The countdown is over, the field is set, and it’s game time—EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 is available today, and football fans everywhere are suiting up for a fresh new season.

This year, the legacy of Madden reaches new heights, echoing the energy of kickoff Sundays and the year-round excitement that only American football can deliver. 

To celebrate the game’s release, we sat down with Group Creative Director Josh Kline for an exclusive Q&A. We talked about the remarkable EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 development team and how they have shaped the most immersive, authentic American football experience yet, bringing every snap, Sunday headline, and spectacular play to life. How EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 continues to move at the speed of sport, including cutting-edge features powered by advanced physics and AI-powered systems utilizing real-world NFL data to revolutionize gameplay, what he’s most excited for players to get their hands on, and more.

Ready for kickoff? Let’s dive in.

“There’s always that annual shakeup—every season brings new rookies, blockbuster trades, and all the excitement that comes with a fresh year of football. But this year, we’ve taken things to the next level.”

Hey Josh! Thanks for joining us today amidst all the things going on. I’m excited to talk about all things Madden! Finally, we’re here–launch day. How are you feeling?

Tired. [Laughs]. No, no. I feel really good, man. It’s exciting to get the game in people’s hands and to start to see the excitement and joy this brings to millions of players around the world. 

One thing that we do, which I think we underestimate, is we start the football season in a lot of ways. Teams are in training camps. And we're the first time that a lot of players will ever see a new rookie or a traded player on the football field.

That’s great. And speaking of excitement, let’s get into what players have to be excited about for this edition. What do you think sets this year’s game apart from previous entries?

There’s always that annual shakeup—every season brings new rookies, blockbuster trades, and all the excitement that comes with a fresh year of football. But this year, we’ve taken things to the next level.

What's really special in Madden NFL 26 is that we're directly powered by real NFL data and next-gen AI. For the first time, our new QB DNA and Coach DNA systems take player-tracking and coaching analytics straight from the league and translate those behaviors to the sticks. Whether it’s QB throwing motion, decision pathing, or even sideline management, you’ll see signature playing styles for stars like Mahomes or coaches like McDaniel—you’ll immediately recognize how their on-field personalities impact every play. The result is an experience that’s not just inspired by Sundays, but evolves at the same pace as the league itself.

This could be in the way that a player moves–like Josh Allen's gonna play like Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes plays like Patrick Mahomes. Jayden Daniels plays like Jayden Daniels. It doesn't feel like they're the same quarterback with a different jersey. It truly feels like three different quarterbacks. So you expand that across 32 teams, every team starts to feel different.

Then the play calling is built off of real play calls. So you play someone like the Detroit Lions, who play a very aggressive, offensive style. They're going to play an aggressive style in our game now built on true tendencies, featuring true percentages. 

That to me is where EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 set itself apart. We are a simulation game, but this is truly a simulation of the football that you're seeing every Sunday.

“...Josh Allen's gonna play like Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes plays like Patrick Mahomes. Jayden Daniels plays like Jayden Daniels. It doesn't feel like they're the same quarterback with a different jersey.”

What kind of technology and development work goes into making real-time updates and live storytelling possible?

Delivering this level of authenticity requires a major commitment to tech. Our systems constantly pull in new player tracking feeds, performance analytics, and coaching trends, letting our team push weekly updates. Machine learning algorithms trained on millions of NFL snaps power these evolving gameplay behaviors, so every roster shift or highlight performance can show up straight in Madden. This is how the game stays as dynamic and unpredictable as football itself.

For the team, this is just the beginning. We run a live service here, and with the NFL season starting it kind of is just the starting point in a lot of ways. Every week, we're going to be updating the game. We're telling stories based on what happens on Sundays.

“We really wanted to capture that special feeling from watching Sunday football. You're with your friends. You're having a good time. You're cheering, you're celebrating. You want to see the big plays, you want to see the big stops. So I think a big thing for us is trying to find the fun in football.”

What is one thing you hope players and fans take away from this game?

It's funny, because I've kind of talked a lot about realism and the authenticity of it, but I also want to recognize that one of the biggest things in our campaign this year–and a lot of our approach–was bringing the fun back to football. And it's not that it wasn't fun. It's just that football is a hard game. It's the only sport you have to play chess before you play checkers. You have to pick the play call. You have to know the scheme. There's a lot of information you need to know.

You're being thrown in most times playing quarterback, which is the most difficult position in sports. So how do we find fun in that? How do you capture the explosiveness of the world's best players–like these are elite athletes that are at the top of their game, and they're the best that's ever done it. 

So I think things like game speed. The fidelity of the movement, the explosiveness, is something that shows up a lot more in EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26.  

From the first snap, you’ll see the difference—quarterbacks have unique tendencies, like Hurts’ quick decisions or Stafford’s pinpoint accuracy, driven by the new data-powered QB DNA system. Defenses adapt on the fly when you face an AI coach with aggressive tendencies or a real-life schematic switch, because our Coach DNA framework tracks and integrates those adjustments every week. Behind the scenes, our animation engine powered by machine learning selects the most realistic blend in real time, so things like spin moves, cutbacks, or sideline catches feel organic and true to life, not canned. Every play, every highlight, every unexpected turn is authentically ‘Madden’—because it’s drawn straight from the essence of today’s NFL.

We really wanted to capture that special feeling from watching Sunday football. You're with your friends. You're having a good time. You're cheering, you're celebrating. You want to see the big plays, you want to see the big stops. So I think a big thing for us is trying to find the fun in football. It's serious, it's great. It's strategic. But at the end of the day it's amazing players making amazing plays. We want to capture that. 

So to me if people are walking away from EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 feeling like that was the most fun I've had in Madden in a long time. I think that's a win.

Josh, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for having me! 

I would just like to add that I've been a Madden player for a long time, and the excitement felt between myself, my friends, and everyone we work with here is palpable. This is the best version of my favorite game. And I cannot wait for players to join and play right now.

Are you ready to play? Purchase EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 here. Check out other amazing EA stories on ea.com/news.