Madden NFL 17 was presented by EA COO, Peter Moore, live from London, and he proclaimed that the newest addition will have the same passion, intensity and competition fans have come to expect from the football game franchise. Examples include new ways to play and an improved franchise mode.
However, the biggest announcements involved how EA would be focusing on eSports with Madden. Although only a select few people become pro gamers, EA wants to make stars out of all its players. It’s doing this with online competitive modes and weekly contests. Furthermore, the Madden franchise will be characterized by three types of events:
- Challenger lets the gamer community host its own tournaments.
- Premiere events are large scale tournaments hosted by EA both within and outside of the gaming world.
- EA Majors are marquee events run by EA on a global stage, with the best players competing for the biggest prizes.
The first EA Major starts this weekend at EA Play, featuring the Madden NFL 16 championship. EA’s presentation switched to spotlight two top professional Madden players, Eric “Problem” Wright and Zack “Serious Moe” Lane, both of whom will be competing in the finals this weekend. The Madden NFL 16 championship started with a million players, and is now down the eight best players battling going for $50,000.
The coming year will features similar events, as the Madden NFL 17 championship series will feature a $1 million prize pool. Moore promised “a full year of high stakes action that spans four EA Majors and more events to be announced soon.”
