EA Extends Madden NFL 21 Upgrade Offer for Xbox Series X

Electronic Arts will now give Madden NFL 21 players a larger window to upgrade their copy of the game to an Xbox Series X version when the console releases later this year. The initial offer would’ve allowed Xbox One owners to get a free upgrade to the Xbox Series X version of Madden NFL 21 so long as they bought the game before December 31st. This version of the promotion drew criticism for being a weaker version of the Xbox Series X’s Smart Delivery feature that’ll offer upgrades to next-gen versions of games and has since been changed following the feedback.

Based on the perimeters of the original promotion, Madden NFL 21 players would’ve been required to purchase the game by December 31st and then complete the upgrade offer by March 31, 2021, to be eligible for the Xbox Series X version. That’s still a wide enough window, but compared to Microsoft’s Smart Delivery feature that doesn’t encompass every game planned for the Xbox Series X but also doesn’t impose restrictions like these on it, the deal didn’t sound as impressive by comparison.

Polygon recently noticed that the website for EA’s announcement about Madden NFL 21 being available on the Xbox Series X has now been updated to say players would have a much bigger window of opportunity to get the upgrade. EA said it made the change after hearing the feedback from those looking forward to Madden NFL 21.

“During our recent Inside Xbox announce, we included some dates limiting this Dual Entitlement approach,” EA said, “Dual Entitlement” being the name for its version of the Smart Delivery feature. “Having listened to our players response we’re extending the offer all the way through our Madden 21 season up to the release of Madden NFL 22, so players can upgrade to Madden NFL 21 on Xbox Series X whenever they first purchase their new console within that period.”

The same announcement said EA would offer more details “for other platforms” soon. It’s unclear now if this Dual Entitlement opportunity will be extended to the PlayStation 5 as well. Sony has not yet announced any plans to have a feature similar to Smart Delivery.

The first trailer for Madden NFL 21 was released nearly a month ago now during an Xbox Series X event. Another event focusing on the game was supposed to happen recently but has since been postponed to a later date.