Are you ready to dive into some football excitement? While it might seem like there’s no off-season when it comes to America’s favorite sport, the NFL draft truly marks a big moment. As the draft kicks off Thursday night, Electronic Arts is adding to the buzz with an engaging football-themed ad for their upcoming releases, EA Sports College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26, alongside the much-anticipated announcement of their summer release dates.
The spotlight falls on EA’s two-and-a-half-minute commercial titled “The Call,” set to hit screens during the draft coverage on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. Centered on a fictional wide receiver named J.D. Matthews Jr., the ad captures the intense emotion of that life-changing moment when Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn rings him up to share the thrilling news: Matthews Jr. is their 29th pick in the draft. As Quinn narrates the determined journey of Matthews Jr. from high school standout to Texas Longhorns star, you can feel the weight of emotion in every facial expression.
The NFL draft is that pivotal bridge between college football dreams and NFL aspirations, where college stars yearn for that fateful call signaling their entrance into professional sports. For those whose phones do ring on draft day, it’s both a rewarding conclusion to years of hard work and the start of a new journey filled with endless potential and unforeseen challenges. As Coach Quinn reminds his newest recruit, “The work’s just starting.”
EA Sports’ latest pitch invites football fans to embark on this journey themselves, with both EA Sports College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26 offering immersive gameplay experiences. Announced on Thursday, the latest installment formerly known as NCAA Football slates its release for July 10 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Madden follows closely behind, with its August 14 launch also extending to Nintendo Switch 2 and Windows PC, bringing the action to more players across these platforms.
Notably, 2024’s Madden NFL 25 marked the series’ last hurrah on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as EA transitions focus toward newer consoles. Speaking of returns, Madden’s arrival on the Switch 2 ends a 13-year gap since Madden NFL 13 launched on Nintendo’s Wii U in 2012. While we eagerly await detailed insights on this year’s Madden features and modes, we’ve reached out to EA for any scoop on platform-specific differences, especially for Switch 2. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear back.
For those gearing up, pre-orders for College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26 are live on all platforms, except for the Switch 2 version, which you can pre-order via Amazon as a “physical” game-key card. As in previous years, gamers eager to grab both titles can opt for the MVP Bundle, a digital-only offer for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Priced at $149.99, it packages the deluxe editions of both games and throws in a $50 savings compared to buying them separately each at $99.99. The Deluxe Edition sweetens the deal with a heap of in-game bonuses and three-day early access for each title. (For a full rundown of pre-order perks, check out the College Football and Madden websites.)
