Madden NFL 26 has returned to Nintendo’s platforms.
Corroborating the rumor from Dealabs last week, Madden NFL 26 has appeared on the web eShop. The game is listed only for Switch 2, and the listing confirms a lot of interesting details.
Right off the bat, the game is 62 GB. That borders the 64 GB rumored to be the maximum size available for Switch 2 Game Cards, but considering that EA decided to make Split Fiction for the Switch 2 a code-in-a-box, it’s unlikely that Madden NFL 26 will have a Game Card. It is probably not going to even be a Game Key Card.
Moving on, the listing confirms that it supports multiplayer for up to four players on a single system, and online multiplayer for up to six players. It’s also confirmed to release on August 14, 2025, at the same date as on other platforms.
Once again, that’s all in line with everything else Dealabs predicted, and so is the news that this game is finally skipping the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This could mean several things, depending on how you want to interpret it. One one level, EA may simply have reassigned resources from making the 8th generation versions to focus on the Switch 2, a clear growth opportunity compared to those who are still on older consoles.
But on a potentially exciting level, this may be happening because EA sees the opportunity to push Madden NFL 26 forward as a true 9th generation game. Of course, to believe this, you would have to also believe that the Switch 2 definitively has more power and performance than both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Like many other things, we’ll find out just how true this is for the Switch 2 in the coming months as the public finally gets their hands on the console and the games.
But if this is the case, than the Switch 2 may be ushering it an amazing new era for all gamers. A lot of multiplatform games are being held back by still being supported on older platforms. If the Switch 2’s power and potential as a consumer product is pushing game developers forward, than we may be getting more true 9th generation games and finally abandoning the 8th generation from this point on.
Pre-ordering the standard edition at $ 69.99 gets you these extras:
- MUT Cover Athlete Elite Player Item
- Franchise Coach Ability Points
- Super Star Legendary XP Boost
And you can also pre-order a deluxe edition for $ 99.99. If you pre-order by July 26, you get all of these extras:
- 3 Day Early Access
- 4600 MUT points
- Early Access Solo Challenges
- MUT Cover Athlete Elite Player Item
- Franchise Coach Ability Points
- Super Star Legendary XP Boost
- Player Card Exclusive Item
Yes, even three day early access is available on Switch 2 now. That detail may seem minor, but it supports the idea that we are coming back to a time where the three platforms have parity, and Nintendo is directly competing with PlayStation and Xbox again.