Madden NFL 21 Reveals First Look at Next-Gen Gameplay in New Trailer

The next generation of consoles has arrived, and the next-gen version of the Madden NFL video game franchise is soon to follow. Madden NFL 21 has already been released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but it will debut on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X systems on December 4th. Ahead of the new, highly-anticipated launch, EA Sports has released the first footage from the game on next-gen systems, and it looks as good as fans of the franchise have hoped.

With more realistic player movements, thanks in large part to the Next-Gen Stats used by the National Football League, the updated version of Madden looks more realistic than any previous edition of the franchise. You can watch all of the new footage in the trailer above.

With cameras in the shoulder pads of every player on the field, the NFL is able to study their movements and compile Next-Gen stats. Madden has utilized those same statistics in order to change the way players move in the game. Steps, cuts, and blocks are able to be much more realistic in this new edition of the game, thanks to those Next-Gen Stats.

Here’s how the Next-Gen Stats have improved the route-running in the game, according to the official Madden release:

“With Next Gen Stats innovation, route-running in Madden NFL 21 has been completely overhauled. Receivers will run actual routes logged by Next Gen Stats’ real NFL game data. In addition to speed and acceleration rates, our animation engine is also leveraging player-specific route paths from Next Gen Stats for individual receivers. For example, the path that Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams takes on a deep crossing route on a Sunday afternoon will be the same deep crossing route reflected by Adams in Madden NFL gameplay. The result is natural-feeling, fluid routes with more rounded turns, athletic nuance and player differentiation.”

What do you think of the first footage from Madden NFL 21‘s next-gen release? Are you looking forward to playing the game on the new systems? Let us know in the comments!

Madden NFL 21 arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on December 4th.