Madden NFL 20: Patrick Mahomes is on the cover, game launches Aug. 2

Football fans won’t be waiting too much longer to get their Madden fix, as the game launches in early August with a deserving, yet unsurprising, cover star.

If you’re itching to play the next iteration of the long-running Madden franchise, you definitely won’t have to wait long.

EA Sports announced the new title, Madden NFL 20, just before the first round of the NFL Draft. The game launches on August 2 on PS4, Xbox One and PC, the earliest release date for the series since the days of the original PlayStation. Those who pre-order the Superstar Edition or Ultimate Superstar Edition will get the game three days early, plus a cavalcade of Ultimate Team goodies.

In addition, EA revealed Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the cover star. While not a surprising announcement, it’s far from undeserved. Mahomes, a 2017 first-round pick out of Texas Tech, electrified the league last year with unbelievable plays and record-shattering production on his way to an MVP season. He also guided the Chiefs back to a deep postseason run, only to be thwarted by the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in the AFC Championship.

That’s not all that was revealed, however. EA dropped more information about this year’s game much earlier than usual, which is understandable considering the release date is now in just over three months.

More from App and Gaming News

• Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1: Last major update released
• GTA 6: Who is Lucia and what is her role?
• Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
• Is GTA 6 coming to PC at launch in 2025?
• GTA 6 trailer arrives early, confirming 2025 release: Watch it here!

For one, the “Longshot” story mode appears to be history. In its place is “Face of the Franchise: QB1,” which will serve as a career mode of sorts. In it, you’ll be able to guide a custom quarterback through the College Football Playoff as one of ten possible teams before heading to the draft and playing out your career as an NFL signal-caller.

It and the traditional franchise mode will include a new scenario engine that includes dynamic challenges and events that sound an awful lot like MLB The Show‘s signature “Road to the Show” mode.

Gameplay-wise, new Superstar X-Factors appears to give more on-field authenticity to big-name players, and the Pro Bowl looks to be playable for the first time in a while.

EA also looks to be more open to talking about the game pre-release this year as well. Starting on May 2, a weekly livestream on their Twitch channel will highlight features coming to Madden. The first one will focus on Face of the Franchise and traditional Franchise, while stuff like X-Factors, gameplay deep dives, and Ultimate Team will be reserved for later events.