Thursday, 25 Jul 2024

Madden NFL 21 Next-Gen Upgrade Goes Live A Day Early

Update 2: EA Sports has announced that the PlayStation 5 servers are now live. In order to connect to the servers, those who have already downloaded the PS5 version of Madden NFL 21 need to download and install a title update.

Update 1 – 12/3/2020 at 9:13 a.m. CT: EA Sports has updated us that the fix for the PlayStation 5 version will likely be implemented prior to the December 4 launch. We have updated the headline accordingly.

Original Story – 12/3/2020 at 6 a.m. CT

Prior to the last-gen launch of Madden NFL 21, EA Sports announced that those who purchased the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One would be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X version for free thanks to its Dual Entitlement system. The new-gen version is set to launch on Friday, December 4. However, EA Sports has announced that those who are upgrading from the last-gen version will have access to the new-gen version today, a day earlier than expected.

Unfortunately, there’s some bad news for those upgrading from PS4 to PS5: The online is not currently available, but it can still be downloaded and played offline. According to EA Tiburon, the development team discovered a previously unknown issue with the PS5 version of Madden NFL 21 late in the final testing phase. The issue only occurs when the PS5 version is connected to the EA servers, so until the fix (which the team has already submitted for testing) is patched into the live game, EA Tiburon is turning off the PS5 version’s ability to connect to the EA servers.

This bug only affects the PlayStation 5 version as of now, but EA Tiburon cautions that it will be monitoring the Xbox Series X/S version closely to make sure it doesn’t also suffer from the same bug. If the issue does end up popping up on the new Xbox version, EA Tiburon might have to temporarily disconnect the online servers for that version as well. For now, the online works as expected on Xbox Series X/S.

If you own the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version of Madden NFL 21 digitally, you can download your free new-gen version of the game by looking in your library of the new console of the same console family (PS4 owners get a free copy on PS5, while Xbox One owners get a free copy on Xbox Series X/S). If you bought the physical version, you can contact EA Help to validate your purchase and receive your free upgrade from EA Sports.

Madden NFL 21 launched on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on August 28. It is available to download on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for those who bought the last-gen version beginning today. Otherwise, it launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S tomorrow, December 4. For more on the changes the new-gen version brings over the last-gen version, head here.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about Madden NFL 21’s next-gen upgrade:

  1. How can I upgrade my PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version to the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X version?

    • If you own the digital version, you can download the new-gen version from your console’s library. If you own the physical version, contact EA Help for a free upgrade.
  2. Will the online features be available on the PlayStation 5 version?

    • Currently, the online features are unavailable due to a bug. However, you can still download and play the game offline.
  3. Does the bug affect the Xbox Series X/S version as well?

    • As of now, the bug only affects the PlayStation 5 version. EA Tiburon is closely monitoring the Xbox Series X/S version to ensure it doesn’t have the same issue.

For updates on the issue that’s affecting the PS5 version, and whether it also affects the Xbox Series X/S version, follow the Madden NFL Twitter account.

Conclusion

The next-gen upgrade for Madden NFL 21 is now live a day early, allowing players to experience the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. While there is a bug affecting the online features in the PS5 version, the offline mode is still accessible. EA Tiburon is actively working on a fix and will implement it soon. Players who own the last-gen version can upgrade to the new-gen version for free. For more information and updates, follow the Madden NFL Twitter account.