Madden NFL 21 announced that its Championship Series is going to have a new format. What can players expect? There’s going to be revamped tournament offerings along with weekly sports entertainment programming.
This change follows record-breaking months in engagement and viewership. It also comes on the heels of a multiyear partnership deal with the NFL and NFLPA and Madden NFL that was previously announced back in May 2020.
The programming lineup is going to launch on September 15 through the Madden Twitch channel here and the Madden Competitive Gaming YouTube channel here. The event that kicks everything off is Derwin James vs The World. What’s going to happen is that over the course of 16 weeks, a different celebrity, musical artist, or athlete is going to challenge LA Chargers player Derwin James. The season is then going to be capped with James taking on whoever wins the Madden Club Championship this year.
James said in a statement that fans already “got a taste of my skills when I won the Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament back in April.” He went on to say that he’s “back to quiet any doubters that I’m the best Madden player in the League.” James then added that he is more than excited “to take on new challengers and ultimately test my skills against the season’s best Madden player.”
Tuesday evenings are also going to feature King of the Hill. Each week, there are going to be two single elimination tournaments. It’s going to have two NFL athletes taking on, in parallel, two elite Madden NFL competitive players.
For the Madden Championship Series, the new format is set to offer a $1.4 million prize pool. The series starts with the Madden NFL 21 Club Championship, which begins on November 10 and runs through February 5. Competitive players are going to represent each of the 32 NFL teams and fight it out over the course of eight weeks. All of the matches are going to be played remotely.
In a press statement, Madden NFL Commissioner Matt Marcou shared that while the world has experienced big changes over the last few months, the love of competition and sense of connection that the game offers has been stronger than ever. Marcou said that for the year, “Madden NFL will add several new formats, beyond our traditional tournament series, to appeal to an even broader audience.”
NFL Vice-President and Head of Gaming & eSports Rachel Hoagland added that the brand has always managed to find ways to connect the different NFL fans around the world. Hoagland said that the NFL is truly “excited about the new format for Madden NFL 21 Championship Series which should raise the stakes for competitive play and offer a new level of management for players, fans, and our partners.”
Players interested in becoming a part of the Championship Series can register here until September 28.
