Gamers everywhere had been expecting to fire up their next-gen consoles on release date and enjoy Madden 21 with all the benefits of their new hardware.
But it's not going to be that simple.
Madden 21 on next-gen
In a statement released today, EA announced that the next-gen version of both Madden 21 and FIFA 21 will be available on 4 December.
This is a huge shock for gamers, as everything about Dual Entitlement and being "Optimized for Series X" pointed to the next-gen versions of the games being ready as soon as you powered up for the first time.
EA statement
Naturally, EA did not display this later than ideal release date as a delay.
Instead, their statement talked heavily about the immersive experience players can expect on next-gen.
“With each console generation, EA SPORTS erases more of the line between virtual and real in our games. The next generation versions of Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21 will offer stunning, immersive and authentic experiences, truly enabling players to feel the next level of sports experience” said Cam Weber, EVP and Group GM of EA SPORTS.
“Through the awesome power of Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 we’ve been able to create industry-leading gameplay and content advances, bringing our players ever closer to the sports they love.”
A bitter blow
This comes as a huge disappointment to gamers who would have expected to find their PS5 or Series X version of Madden waiting for them.
It was never totally clear what the next-gen version of Madden would look like. Outside of faster loading and better graphics fans were not really expecting much.