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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Summer Game Fest New games for 2025 Upcoming Switch 2 games Switch 2 stock Recommended reading Sports Games College Football 26: Everything you need to know about the upcoming sports game Sports Games College Football 26 preview: EA says “We listened” with 2,800 new plays and 300 coaches Sports Games 12 years later, the legacy of NCAA 14 is still hanging over EA College Football 26, but fans are celebrating the overdue return of features like formation subs and trophy rooms All the new Madden 26 QB Traits and what they do Sports Games College Football 25 best players list with all the top ratings Sports Games The best College Football 25 sliders and how to use them Sports Games College Football 25 recruiting guide for Dynasty mode Sports Games Madden 26: Everything you need to know about the new NFL game Ben Wilson 27 June 2025 Mahomes, Allen and co get unique QB DNA traits in Madden 26 When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Josh Allen bringing the noise in Madden 26 (Image credit: EA) Release date Pre-order bonuses Franchise mode The Madden 26 release date edges ever closer, with first details of this year’s official NFL sim suggesting that lessons have been learned from the return of College Football. In-depth Wear & And Tear and widespread broadcasting improvements are just two of the ways that EA Orlando looks to be overhauling its veteran Gridiron franchise. ‘Franchise’ being an operative word – because that once-beloved mode is also getting a much-needed makeover. On the field, QB DNA is the most noteworthy addition, but there’s an assortment of other upgrades too, with news of Ultimate Team still to come. The Madden 26 cover star is Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, while there are intriguing cameos from yesteryear favourites such as Randy Moss. More on that below, along with the Madden 26 trailer and pre-order bonuses. This is everything you need to know about Madden 26. Madden 26 release date (Image credit: EA) The official NFL game always emerges shortly ahead of the real-life season. This year’s regular season schedule gets underway on Thursday, September 4 when the Dallas Cowboys visit rivals and reigning Super Bowl champs the Philadelphia Eagles. That means the Madden 26 release date is three weeks earlier, on Thursday, August 14, 2025. You may like College Football 26: Everything you need to know about the upcoming sports game College Football 26 preview: EA says “We listened” with 2,800 new plays and 300 coaches 12 years later, the legacy of NCAA 14 is still hanging over EA College Football 26, but fans are celebrating the overdue return of features like formation subs and trophy rooms Madden 26 platforms (Image credit: EA) Madden’s sister series, NCAA, made a triumphant comeback in 2024 – exclusive to current-gen consoles. That means College Football 26 is only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Madden 26, however, maintains the series’ long tradition of being available on both modern consoles and those of yesteryear. That means you can play is on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, and – yes – it’s also coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Madden 26 trailer Madden 26 Official Reveal Trailer - YouTube The first Madden 26 trailer is all about atmosphere. It showcases the impressive pre-game build-up for a Vikings evening game, with a cameo appearance from Randy Moss – watch closely! We also see hellacious tackles, and big plays from Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Tap that panel to watch for yourself. Madden 26 cover vote winner (Image credit: EA) Philly’s year of glory continues with the news that the Madden 26 cover vote winner is Eagles running back Saquon Barkley – although these days that choice is made internally within EA. It wasn’t always this way, which is why whispers of a Madden 26 cover vote still managed to infiltrate social media. Historically the game’s main man was chosen by a fan poll over the internet, but this had to be changed following Madden 12. That year, Cleveland Browns fans overwhelmed the vote, catapulting mid-tier RB Peyton Hillis onto the front of the box – and ensuring EA would decide on its cover athlete in-house for future editions. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Madden 26 pre-order bonuses (Image credit: EA) With EA now making two annual Gridiron games, the strongest Madden 26 pre-order bonuses are tied into the MVP Bundle. Not only do you get a whole list of Ultimate Team goodies, but you also score College Football 26 (and all its additional extras) into the bargain. However, it’ll set you back $149.99. Those on a more modest budget can opt for the Deluxe Edition ($99.99), or Standard Edition ($69.99). Below is a comprehensive list of exactly what you get in each. Exclusive MUT Elite Player Item 3 Days Early Access (Aug 11 to 14) 4600 Madden Points Early Access Ultimate Team Solo Challenges Season 1 Elite Player Player Item (if you pre-order before July 24) Saquon Barkley Elite MUT Player Item Superstar Legendary XP Boost Player Card Exclusive Item Franchise Coach Ability Points” Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition pre-order bonuses 3 Days Early Access (Aug 11 to 14) 4600 Madden Points Early Access Ultimate Team Solo Challenges Season 1 Elite Player Player Item (if you pre-order before July 24) Saquon Barkley Elite MUT Player Item Superstar Legendary XP Boost Player Card Exclusive Item Franchise Coach Ability Points Madden NFL 26 Standard Edition pre-order bonuses Saquon Barkley Elite MUT Player Item Superstar Legendary XP Boost Franchise Coach Ability Points Madden 26 franchise mode details (Image credit: EA) Madden 26 franchise mode details For two decades, fans have pressurised EA to pour some love into a mode that existed long before Ultimate Team. With good reason – and it’s finally happening. Madden 26 franchise mode serves up a laundry list of changes, with draft logic, team needs logic and sim stats all retooled. Weather like snow and rain affects gameplay, while the impact of Wear & Tear means realistic injury reports, with players listed as questionable and doubtful in the build up to your games. Ahead of those games, you’re able to hone in on opponent strengths and weaknesses, and build a shooter-style load-out specific to one match – with individual play sheets than expand your playbook for one week only. Four different broadcast packages add week-to-week variety, as do any overhauled coaching tree, where your co-ordinators’ abilities matter as much as your head coach ones. Best of all, we're finally getting highlights packages from around the league, hosted by Scott Hanson. It’s looking like a tantalising comeback for this classic mode. Madden 26 gameplay (Image credit: EA) Franchise improvements will be meaningless if Madden 26 can’t escape the sameness of recent times. But, as demonstrated in our Madden 26 preview, developer EA Orlando knows this and is aiming to implement major changes on both sides of the ball. For the offense that means quick subs at the line of scrimmage, explosive locomotion, and ‘QB DNA’ – with 50 new traits like make Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson all feel like their authentic selves. In front of them, a focus on ‘foundational football’ sees blocking intelligence and animations fully retooled, too. For the D, that same mantra means “assignment, alignment and technique” all come into play – so in theory, a cornerback will only pick off an aerial ball if he can see it first, rather than it being magnetically pulled into his hands. Custom zones and safety depth can both be edited at the line, while the result of tackles is based on more nuanced physicals calculations depending on a defenders angle and speed. That’s how it’s all supposed to work, anyway. It felt promising on our hands-on, and we’re excited to see whether it can hold up during sustained play in our mid-August review. For even more turf-based fun, head over to our list of the best sports games of all time. See more PS5 Features Xbox Series X Nintendo Switch 2 PlayStation Social Links Navigation I'm GamesRadar's sports editor, and obsessed with NFL, WWE, MLB, AEW, and occasionally things that don't have a three-letter acronym – such as Chvrches, Bill Bryson, and Streets Of Rage 4. (All the Streets Of Rage games, actually.) Even after three decades I still have a soft spot for Euro Boss on the Amstrad CPC 464+. 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College Football 26: Everything you need to know about the upcoming sports game College Football 26 preview: EA says “We listened” with 2,800 new plays and 300 coaches 12 years later, the legacy of NCAA 14 is still hanging over EA College Football 26, but fans are celebrating the overdue return of features like formation subs and trophy rooms All the new Madden 26 QB Traits and what they do College Football 25 best players list with all the top ratings The best College Football 25 sliders and how to use them Latest in Madden NFL All the new Madden 26 QB Traits and what they do The best Madden 25 sliders and how to use them Madden 25 best playbooks for elite offense and defense 7 Madden 25 tips you should know before playing Madden 25 rookie ratings guide to all the best young players All the Madden 25 X-Factors and Superstars in one guide Latest in Features The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Everything you need to know about the comic run that director Matt Shakman says inspired the film Nintendo has made my biggest problem with Mario Kart World even worse The Witcher 4 is learning lessons from CDPR's past: no fetch quests, an eye on Cyberpunk 2077's fan-favorite characters, and devs who "care about the art we're making" Playing a horror game is my worst nightmare, but these two gnarly farming sims make me want to brave the genre Sea of Remnants is an online pirate swashbuckler take on Honkai Star Rail that's had me rolling dice in turn-based duels and trading cannonfire with a gorilla I'm replaying Dying Light 2 to prepare for The Beast, and I finally get why it isn't scary: it tried to fix something that wasn't broken GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse" Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic" Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat" FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special" Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu" Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision Rick and Morty season 8 review: "Largely plays it too safe after years of crossing boundaries" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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