What you need to know
- Madden NFL 21 will remove mentions of the old Washington team name from the game.
- Physical discs will receive the update in a Day One patch.
- The change comes after the team announced it will get a new name after years of backlash.
Madden NFL 21 is set to release on Aug. 28, 2020 but Electronic Arts is still making changes to the game, specifically due to one current issue.
EA confirmed to Kotaku that it's removing all mentions of the old Washington NFL team's name and instead will be replacing it with a generic team while it waits for the new team name announcement.
The company also noted how it will apply the change. Since the game is ready for release, the name and logo will be removed in a Day One patch for physical disc players. As soon as the game connects to the internet, the change will be applied.
"Changes to the name and logo will come via title updates that will download automatically," a spokesperson told the publication. "The first changes will be available to our EA Access players and will include audio/commentary updates; motion graphics and presentation updates; stadium art, environments, crowd gear and signage updates; and uniform updates. Players may continue to see some outdated Washington references in other areas of the game at launch, but we are committed to removing all of those from the game in additional title updates coming shortly after launch."
The move comes after the team announced this week that it would be changing its name following years of controversy and outspoken statements from the Indigenous community. Previously, team owner Dan Snyder said that the team would never change its name. However, it made the announcement after companies like FedEx, which is a amajor sponsor of the team, said it would stop investing if the name didn't change. Nike also allegedly removed Washington team merch from its stores.
Madden NFL 21 is set to release on Aug. 28, 2020 for Xbox One, PC, and PS4.
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Madden NFL 21 is set to bring players closer to the field than ever before with improved gameplay and enhanced D-Line mechanics that make the pass rush positions more responsive.
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