Madden NFL 22
The final Madden game before John Madden's death.
Madden NFL 22 is an American football video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts, serving as the 32nd installment in the Madden NFL series. Released for multiple platforms including Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia, it features Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady on the cover, marking the first joint cover since Madden NFL 10. The game received mixed reviews and was the last Madden title released before the death of the franchise's namesake, John Madden.
Quick Facts
- Producer
- Seann Graddy
- Developer
- EA Tiburon
- Publisher
- EA Sports
- Series
- Madden NFL
- Engine
- Frostbite 3
- Platforms
- Windows
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
- Stadia
- Released
- August 20, 2021
- Genre
- Sports
Facts from the source article.
Cover art
Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, both participants in Super Bowl LV, were announced as co-cover athletes in June 2021, marking the second cover appearance for each player. The cover has been called the greatest Madden cover of all time, reflecting both players' GOAT status—Brady as the all-time GOAT and Mahomes as the Baby GOAT. This was only the second time two NFL players shared the cover, following Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald on Madden NFL 10.
Features
Madden NFL 22 introduced more detailed staff management and skill tree progression systems, along with a comprehensive weekly game strategy integrated into the player's gameplan, with updates added throughout the NFL season. Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis returned as commentators, and Alan Roach served as the PA announcer. A home field advantage system was added, granting the home team abilities once enough momentum credit was built, such as draining opposing stamina at Empower Field at Mile High or causing offensive audibles to possibly fail at Arrowhead Stadium. Face of the Franchise included The Rich Eisen Show. Post-launch Season 1 added college football rules to Superstar KO, allowing players to choose a team and playbooks. On January 14, 2022, Nickelodeon cross-promotion content featuring SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was added to The Yard mode.
Reception
Madden NFL 22 received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic. GameSpot rated it 7.0/10, noting that when everything works, it marks a recent high point for the series, with improved AI and Gameday Atmosphere and Momentum bringing fans to life, but technical problems could be a major obstacle. IGN gave it 6.0/10, describing it as a grab bag of decent but frequently underwhelming ideas hurt by poor execution, with Face of the Franchise called a mess and homefield advantage a solid addition that does not fully capture real momentum swings.
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