EA Sports has revealed that a planned weekly update for Madden NFL 23's Ultimate Team mode could potentially be delayed by the arrival of Hurricane Ian. With EA Tiburon, the subsidiary responsible for the Madden NFL franchise, located in Florida, the sports juggernaut has taken precautions for the impending weather. The Maitland-based development studio has been in charge of the annual football franchise since first working with EA in 1995. Now, with Hurricane Ian set to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, EA is preparing for potential delays.An update posted to the Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team Twitter account notified fans of the potential delays to weekly content for the game. While Madden NFL 23's "Good Morning Madden" broadcasts are set to proceed as usual, potential new drops for in-game content could be delayed due to the effects of Hurricane Ian. EA specifically mentioned the AKA, Team of the Week, Gridiron Guardians, Team Diamonds, and Legends sets as potentially being affected by the onset of the storm. EA reassured fans that any update about delays would be posted to the official Twitter.RELATED: EA and NFL Renew Licensing Deal for MaddenEA Sports' plans for upcoming content posted Monday currently does not list any confirmed changes to the weekly schedule, but the situation is subject to change with the progression of the hurricane. Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency as Hurricane Ian approaches the US mainland, with flood warnings and evacuations set in place across Florida. The hurricane is currently projected to make landfall in Florida sometime on Wednesday afternoon near Tampa.

The storm hitting Florida will cause issues for a Madden game that has already seen both significant success and criticism for EA Sports. Following its release in late August, Madden NFL 23 quickly became the best-selling game of the month, beating out games like the Saints Row reboot and Soul Hackers 2. However, fans and even some professional players have lambasted the newest entry in the annual franchise. The Kansas City Chiefs' Mecole Hardman Jr. was heavily critical of Madden NFL 23, calling it the "worst Madden game ever."

While initial reception towards Madden NFL 23 from fans has been negative, despite its strong sales numbers, EA Sports has shown a commitment to improving the game. A recent update to Madden NFL 23 included several changes to blocking, as well as fine-tuning aspects of the game's AI like pass-block logic. EA Sports has also been criticized for a lack of significant changes to the franchise, citing the Madden NFL series' yearly schedule as a major detriment. While EA Tiburon will look to continue to improve Madden NFL 23, the arrival of Hurricane Ian will likely disrupt some of its regular content.

Madden NFL 23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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