As with multiple other popular gaming franchises, the Madden games and other EA Sports franchises are regularly expected to receive annual entries. Fortunately, for these entries, they generally have a few differences and enough appeal that the series never really lose momentum. In fact, they contain so much appeal that Madden NFL was one of Twitter's most talked about games of 2018. With such a high degree of popularity, it may not come as a huge surprise that Madden NFL 20 is slated to release later this year in August.

The game was officially revealed this week with a reveal trailer from EA Sports. Following up Madden NFL 19's cover athlete Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, Madden NFL 20's cover athlete will be Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL's 2018 MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. It's explained that he "notched a record-setting first season as a starter" and was "the third quarterback to throw at least 50 touchdown passes in a single season."

Patrick Mahomes is said to have inspired the game itself in some ways. For example, Face of the Franchise: QB1 is a new mode to be featured in Madden NFL 20, which is a more personalized version of the normal Franchise mode. In the mode, players will create their own quarterback and follow their journey from the College Football National Championship through to becoming a starter.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=XbRy7lZuUNI[/embed]

There are three editions of the game available for pre-order now: the Standard Edition at $59.99; the Superstar Edition for $79.99 with 12 Gold Team Fantasy Packs and a number of other bonuses; and the Ultimate Superstar Edition, which is $99.99 and includes all the benefits of the Superstar Edition and more. Pre-ordering the Superstar Edition or Ultimate Superstar Edition will also allow for three-day early access.

Beyond the upcoming entry, it will certainly be interesting to see where the series goes, as EA's CEO recently suggested that Madden may stop getting annual releases. Going into Madden NFL 20, however, Face of the Franchise: QB1 seems to be a huge draw for regular players of the series and might be one for newcomers. Aside from game content, Patrick Mahomes seems like a solid choice for the cover athlete. Given his impressive young career, as well as his performance during last year's NFL season, Mahomes is worthy of being a cover athlete for this year's Madden NFL title.

Madden NFL 20 will release August 2, 2019 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.