Madden 26 Skipping PS4/Xbox One, Launching On Switch 2

Electronic Arts has officially announced Madden NFL 26, revealing details about the various versions you can pre-order and what platforms the football sim is launching on in August. For the first time in over a decade, Madden is skipping last-gen consoles like the PlayStation 4 and returning to Nintendo via a Switch 2 port.

On April 24, EA shared all the details about Madden 26, including a bundle that comes packaged with EA College Football 26, the follow up to last year’s mega-hit sports game. Interestingly, Madden 26 is finally leaving behind the aging PS4 and Xbox One. Since 2013, Madden has launched on those consoles every year, but no more. Last year’s Madden 25 will be the last EA football game to launch on last-gen machines. Funnily enough, the first Madden to launch on Xbox One and PS4 was also called Madden 25, as the franchise was celebrating its 25 year anniversary. Weird stuff!

It’s a year of change for Madden, because not only is it skipping consoles it has released on for over a decade, but EA is bringing the football series back to Nintendo platforms. Madden 26 is set to launch on Switch 2 in August alongside the other versions of the game on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. This is the first time a Madden game has appeared on a Nintendo platform since 2012’s Madden NFL 13. That game launched on Wii and Wii U.

Weirdly, only Madden is making the leap to Switch 2. EA College Football 26 will not be available on Nintendo’s new console. Last year, EA College Football 25 became one of the best selling games in the United States after fans waited a decade to play another EA Sports college football game. (The last one was released in 2013.) EA College Football 25 already skipped PS4 and Xbox One last year, so its not surprising they are skipping it again this year.

Madden NFL 26 launches for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on August 14. College Football 26 launches on July 10. You can pay EA a ransom fee to play three days early via the $100 Madden NFL 26 “Deluxe Edition.” On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, a $150 “MVP Bundle” is also available, and it comes with College Football 26 “Deluxe Edition.”

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