ''[[NFL 2K (series)|NFL 2K]]'' series, have ceased production. In 2007, [[2K (company)|2K Sports]] released ''[[All Pro Football 2K8]]'', which used former NFL stars.

In 2020 2K gained the rights for "non-simulation football game experiences" from the NFL. The deal is said to not impact Madden which will remain the only "simulation" football game.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sarkar|first=Samit|date=2020-03-10|title=2K returns to making NFL video games, but not a Madden competitor|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/10/21172310/nfl-2k-sports-football-video-games-deal-ea-madden|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020 the NFL extended its exclusive rights with EA which were due to expire in 2022, which changed to until 2026 for a reported $1.5 billion, with a provision for an additional year of exclusivity if EA hits revenue targets.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Electronic Arts, the NFL and the NFLPA Announce a Groundbreaking Multi-Year Global Partnership|url=https://news.ea.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2020/Electronic-Arts-the-NFL-and-the-NFLPA-Announce-a-Groundbreaking-Multi-Year-Global-Partnership/default.aspx|website=EA.com|date=May 28, 2020|access-date=June 18, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Shook|first=Nick|title=NFL, EA pact positions Madden for takeoff with future consoles|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-ea-partnership-positions-madden-takeoff-on-future-consoles|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=NFL.com|date=May 28, 2020|access-date=June 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Statt|first=Nick|title=EA and the NFL extend exclusive partnership for Madden games until 2026|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/28/21273960/ea-nfl-madden-games-extend-renew-license-2026|website=TheVerge.com|date=May 28, 2020|access-date=June 18, 2021|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Sarkar|first=Samit|title=EA maintains exclusive Madden NFL license in multiyear renewal|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/28/21270647/madden-nfl-ea-renew-contract-license-football|website=Polygon.com|date=May 28, 2020|access-date=June 18, 2021|language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Head Coach'' series ====
{{main|NFL Head Coach}}

In August 2006, [[EA Sports]] debuted ''[[NFL Head Coach]]'', which utilized the ''Madden'' engine to create a football management simulation. The game was criticized as buggy and unrealistic. EA Tiburon rebuilt the game from the ground up, addressing flaws and creating a proprietary engine, over the course of three years. ''[[NFL Head Coach 09]]'' was released on August 12, 2008, bundled with the special edition of ''Madden NFL 09'' and as a standalone game on September 2, 2008.

====''Madden NFL Social''====
''Madden NFL Social'' was an early version of ''[[Madden NFL Mobile]]'' for [[Facebook]] and [[iOS]] that was released November 1, 2012 and shut down September 2, 2013.

====''Madden Arcade''====
Released on November 24, 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/105/1050591p1.html|title=Madden NFL Arcade Review|first=Jeff|last=Haynes|date=December 2009 |access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> the game is 5-on-5 and takes the best 10 players from each of the 32 NFL teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maddennfl.easports.com/arcade.action|title=Madden NFL 17 – EA SPORTS – Official Site|access-date=15 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208224527/http://maddennfl.easports.com/arcade.action|archive-date=8 February 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====''Madden NFL Mobile ''====
''[[Madden NFL Mobile]]'' was released on August 26, 2014, and is only the third Madden game on mobile devices. The game is very similar to the Madden Ultimate Team (MUT) game mode, and the game is currently on its 9th season.

====''Madden NFL Football''====
''[[Madden NFL Football]]'' was released as a launch title for the [[Nintendo 3DS]] on March 27, 2011.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/3ds/sports/maddennfl/news.html?sid=6286560&mode=previews Madden NFL Football 3DS Hands-On – GameSpot.com<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122010234/http://www.gamespot.com/3ds/sports/maddennfl/news.html?sid=6286560&mode=previews |date=2011-01-22 }}</ref>

===Voice commentary===
Voice commentary in ''Madden'' allows players or watchers to hear the game being called as if it were a real game on [[television|TV]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=Ernest|date=2002-04-26|title=Putting Madden in Madden: Memoirs of an EA Sports Video Producer|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20020427/adams_01.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605044256/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20020427/adams_01.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 5, 2002|access-date=2009-05-15|website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref> For early versions of the game, this commentary was performed by Madden himself and his play-by-play partner. Initially, this was [[Pat Summerall]], his partner during their days at [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] and [[NFL on Fox|Fox]] from the early 1980s to the early 2000s until Summerall retired; the role was then filled by [[Al Michaels]], John's broadcast partner on ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' ([[2002 NFL season|2002]]–[[2005 NFL season|2005]]) and ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football]]'' ([[2006 NFL season|2006]]–[[2008 NFL season|2008]]). For the first Madden games on the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3|PS3]], they featured a generic EA Sports radio announcer doing play-by-play. This started with ''[[Madden NFL 06|Madden 06]]'' and ended with ''[[Madden NFL 08|Madden 08]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Navarro|first=Alex|date=18 November 2005|title=Madden NFL 06 Review|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/madden-nfl-06-review/1900-6140115/}}</ref> Other versions of those games still featured Madden's commentary.

Madden recorded thousands of lines for each ''Madden'' game.{{r|30for30}} ''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' was the last version to feature Madden's commentary, albeit in a reduced role. By that time, he felt that reciting a script covering every single scenario in the game was boring and tedious<ref name="markazi20090821"/>&mdash;Madden recalled the long hours spent alone in the recording studio as "the most difficult part of any part that I've ever had in the game and the least amount of fun"{{r|bissell20120117}}&mdash;but said that in the decision to remove him from game commentary, "I feel that something is being taken away from me".<ref name="thefranchise"/>

Madden and Michaels were replaced by [[Cris Collinsworth]] as color commentator and [[Tom Hammond]] on play-by-play in ''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' and ''[[Madden NFL 10]]''. [[Gus Johnson (sportscaster)|Gus Johnson]] replaced Hammond in ''[[Madden NFL 11]]'' and ''[[Madden NFL 12]]'', with Collinsworth handling color commentary in both games.<ref>{{cite news|last=Robinson|first=Jon|date=May 21, 2010|title=Gus Johnson joins 'Madden NFL 11' booth|website=[[ESPN.com]]|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/5207709/gus-johnson-joins-madden-nfl-11-booth|access-date=May 22, 2010}}</ref> ''[[Madden NFL 13]]'' marked the debut of real-life announcing team [[Jim Nantz]] and [[Phil Simms]], including them appearing in an in-booth cutscene before the game.<ref>{{cite web|title=Madden NFL 13 Features: Presentation|url=http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/feature/presentation|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427215638/http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/feature/presentation|archive-date=2012-04-27|access-date=2012-04-27|publisher=EA Sports}}</ref> Nantz and Simms stayed until ''[[Madden NFL 16]]'', when they were replaced by [[NFL on Fox|Fox]]'s [[Brandon Gaudin]] and [[Charles Davis (defensive back)|Charles Davis]] for ''[[Madden NFL 17]]''. Nantz continued to work as the primary play-by-play announcer for [[NFL on CBS|CBS]], while Simms later left the CBS broadcast booth to work on ''[[The NFL Today]]''. Gaudin and Davis returned to the studio throughout the [[2016 NFL season]] to add new commentary relevant to each week of the season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Madden 17 Commentary Team|url=https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/2016/madden-17-commentary-team|website=EA SPORTS|date=19 October 2016 }}</ref>

New commentary teams were added to ''[[Madden NFL 25 (2024 video game)|Madden NFL 25]]''. In addition to Gaudin and Davis, [[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC]]'s [[Mike Tirico]] and Fox's #2 analyst [[Greg Olsen (American football)|Greg Olsen]] formed one new broadcast team, while [[Kate Scott (American sportscaster)|Kate Scott]], the voice of the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] and [[Seattle Seahawks]] preseason games, and Fox's #2 [[Fox College Football|college football]] analyst [[Brock Huard]] formed another team.

In addition, ''Madden NFL 08'' and ''Madden NFL 09'' were also released in Spanish, featuring [[ESPN Deportes]] announcer [[Álvaro Martín (sports announcer)|Álvaro Martín]] providing both play-by-play and analysis.<ref>[https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/09/16/madden-nfl-09-en-espaaol-ships-to-retailers-today Madden NFL 09 en Español ships to retailers today] – IGN, 16 September 2008</ref>

== Games list ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Titles in the series
|-
! Title
! Release
! Platforms
! On the cover
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football (1988 video game)|John Madden Football]]'' || [[1988 NFL season|1988]] || [[MS-DOS]], [[Commodore 64|C64]]/[[Commodore 128|C128]], [[Apple II]]|| rowspan="9" | [[John Madden]]
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football (1990 video game)|John Madden Football]]'' || [[1990 NFL season|1990]] || [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]]
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football II]]'' || rowspan="3" | [[1991 NFL season|1991]] || MS-DOS
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football '92]]'' || Genesis
|-
|''John Madden Football'' || [[Super NES|SNES]]
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football '93]]'' || rowspan="2"| [[1992 NFL season|1992]] || Genesis, SNES
|-
|''John Madden Football'' || [[Amiga]]
|-
| ''John Madden Duo CD Football'' || rowspan="2" | [[1993 NFL season|1993]]|| [[TurboGrafx-16|TG16]] (Super CD)
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL '94]]'' || Genesis, SNES
|-
| ''[[John Madden Football (1994 video game)|John Madden Football]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=John Madden Football – 3DO|url=http://www.ign.com/games/john-madden-football/3do-5708|access-date=25 November 2012|website=[[IGN]]|archive-date=12 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712125317/http://www.ign.com/games/john-madden-football/3do-5708|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=John Madden Football '93 for 3DO (1994)|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/3do/john-madden-football-93|access-date=25 November 2012|publisher=[[MobyGames]]}}</ref> || rowspan="2" | [[1994 NFL season|1994]]|| [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]]
|John Madden<br/>[[Ricky Watters]] of the [[San Francisco 49ers]] (PAL version)
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL '95]]'' || Genesis, SNES, [[Game Boy]], [[Game Gear]], [[Handheld TV game|TV game]]|| John Madden with [[Erik Williams]] of the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and [[Karl Wilson]] of the [[San Francisco 49ers]] in the background
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL '96]]'' || [[1995 NFL season|1995]] || [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, Game Gear|| John Madden with [[Cary Brabham]] of the [[Carolina Panthers]] and [[Gordon Laro]] of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] in the background<ref>{{Cite web|title=How did Cary Brabham (who?) end up on one of the 'Madden' covers?|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/how-did-cary-brabham--who---end-up-on-one-of-the--madden--covers--201637461.html|access-date=2016-07-16}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 97]]'' || [[1996 NFL season|1996]] || Windows, Genesis, SNES, [[PlayStation (console)|PS1]], [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]], Game Boy|| rowspan="3" |John Madden
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 98]]'' || rowspan="2" | [[1997 NFL season|1997]] || Windows, Genesis, SNES, PS1, Saturn
|-
| ''[[Madden Football 64]]'' || [[Nintendo 64|N64]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 99]]'' || [[1998 NFL season|1998]] || Windows, PS1, N64|| John Madden <br/>[[Garrison Hearst]] of the [[San Francisco 49ers]] (PAL version)
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 2000]]'' || [[1999 NFL season|1999]] || Windows, PS1, N64, [[Game Boy Color]], [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]]|| John Madden with [[Barry Sanders]] of the [[Detroit Lions]] in the background / [[Dorsey Levens]] of the [[Green Bay Packers]] (European PAL version)
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 2001]]'' || [[2000 NFL season|2000]] || Windows, PS1, N64, Game Boy Color, [[PlayStation 2|PS2]]|| [[Eddie George]] of the [[Tennessee Titans]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 2002]]'' || [[2001 NFL season|2001]] || Windows, PS1, N64, PS2, [[GameCube]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], Game Boy Color, [[Game Boy Advance]]|| [[Daunte Culpepper]] of the [[Minnesota Vikings]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 2003]]'' || [[2002 NFL season|2002]] || Windows, PS1, PS2, GCN, Xbox, Game Boy Advance|| [[Marshall Faulk]] of the [[St. Louis Rams]] 
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 2004]]'' || [[2003 NFL season|2003]] || Windows, PS1, PS2, GCN, Xbox, Game Boy Advance|| [[Michael Vick]] of the [[Atlanta Falcons]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 2005]]'' || [[2004 NFL season|2004]] || Windows, PS1, PS2, GCN, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, [[Nintendo DS]], [[Tapwave Zodiac]]|| [[Ray Lewis]] of the [[Baltimore Ravens]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 06]]'' || rowspan="2" | [[2005 NFL season|2005]] || Windows, PS2, GCN, Xbox, [[Xbox 360]], Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]], [[Windows Mobile]], [[Mobile game|Mobile phone]]|| [[Donovan McNabb]] of the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] 
|-
| ''EA Sports Madden NFL Football'' || Arcade ||
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 07]]'' || rowspan="2" | [[2006 NFL season|2006]] || Windows, Mobile phone, PS2, GCN, Xbox, Xbox 360, [[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Wii]], Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PSP|| [[Shaun Alexander]] of the [[Seattle Seahawks]] <br/>John Madden (Hall of Fame Edition)
|-
| ''EA Sports Madden NFL Football: Season 2'' || Arcade || N/A
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 08]]'' || [[2007 NFL season|2007]] || Windows, PS2, GCN, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, [[macOS|Mac OS X]]|| [[Vince Young]] of the [[Tennessee Titans]] <br/>[[Luis Castillo (American football)|Luis Castillo]] of the [[San Diego Chargers]] (Spanish language version) 
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' || [[2008 NFL season|2008]] || PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP|| [[Brett Favre]] of the [[Green Bay Packers]]/[[New York Jets]] (alternative cover){{Efn|The cover was initially launched with the recently-retired Favre in a Green Bay Packers uniform. After production began, Favre came out of retirement and was traded to the New York Jets. A downloadable version of the cover with Favre in a Jets uniform was made available on EA Sports' website.}}<br/>[[Roberto Garza]] of the [[Chicago Bears]] (Spanish language version)
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 10]]'' || [[2009 NFL season|2009]] || PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, [[iOS (Apple)|iOS]]|| [[Troy Polamalu]] of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] <br/>[[Larry Fitzgerald]] of the [[Arizona Cardinals]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 11]]'' || [[2010 NFL season|2010]] || PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, iOS|| [[Drew Brees]] of the [[New Orleans Saints]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL Football]]'' || rowspan="2" | [[2011 NFL season|2011]] || [[Nintendo 3DS]]|| N/A
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 12]]'' || PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, iOS, [[Android (operating system)|Android]], BlackBerry Playbook|| [[Peyton Hillis]] of the [[Cleveland Browns]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 13]]'' || [[2012 NFL season|2012]] || Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, [[Wii U]], [[PlayStation Vita|PS Vita]], iOS|| [[Calvin Johnson]] of the [[Detroit Lions]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 25 (2013 video game)|Madden NFL 25]]'' || [[2013 NFL season|2013]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Madden NFL 25 Demo Now Available|url=http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/article/madden-25-release-date|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> ||Xbox 360, PS3, [[Xbox One]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], iOS, Android|| [[Barry Sanders]] of the [[Detroit Lions]] (Xbox 360 and PS3) <br />[[Adrian Peterson]] of the [[Minnesota Vikings]] (Xbox One and PS4)
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 15]]'' || rowspan="2" | [[2014 NFL season|2014]] || Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4|| [[Richard Sherman (American football)|Richard Sherman]] of the [[Seattle Seahawks]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL Mobile]]'' || iOS, Android|| Same as the console for each year
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 16]]'' || [[2015 NFL season|2015]] || Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4|| [[Odell Beckham Jr.]] of the [[New York Giants]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 17]]'' || [[2016 NFL season|2016]] || Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4|| [[Rob Gronkowski]] of the [[New England Patriots]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 18]]'' || [[2017 NFL season|2017]] || Xbox One, PS4|| [[Tom Brady]] of the [[New England Patriots]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 19]]'' || [[2018 NFL season|2018]] || Windows, Xbox One, PS4|| [[Antonio Brown]] of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] <br/>[[Terrell Owens]] of the [[Dallas Cowboys]] (Hall of Fame Edition) 
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 20]]'' || [[2019 NFL season|2019]] || Windows, Xbox One, PS4|| [[Patrick Mahomes]] of the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 21]]'' || [[2020 NFL season|2020]] || Windows, Xbox One, PS4, [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]], [[PlayStation 5|PS5]], [[Google Stadia|Stadia]]|| [[Lamar Jackson]] of the [[Baltimore Ravens]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 22]]'' || [[2021 NFL season|2021]] || Windows, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Stadia|| [[Tom Brady]] of the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]<br/>[[Patrick Mahomes]] of the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 23]]'' || [[2022 NFL season|2022]] ||| Windows, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5|| John Madden{{efn|The cover of the next gen version is a picture of Madden celebrating his victory as the head coach of the [[Las Vegas Raiders|Oakland Raiders]] at [[Super Bowl XI]], while the cover of the All Madden Edition is based on the cover of ''John Madden Football'', made by Chuck Styles.}}
|-
|''[[Madden NFL 24]]'' || [[2023 NFL season|2023]] || Windows, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 || [[Josh Allen]] of the [[Buffalo Bills]]
|-
| ''[[Madden NFL 25 (2024 video game)|Madden NFL 25]]'' || [[2024 NFL season|2024]] || Windows, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 || [[Christian McCaffrey]] of the [[San Francisco 49ers]]
|-
|''[[Madden NFL 26]]''
|[[2025 NFL season|2025]]
|Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, [[Nintendo Switch 2]]
|[[Saquon Barkley]] of the [[Philadelphia Eagles]]
|}

===Timeline of releases on home consoles===
<br/>{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:1200 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea  = left:141 bottom:100 top:0 right:10
Alignbars  = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period    = from:01/01/1990 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}}
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend     = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3
ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1990 gridcolor:black
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1990

Colors = 
  id:M        value:green          legend:Microsoft
  id:O        value:black          legend:Others
  id:N        value:red            legend:Nintendo
  id:S        value:blue           legend:Sony_(SCE/SIE)
  id:bars     value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

BarData = 
  bar:GE      text:"Sega Genesis"
  bar:SN      text:"Super Nintendo"
  bar:T       text:"TurboGrafx-16"
  bar:3       text:"3DO"
  bar:P       text:"PlayStation 1"
  bar:SA      text:"Sega Saturn"
  bar:N       text:"Nintendo 64"
  bar:P2      text:"PlayStation 2"
  bar:GC      text:"GameCube"
  bar:X       text:"Xbox"
  bar:X3      text:"Xbox 360"
  bar:P3      text:"PlayStation 3"
  bar:W       text:"Wii"
  bar:WU      text:"Wii U"
  bar:X1      text:"Xbox One"
  bar:P4      text:"PlayStation 4"
  bar:XS      text:"Xbox Series X/S"
  bar:P5      text:"PlayStation 5"
  bar:NS2     text:"Nintendo Switch 2"

PlotData = 
  width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4)

  color:O
  bar:GE      from:start      till:12/31/1997
  bar:T       from:01/01/1993 till:12/31/1993
  bar:3       from:01/01/1994 till:12/31/1994
  bar:SA      from:01/01/1996 till:12/31/1997

  color:M
  bar:X       from:01/01/2001 till:12/31/2008
  bar:X3      from:01/01/2005 till:12/31/2016
  bar:X1      from:01/01/2013 till:12/31/2024
  bar:XS      from:01/01/2020 till:end

  color:N
  bar:SN      from:01/01/1991 till:12/31/1997
  bar:N       from:01/01/1997 till:12/31/2001
  bar:GC      from:01/01/2001 till:12/31/2007
  bar:W       from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2012
  bar:WU      from:01/01/2012 till:12/31/2012
  bar:NS2     from:01/01/2025 till:end

  color:S
  bar:P       from:01/01/1996 till:12/31/2004
  bar:P2      from:01/01/2000 till:12/31/2011
  bar:P3      from:01/01/2006 till:12/31/2016
  bar:P4      from:01/01/2013 till:12/31/2024
  bar:P5      from:01/01/2020 till:end
}}

==Reception and legacy==
{{blockquote|Madden recalls a time in San Francisco when a [[Philadelphia Eagles]] player rushed into a hotel room asking, 'Where's Madden?' When people pointed to the [[NFL on Fox|Fox]] commentator, the player said, 'No, not that Madden. I want the game!'|''Los Angeles Times'', 2002{{r|pham20020131}}}}

{{as of|2013}} Electronic Arts has sold more than 100 million copies of ''Madden NFL'', and more than five million in one year, for more than $4 billion in total sales.<ref name="gaudiosi201309052">{{cite news|author=Gaudiosi, John|date=2013-09-05|title=Madden: The $4 billion video game franchise|work=CNN|url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/09/05/technology/innovation/madden-25/|access-date=25 January 2015}}</ref> At [[EA Tiburon]] in [[Orlando, Florida]] a team of 30 developers and more than 100 [[game testers]] works on each new game in the series,<ref name="thefranchise2">{{cite web|author=Hruby, Patrick|date=2010-08-05|title=The Franchise|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100805/madden&redirected=true|access-date=23 January 2015|publisher=ESPN}}</ref> which {{asof|2012|alt=as of 2012}} contains more than 10 million lines of [[source code]].<ref name="bissell20120117"/>

Madden, once better known for [[Ace Hardware]] commercials than football despite winning [[Super Bowl XI]] as the head coach for the [[History of the Oakland Raiders|Oakland Raiders]], is now better known for ''Madden NFL'' than as coach or broadcaster.<ref name="horowitz20071123">{{cite web|author=Horowitz, Ken|date=2007-11-23|title=Interview: Michael Knox|url=http://www.sega-16.com/2007/11/interview-michael-knox/|access-date=25 January 2015|publisher=Sega-16}}</ref>{{r|thefranchise}} He received an estimated $2 to 3 million each year for his endorsement<ref name="snider20080806">{{cite news|author=Snider, Mike|date=2008-08-06|title=As John Madden would say, 'Boom!' His NFL game turns 20|work=USA Today|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-08-05-madden-game-main_N.htm|access-date=25 January 2015}}</ref> but describes himself as "never a good player" of ''Madden'' and prefers to watch others play.{{r|bissell20120117}} Although Madden says that "a computer is a helluva lot smarter than me"{{r|helfand20150202}} he has influenced the series' design from the first game,{{r|30for30}} and since retiring from broadcasting and doing video-game voice commentary in 2009 his participation in each ''Madden''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s development has increased:{{r|bissell20120117}}<ref name="thefranchise2" />

{{blockquote|He breaks down upcoming rules changes. He brings up concussions, helmet-to-helmet hits and gimmick quarterbacks. A digression on how the [[Dome Patrol]]-era [[New Orleans Saints|Saints]] used to frustrate [[Bill Walsh (American football coach)|Bill Walsh]]'s [[San Francisco 49ers|49ers]] teams with short linebacker drops becomes a lecture on the obsolescence of the fullback, which then morphs into a short aside on player character.<ref name="thefranchise"/>}}

[[File:Warren Moon and Marshall Faulk playing Madden NFL 07.jpg|thumb|Former NFL players [[Warren Moon]] and [[Marshall Faulk]] playing ''Madden NFL 07'']]
EA estimates that the series has five to seven million dedicated fans, and an underground circuit of ''Madden'' cash tournaments exists.{{r|bissell20120117}} [[Marshall Faulk]] in 2010 estimated that "50 percent on up" of NFL players are ''Madden'' players, who play in the league with or against childhood heroes they once chose to play as in the game.{{r|suellentrop20100125}} Players typically play as themselves regardless of their electronic counterparts' abilities<ref name="pham20020131">{{cite news|author=Pham, Alex|date=2002-01-31|title=Odds-On Favorite|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-31-tt-madden31-story.html|access-date=January 21, 2012}}</ref><ref name="yoon201106082">{{cite web|author=Yoon, Peter|date=2011-06-08|title=Alterraun Verner's lockout to-do list|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nfl/news/story?id=6635659|access-date=14 November 2013|publisher=ESPN}}</ref>{{r|suellentrop20100125}} and immediately check new releases of the game for changes in the more than 60 ratings of their talent.<ref name="mcclusky20030813">{{cite magazine|author=McClusky, Mark|date=2003-08-13|title=Madden Keeps Gaining Ground|magazine=Wired|url=http://archive.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/news/2003/08/59991?currentPage=all|access-date=23 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="helfand20150202"/> They often complain to Madden and EA about allegedly inaccurate ratings (only [[Emmitt Smith]] has told him that the game rated him too high),{{r|30for30}} or ask for changes in their [[Avatar (computing)|in-game appearance]]. Such complaints began as early as 1990, confusing the broadcaster, who did not contribute the player statistics for that year's version due to lack of time.<ref name="thefranchise2" />{{r|snider20080806}}

Coaches and players at all levels of the sport such as [[K. J. Wright]] and [[Joe Brady (American football coach)|Joe Brady]]<ref name="newton20200909">{{Cite web|last=Newton|first=David|date=2020-09-09|title=Panthers' Joe Brady brings next-gen approach – and mystery – to opener|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/33978/panthers-joe-brady-brings-next-gen-approach-and-mystery-to-opener|access-date=2020-09-19|website=ESPN|language=en}}</ref> say that ''Madden'' has influenced them and recommend the game to learn football strategy and tactics, practice plays and assignments, and simulate opponents.<ref name="thefranchise2" />{{r|suellentrop20100125}} [[Teddy Bridgewater]], who has used ''Madden'' to practice plays since college at [[Louisville Cardinals football|Louisville]], created Brady's playbook in the game to help his backups [[P. J. Walker]] and [[Will Grier]].{{r|newton20200909}} Young players who grew up with ''Madden'' reportedly understand plays better than those who did not. ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' in 2010 wrote that the growing use of rookie quarterbacks and the [[spread offense]] was influenced by the game, stating that "the sport is being taken over by something you might call Maddenball — a sophisticated, high-scoring, pass-happy, youth-driven phenomenon". When the [[Denver Broncos]]' [[Brandon Stokley]] in 2009 burned six seconds of the clock with an unusual run before scoring the winning touchdown against the [[Cincinnati Bengals]], ''Madden'' designers—who were watching the game with Madden—immediately recognized his action as "what happens in the game!"<ref name="suellentrop20100125">{{cite magazine|author=Suellentrop, Chris|date=2010-01-25|title=Game Changers: How Videogames Trained a Generation of Athletes|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/01/ff_gamechanger/all/|access-date=22 January 2015}}</ref>{{r|thefranchise}}{{r|30for30}}

[[National Football League on United States television|Football broadcasts on television]] use ''Madden''-like visual cues to more closely resemble it, and the NFL considers the series its "33rd franchise" because each week during the season EA Sports receives the same searchable film database of every play that each of the league's 32 teams do.{{r|thefranchise}}{{r|bissell20120117}}{{r|helfand20150202}} The game is the NFL's second-largest source of licensing revenue, after apparel, and an important part of the league's recruitment of children as new football fans<ref name="pham20020131"/>

The [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2003 opened an interactive exhibit in which visitors play ''Madden'',{{r|mcclusky20030813}} three years before its namesake's induction.{{r|thefranchise}} [[Museum of the Moving Image]] in New York City in early 2014 celebrated ''Madden NFL''{{'}}s 25th anniversary, with an exhibit including five playable versions of the game.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tach|first=Dave|date=8 January 2014|title=Museum of the Moving Image looks back on 25 years of Madden|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/8/5287758/madden-nfl-25-years-exhibit-museum-of-the-moving-image|access-date=10 January 2014|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]}}</ref>

In 1996, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' listed the Genesis installments of the series collectively as number 30 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", calling them "One of the best two-player games of all time, the game that reinvented EA, and, (along with ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''), the game that launched [[Sega]]'s 16-bit assault on [[Nintendo]]."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 100 Games of All Time |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1996|pages=59}}</ref>

During the mid-1990s, the series came under increasing criticism for its exploitable AI in single-player mode, as certain plays would consistently trounce AI-controlled teams,<ref>{{cite magazine |author1=Kraig Kujawa |author2=Sushi-X|title=The War on AI |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=99 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=October 1997|page=76}}</ref> and came to be regarded as primarily a multiplayer experience.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Madden '97 |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=24|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=December 1996|page=256}}</ref>

Since ''[[Madden NFL 06]]'' on the seventh generation of consoles, [[Electronic Arts]] has received criticism for not evolving the Madden games for next generation consoles, while graphics have certainly improved, certain popular features from older games in the series have been removed for unknown reasons, then some come back in newer iterations slightly altered and advertised as a new feature. Many glitches and poor balancing of the meta have been seen in the games and some gamers and reviewers think there has been little to no improvement with recent iterations of ''Madden''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jarrard|first=Chris|title='Madden NFL 20' review: No love for the game|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-201908071233--tms--invideogctnzs-a20190807-20190807-story.html|access-date=2020-07-02|website=chicagotribune.com|date=7 August 2019 }}</ref> The most notable bugs affecting the community have been extensive issues with franchise mode, commentary hiccups, gameplay/physics issues, and disconnection/loss of progress problems.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madden NFL 20 Bugs / Glitches Thread – Page 48 – Operation Sports Forums |url=https://forums.operationsports.com/forums/madden-nfl-football/955446-madden-nfl-20-bugs-glitches-thread-48.html |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=forums.operationsports.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gartland |first=Dan |date=2020-09-01 |title='Madden' Is Full of Absurd Glitches, Again |url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/09/01/madden-21-glitches-compilation-video |access-date=2024-04-16 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-15 |title=The most hilarious 'Madden NFL 22' bugs and glitches |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/madden-nfl-22-bugs-glitches |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=For The Win |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Madden NFL 23 Bugs & Glitches Thread – Page 22 – Operation Sports Forums |url=https://forums.operationsports.com/forums/madden-nfl-football/1000474-madden-nfl-23-bugs-glitches-thread-22.html |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=forums.operationsports.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Anhalt |first=Bobby |date=2023-09-08 |title=Madden NFL 24-Suffers from Serious Bugs That Have Been Plaguing the Franchise for Years |url=https://gamerant.com/madden-nfl-24-bugs-previous-games/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref> Some reviews of recent ''Madden'' games have criticized the series for not evolving and not making changes to the series and saying older iterations of the series are better games.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rivera|first=Joshua|title='Madden 19' Is Not the Ideal Form of Football the NFL It Wants to Be|url=https://www.gq.com/story/madden-19-is-not-the-ideal-form-of-football-the-nfl-it-wants-to-be|access-date=2020-07-02|website=GQ|date=13 August 2018|language=en-us}}</ref> EA has also received criticism for not improving Franchise Mode, which was one of its flagship modes and instead only focusing on Ultimate Team, its team-building card game mode introduced in ''[[Madden NFL 10]]'' which gradually started to get monetized throughout the 2010s.<ref name="T4Verts">{{Cite web|last=T4Verts|date=2020-06-30|title=EA Doesn't Care About Madden's Franchise Mode|url=http://www.sportsgamersonline.com/ea-doesnt-care-about-franchise-mode/|access-date=2020-07-02|website=Sports Gamers Online|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701185104/http://www.sportsgamersonline.com/ea-doesnt-care-about-franchise-mode/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=Emmanuel |title=What’s the Matter With Madden? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/arts/madden-nfl-2k5-exclusive-license.html |access-date=19 May 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=22 July 2024}}</ref> The trailer release for ''Madden NFL 21'' on June 17, 2020, was widely panned by gamers and reviewers as seen in its like-to-dislike ratio and its user review score on'' Metacritic'' are at an all-time low, sitting at 0.2 as of January 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Madden 21 release date, new features & more things we learned from EA Sports' reveal trailer|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/madden-21-trailer-release-date-features/1efaub0h6m9hy1if3iho95j3f3|access-date=2020-07-02|website=www.sportingnews.com|date=18 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="T4Verts"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Madden 21 trailer leaves fans feeling 'underwhelmed' in first reactions to gameplay|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/madden-21-trailer-reactions-gameplay/xzy8eso54ynezlfaz2ckgxo1|access-date=2020-07-02|website=www.sportingnews.com|date=17 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Madden 21 announces franchise mode features and they're a big letdown: 'The EA joke continues'|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/madden-21-franchise-mode-features/jyja9odi4oxk1du8onmy8zftn|access-date=2020-07-02|website=www.sportingnews.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Curse<span class="anchor" id="Madden_Curse"></span>==
Prior to 1998, every annual installment of the ''Madden NFL'' series primarily featured Madden on its cover.<ref name="thefranchise"/><ref name='GBFOX'>{{cite news |title=Favre a Victim of the 'Madden Curse?' THE CURSE IS REAL |date=2008-07-17 |publisher=[[WLUK-TV]] |url=http://www.myfoxnewisconsin.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7007597&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 |work=myfoxnewisconsin.com |access-date=2008-07-24 |archive-date=2008-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007013629/http://www.myfoxnewisconsin.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7007597&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1998, [[Electronic Arts]] selected [[Garrison Hearst]] to appear on the PAL version's cover, although Madden remained on the North American release. Beginning with [[Eddie George]] in 2000, the series has usually featured one of the league's top players on every annual installment,<ref name="snoops">{{cite web |first=Barbara | last=Mikkelson |author2=David P. Mikkelson |title=The Madden Curse|website=Snopes.com |url=http://www.snopes.com/sports/football/maddencurse.asp |date=2007-10-21 |access-date=2008-01-03}}</ref> despite Madden's opposition.{{r|thefranchise}} While appearing on the cover has become an honor akin to [[List of athletes on Wheaties boxes|appearing on the Wheaties box]],<ref name="thefranchise"/> much like the [[Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx|''Sports Illustrated'' Cover Jinx]], certain players who appeared on ''Madden'' video game box art have experienced a decline in performance or an injury. This run of misfortune for ''Madden'' cover athletes has been dubbed the "''Madden'' curse".<ref name=SN>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/gallery/madden-nfl-curse-cover-athlete-ranked-least-most-seasons-2018-051217|author=Cameron DaSilva|title=Every Madden NFL cover athlete, from least to most cursed|work=[[Fox Sports]]|access-date=2018-04-27}}</ref>

When asked about the Madden Curse, EA Sports' [[Christopher Erb|Chris Erb]] said, "I don't know that we believe in the curse. The players don't believe in the curse."<ref name='JS'>{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Pearson |title=Chapter, verse on the curse |date=2007-07-09 |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629939 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |access-date=2008-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820190720/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629939|archive-date=2007-08-20 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Running back]] [[Shaun Alexander]], who was featured on the cover of ''[[Madden NFL 07]]'', commented, "Do you want to be hurt and on the cover, or just hurt?" and ''[[Madden NFL 08]]'' cover athlete [[Vince Young]] expressed skepticism,<ref>{{cite news |first=Kyle |last=Orland |title=Vince Young talks Madden curse on Jimmy Kimmel Live |date=2007-04-18 |publisher=Joystiq |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/18/vince-young-talks-madden-curse-on-jimmy-kimmel-live/ |access-date=2008-07-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Erik |last=Malinowski |title=Tomlinson Turned down 'Madden 08' Cover |date=2007-04-18 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/04/tomlinson_turne.html |access-date=2008-07-17}}</ref> while ''[[Madden NFL 12]]'' cover athlete [[Peyton Hillis]] attributed his subpar season that year to the curse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/7405565/after-tough-season-cleveland-browns-peyton-hillis-believer-madden-video-game-curse/ |title=After tough season, Cleveland Browns' Peyton Hillis a believer in Madden video game curse |publisher=ESPN |date=2011-12-30 |access-date=2012-08-09}}</ref>

The perception that the curse is real has resulted in fans lobbying for their favorite players not to be on the cover, such as fans of [[LaDainian Tomlinson]] who were strongly opposed to EA Sports' initial decision to feature him on the cover of ''[[Madden NFL 08]]'', so much that a fan created ''SaveLTfromMadden.com'' to voice their disdain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/sidebar/909182374/25566571/chargers-fans-plead-to-keep-lt-off-madden-cover.html|title=Chargers fans plead to keep LT off Madden cover|date=2007-04-16|publisher=GameStop|access-date=2008-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/madden/fans-want-madden-coverboy-dropped-fear-the-curse-252780.php |title=Fans Want Madden Coverboy Dropped, Fear The Curse |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=2007-04-16 |website=[[Kotaku]] |access-date=2008-12-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220164344/http://kotaku.com/gaming/madden/fans-want-madden-coverboy-dropped-fear-the-curse-252780.php |archive-date=2008-12-20 }}</ref><ref name="toml">{{cite news |first=Darren |last=Rovell |title=Tomlinson Turns Down Madden, Rutgers Coach Cashes In, No Texting & Another MJ |date=2008-07-18 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2007/04/18/tomlinson-turns-down-madden-rutgers-coach-cashes-in-no-texting-another-mj.html |publisher=CNBC |access-date=2008-07-17}}</ref> Tomlinson declined the offer, but later said it was solely due to contract negotiations.<ref name="toml"/> Starting with ''Madden NFL 11'' EA has allowed fans to choose their favorite player for the cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5125018|title=Fans pick Brees for cover of Madden 11 game|date=22 April 2010|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> However, EA believes that many fans vote against their favorite player to avoid the "curse".{{r|bissell20120117}} It has become so prominent that bookmakers create odds on how likely an injury will occur to the player appearing on the cover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsbettingonline.ag/articles/sportsbettingonline-asks-sports-bettors-if-madden-curse-will-topple-calvin-megatronjohnson.php |title=Would Madden Curse Topple Calvin "Megatron"Johnson? |publisher=Sportsbettingonline.ag |date=2012-04-26 |access-date=2012-08-09}}</ref>

The injuries that ''Madden'' cover athletes experience can be attributed to the physical nature of football.<ref name=JS /> Critics of the curse also note several players had successful seasons when they appeared on the cover, such as ''[[Madden NFL 13]]''{{'}}s [[Calvin Johnson]], who set the single-season record for receiving yards, ''[[Madden NFL 18]]''{{'}}s [[Tom Brady]], who was named [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]], and ''[[Madden NFL 20]]''{{'}}s [[Patrick Mahomes]], who won [[Super Bowl LIV]] and was named [[Super Bowl MVP]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/2/21119772/patrick-mahomes-madden-cover-curse-super-bowl-mvp|title=Patrick Mahomes officially broke the Madden cover curse|date=2 February 2020|publisher=Polygon|access-date=2020-02-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/super-bowl-2020-patrick-mahomes-breaks-madden-curse-with-win-over-49ers-ea-sports-reacts-what-curse|title = Super Bowl 2020: Patrick Mahomes breaks 'Madden curse' with win over 49ers; EA Sports reacts: 'What curse?'| date=3 February 2020 }}</ref>

In December 2010, EA announced plans to develop a comedy film based on the Madden curse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/madden-curse-electronic-arts/65888/?_r=true |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224065357/http://collider.com/madden-curse-electronic-arts/65888/?_r=true |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 24, 2010 |title=Electronic Arts Developing MADDEN CURSE Movie |publisher=Collider.com |access-date=2012-08-09}}</ref> However, EA Entertainment executive Pat O'Brien stated in October 2014 that EA is not working on a Madden curse movie.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Koopa|first1=Ludwig|title=Madden Curse Movie: CANCELED!?|url=https://www.koopatv.org/2014/12/madden-curse-movie-canceled.html|website=KoopaTV|access-date=17 July 2015|ref=KoopaTV|date=12 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721070637/http://www.koopatv.org/2014/12/madden-curse-movie-canceled.html|archive-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>

==Annual events==
===Madden Bowl===
The Madden Bowl is a single elimination tournament held on the most current edition of ''Madden NFL''. It has been held since [[Super Bowl XXIX|1995]] during Super Bowl weekend in the host city and, in the past, participation included NFL players and celebrities. The Madden Bowl's participation has changed over the years from being an event held with athletes, musicians, and celebrities, to become an event where only NFL players who are invited to participate get a chance to play. Participants in the Madden Bowl are free to choose whichever team they like. Winners receive a Madden Bowl trophy and recognition in the upcoming ''Madden'' video game.

The 2006 Madden Bowl, held during the weekend of [[Super Bowl XL]] in Detroit, was televised on [[ESPN]] and premiered in April 2006. Concurrently, ESPN also hosted a separate series of competitions called ''[[Madden Nation]]'', which was a [[reality television]] show that chronicled a cross-country trip to crown the best Madden player in the United States and aired from 2005 to 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.operationsports.com/news/269002/espn2s-madden-nation-to-begin-fourth-season/ |title=ESPN2's Madden Nation to Begin Fourth Season |publisher=Operation Sports |author=Steve_OS |date=15 September 2008 |access-date=16 September 2013 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001015/http://www.operationsports.com/news/269002/espn2s-madden-nation-to-begin-fourth-season/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

From 2011 to 2012, the Madden Bowl competition utilizes the new Online Team Play feature included in ''[[Madden NFL 11]]''. Rather than competing as individuals, players form groups of three to square-off for the trophy. After this feature was discontinued, the Madden Bowl competition continued in a Head-to-Head format.

====Winners====
* 1995: [[Reggie Brooks]]
* 1996: Reggie Brooks
* 1997: [[Jimmy Spencer (football)|Jimmy Spencer]]
* 1998: [[Morris Chestnut]]<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Madden Bowl '98|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=115|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=April 1998|page=26}}</ref>
* 1999: [[Ray Mickens]]<ref>{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=April 1999 |volume=2 |issue=7 |title=Madden Bowl a Hit on South Beach |page=30 |url=https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_2_Issue_7_1999-04_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n29/mode/2up |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |location= |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=April 22, 2024}}</ref>
* 2000: [[Terry Jackson (running back)|Terry Jackson]]
* 2001: [[Jacquez Green]]
* 2002: Jacquez Green
* 2003: [[Dwight Freeney]]
* 2004: Dwight Freeney
* 2005: [[Michael Lewis (safety)|Michael Lewis]]
* 2006: [[Alex Smith (tight end)|Alex Smith]]
* 2007: Alex Smith
* 2008: [[Willis McGahee]]
* 2009: [[Antonio Bryant]]
* 2010: [[Maurice Jones-Drew]]
* 2011: [[Patrick Willis]], [[Chad Ochocinco]], and [[Maria Menounos]]
* 2012: [[Drew Brees]], [[Jimmy Graham]], and [[Tim Tebow]]
* 2013: [[LeSean McCoy]]
* 2014: [[Richard Sherman (American football)|Richard Sherman]]
* 2015: [[Patrick Peterson]]
* 2016: [[Eric Berry]]

====Rookie winners====
* 2006: [[Alex Smith (tight end)|Alex Smith]]
* 2007: [[Vince Young]]
* 2008: [[Devin Thomas]]
* 2009: [[Vernon Gholston]]

===EA Super Bowl simulation===
Since 2004, EA Sports has run a simulation of the [[Super Bowl]] using the latest game in the ''Madden NFL'' series and announced the result. The game simulations conducted by EA have correctly predicted 13 of the last 22 Super Bowl winners. The company accurately predicted the final score for the 2015 game and other details, including a score of 24–14 in favor of Seattle in the third quarter, despite skepticism within EA that Seattle would lose after a double-digit lead.<ref name="exact-score">{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/madden-15-predicted-the-exact-score-of-the-super-bowl-1683159462|title=''Madden 15'' Predicted the Exact Score of the Super Bowl|website=Kotaku|first=Jason|last=Schreier|date=February 1, 2015|access-date=February 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name="helfand20150202">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-madden-super-bowl-20150203-story.html | title=In a first, Madden NFL accurately predicts score for Super Bowl XLIX | work=Los Angeles Times | date=2015-02-02 | access-date=2 February 2015 | author=Helfand, Zach}}</ref> The predictions were incorrect in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. EA also releases a computer-generated description of the simulated game as if it were a summary of the real Super Bowl. The results of the simulated and actual Super Bowl games are listed below.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;text-align: center;"
|-
! rowspan=2| Year
! rowspan=2| Super<br />Bowl
! rowspan=2| Madden's winner
! rowspan=2| Madden's loser
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" width="90px" | Actual<br />score
! colspan=3 class="unsortable"| Madden's prediction
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable"| Madden's<br />record (based on Result)
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable"| Sources
|-
! class="unsortable" width="90px" | Score
! Result
! Points diff.
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2004
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XXXVIII|XXXVIII]]
|align="left"| [[2003 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|align="left"| [[2003 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
|32–29 ||23–20 ||{{y}} ||{{y}} ||1–0
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easports.com/games/madden2004/superbowlsim.jsp|title=Madden NFL Game News – The latest news from Madden NFL – EA SPORTS – EA SPORTS<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215144903/http://www.easports.com/games/madden2004/superbowlsim.jsp|archive-date=2008-02-15}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2005
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XXXIX|XXXIX]]
|align="left"| [[2004 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|align="left"| [[2004 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]
|24–21 ||26–21 ||{{y}} ||{{n}} ||2–0
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7556/Madden-NFL-2005-Simulates-Super-Bowl-XXXIX/|title=Madden NFL 2005 Simulates Super Bowl XXXIX – Xbox<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109125220/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7556/Madden-NFL-2005-Simulates-Super-Bowl-XXXIX/|archive-date=2006-01-09}}</ref> 
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2006
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XL|XL]]
|align="left"| [[2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]
|align="left"| [[2005 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]
|21–10 ||24–19 ||{{y}} ||{{n}} ||3–0
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/madden/madden-predicts-super-bowl-winner-151928.php|title=Madden Predicts Super Bowl Winner<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206083056/http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/madden/madden-predicts-super-bowl-winner-151928.php|archive-date=2007-02-06}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2007
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLI|XLI]]
|align="left"| [[2006 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]]
|align="left"| [[2006 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]]
|29–17 ||38–27 ||{{y}} ||{{n}} ||4–0
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12688/EA-Sports-Madden-NFL-07-Predicts-Super-Bowl-XLI/|title=EA Sports Madden NFL 07 Predicts Super Bowl XLI – Xbox<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210090754/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12688/EA-Sports-Madden-NFL-07-Predicts-Super-Bowl-XLI/|archive-date=2007-02-10}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2008
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLII|XLII]]
|align="left"| [[2007 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|align="left"| [[2007 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]
|14–17 ||38–30 ||{{n}} ||{{n}} ||4–1
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ripten.com/2008/01/31/ea-sports-predicts-giantspatriots-superbowl-xlii-winner/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202062503/http://www.ripten.com/2008/01/31/ea-sports-predicts-giantspatriots-superbowl-xlii-winner/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 2, 2008|title=EA Sports Predicts The Giants/Patriots Super Bowl XLII Winner – RipTen Videogame Blog|first=Chad|last=Lakkis|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2009
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLIII|XLIII]]
|align="left"| [[2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]
|align="left"| [[2008 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]]
|27–23 ||28–24 ||{{y}} ||{{y}} ||5–1
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easports.com/read/20090123-SBSim.xml|title=News – EA SPORTS<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203183951/http://www.easports.com/read/20090123-SBSim.xml|archive-date=2009-02-03}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2010
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLIV|XLIV]]
|align="left"| [[2009 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]]
|align="left"| [[2009 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]]
|31–17 ||35–31 ||{{y}} ||{{n}} ||6–1
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/saints-win-super-bowl-says-madden-nfl/1387788|title=Yahoo|access-date=15 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213021646/http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/saints-win-super-bowl-says-madden-nfl/1387788|archive-date=13 February 2010}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2011
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLV|XLV]]
|align="left"| [[2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]
|align="left"| [[2010 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
|25–31 ||24–20 ||{{n}} ||{{n}} ||6–2
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/madden-nfl-11-predicts-super-bowl-xlv-winner/|first=Matt|last=Bradford|title=Madden NFL 11 predicts Super Bowl XLV winner|date=February 1, 2011|access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2012
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLVI|XLVI]]
|align="left"| [[2011 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]
|align="left"| [[2011 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|21–17 ||27–24 ||{{y}} ||{{n}} ||7–2
|<ref>{{cite magazine | author = Doug Aamoth | url=https://techland.time.com/2012/01/30/madden-nfl-12-simulates-super-bowl-last-second-kick-wins-it-all/ | title = Madden NFL 12 Simulates Super Bowl – Last-Second Kick Wins It All | magazine=Time | date=2012-01-30}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2013
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLVII|XLVII]]
|align="left"| [[2012 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]]
|align="left"| [[2012 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]
|34–31 ||27–24 ||{{y}} ||{{y}} ||8–2
|<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://kotaku.com/5979451/madden-right-in-7-of-its-last-9-picks-says-baltimore-wins-super-bowl-xlvii | title = Madden, Right In 7 of Its Last 9 Picks, Says Baltimore Wins Super Bowl XLVII | magazine=Time | date=2013-01-28}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2014
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLVIII|XLVIII]]
|align="left"| [[2013 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]
|align="left"| [[2013 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]
|8–43 ||31–28 ||{{n}} ||{{n}} ||8–3
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/broncos-win-super-bowl-xlviii-predicts-madden-nfl-144805173.html|title=Yahoo|access-date=15 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315110117/https://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/broncos-win-super-bowl-xlviii-predicts-madden-nfl-144805173.html|archive-date=15 March 2016}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2015
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl XLIX|XLIX]]
|align="left"| [[2014 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|align="left"| [[2014 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]
|28–24 ||28–24 ||{{y}} ||{{y}} ||9–3
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/madden-15-correctly-predicted-the-super-bowl-49-score-in-patriots-win/|title='Madden 15' correctly predicted the Super Bowl 49 score in Patriots win|date=February 2015 |access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2016
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl 50|50]]
|align="left"| [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
|align="left"| [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]
|10–24||24–20 ||{{n}} ||{{n}} ||9–4
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2016/02/01/madden-predicts-panthers-win-super-bowl/79632816/|title='Madden' predicts Panthers will win Super Bowl|website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2017
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LI|LI]]
|align="left"| [[2016 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|align="left"| [[2016 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]]
|34–28 (OT)||27–24 ||{{y}} ||{{n}} ||10–4
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/madden-17-predicts-super-bowl-51-winner/1100-6447453/|title='Madden' predicts Patriots will win Super Bowl|access-date=February 1, 2017}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2018
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LII|LII]]
|align="left"| [[2017 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|align="left"| [[2017 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]
|33–41 || 24–20 || {{n}} || {{n}} || 10–5
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/madden-nfl-18-predicts-patriots-win-super-bowl-again-012918/|title=Madden predicts Patriots win Super Bowl again|access-date=29 January 2018}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2019
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LIII|LIII]]
|align="left"| [[2018 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]]
|align="left"| [[2018 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
|3–13 || 30–27 || {{n}} || {{n}} || 10–6
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/madden-nfl-19-predicts-super-bowl-winner/1100-6464632/|title=Madden NFL 19 Predicts Super Bowl Winner|access-date=February 1, 2019}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2020
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LIV|LIV]]
|align="left"|[[2019 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|align="left"|[[2019 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]
|31–20
|35–31
|{{y}}
|{{n}}
|11–6
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-bowl-54-winner-predicted-by-madden-nfl-20/1100-6473255/|title=Super Bowl 54 Winner Predicted By Madden 20|access-date=January 30, 2020}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2021
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LV|LV]]
|align="left"|[[2020 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|align="left"|[[2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]
|9–31
|37–27
|{{n}}
|{{n}}
|11–7
|<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.newsweek.com/madden-21-super-bowl-55-2021-prediction-chiefs-buccaneers-mvp-1566575|title= Super Bowl LV Predictions: 'Madden 21' Sees Kansas City Chiefs Repeat|website= [[Newsweek]]|date= 3 February 2021}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2022
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LVI|LVI]]
|align="left"|[[2021 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]]
|align="left"|[[2021 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]]
|20–23
|24–21
|{{n}}
|{{n}}
|11–8
|<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33234981/super-bowl-22-madden-simulator-predicts-cincinnati-bengals-joe-burrow-edge-los-angeles-rams|title= Super Bowl 22 – Madden simulator predicts Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow edge Los Angeles Rams|date= 7 February 2022}}</ref>
|- style="background:#fcc;"
|2023
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LVII|LVII]]
|align="left"|[[2022 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]
|align="left"|[[2022 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|35–38 
|31–17
|{{n}}
|{{n}}
|11–9
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/02/06/madden-nfl-23-simulation-eagles-rout-chiefs-super-bowl-57/11196816002/|title=Madden NFL 23 predicts an Eagles victory over Chiefs in Super Bowl 57|website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=9 February 2024}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2024
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LVIII|LVIII]]
|align="left"|[[2023 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|align="left"|[[2023 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]
|25–22 (OT)
|30–28
|{{y}}
|{{n}}
|12–9
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/madden-super-bowl-predictions-2024-49ers-chiefs/b4e17ff0d9f03ea60f9f6857|title=Madden Super Bowl predictions 2024: Video game projects Chiefs vs. 49ers to come down to the wire|website=[[Sporting News]] |date=8 February 2024 |access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|2025
|align="left"| [[Super Bowl LIX|LIX]]
|align="left"|[[2024 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]
|align="left"|[[2024 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|40–22
|23–21
|{{y}}
|{{n}}
|13–9
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/madden-predicts-philly-beat-kc-225000737.html|title=Madden Predicts Philly Will Beat KC In Super Bowl, But Its Track Record Isn't Great|website=[[Yahoo Sports]] |date=7 February 2024 |access-date=7 February 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite news |last=Morgan |first=Emmanuel |date=2024-07-22 |title=What's the Matter With Madden? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/arts/madden-nfl-2k5-exclusive-license.html |access-date=2024-07-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US|url-access=subscription}}

==External links==
* [https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl Official website]
* {{moby game|id=-group/madden-series|name=''Madden NFL'' series}}
* {{Internet Archive game|id=msdos_John_Madden_Football_1989|platform=MS-DOS|title=John Madden Football}}

{{Madden NFL games}}
{{Electronic Arts}}
{{Sports-related curses}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madden Nfl}}
[[Category:Madden NFL| ]]
[[Category:American football-related curses]]
[[Category:EA Sports games]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts franchises]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts games]]
[[Category:Stormfront Studios games|Madden NFL (PC Versions)]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1988]]