Another year, another entry in the Madden series. While some have suggested that the franchise take a year off in order to enhance the quality of the product, EA’s NFL-based games have been releasing routinely since the late 80s and are about as inevitable as the return of Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady. This time around, however, news of the next Madden installment comes via a leak.
Video game retailer GameStop has a lengthy track record of accidentally spoiling upcoming releases. In 2021 the company let slip that Nintendo was planning to release an updated Nintendo Switch model, and, a year prior, GameStop spilled the beans about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, theorized at the time to be subtitled Ragnarok. This time around, however, the retailer has leaked via a mass email to customers the existence of Madden 23, the forthcoming entry in the well-established sports franchise.
News of a new Madden game came as absolutely no surprise to the members of the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit. In fact, the post intended to bring this to the sub’s attention was actually downvoted. That said, the information provided by u/SpiceyJax seems to be correct, as the header of a recent email sent to the GameStop loyal mentions upcoming games such as The Quarry, The Evil Dead, and Madden 23. One of those things, of course, is very unlike the others.
Ultimately, it may be pretty tough for fans to get excited about what will be the 34th installment in the Madden series. From the franchise highs of the mid-2000s to the games-as-service approach of the modern era, it’s hard to discern where the series may be headed from here, and fan burnout seems to be justified. Plus, with the latest games riddled with glitches, inaccuracies, and long-standing issues that have persisted for decades, many would argue that the Madden franchise just doesn’t change enough from year to year to warrant an annual release schedule.
Yet, given the recent passing of series namesake John Madden in December 2021, this year does not seem like an appropriate one to skip. There’s been a ton of Madden rumors concerning what EA plans to do to commemorate the football legend, and it’s oft been suggested that the Super Bowl-winning coach will adorn the cover of Madden 23.
Given the lukewarm reception from r/GamingLeaksAndRumors, it would seem that interest in the football franchise is waning. However, sports titles were particularly prevalent among the list of the most-download PlayStation games of 2021, indicating that, while Madden and games of its ilk aren’t necessarily for everyone, they are far from niche.
Madden NFL 23 is in development.