The newest cover of Madden NFL 23 will be John Madden. EA Sports made this announcement on the morning of June 1, which commemorates the original John Madden Football release date in 1988. EA Sports chose John Madden as the cover athlete to honor the Hall of Fame NFL coach and commentator after he died in December of 2021.
Coach Madden has not been featured on the cover of a Madden game since 2000, the same year the franchise began to put players on the covers. Prior to this, Coach Madden had been on every cover of the Madden franchise since it began in 1988.
The artwork for Madden 23 pays homage to the original release of John Madden Football, with Philadelphia-based artist Chuck Styles being tasked to recreate the original game’s artwork. In a statement, Styles said “As someone who grew up loving football, playing in the suburbs of West Philly, it’s a full-circle moment to now be able to contribute to the culture of the sport by honoring an icon like John Madden, who has influenced generations of football fans through his passion for football and unmistakable energy, through my art,”
Coach Madden will be featured on all three of the game’s editions, with them all representing different parts of his career. The All-Madden edition represents his time working with the Madden game, with the two other editions being based on his time as a coach and a commentator for the NFL.
In addition to being on the cover of Madden 23, Coach Madden will also have his own game mode. The mode will feature two all-star teams playing each other in Coach Madden’s home stadium, the 1970s Oakland Coliseum. The two teams will each be coached by a version of Madden himself, who will also be commentating the game based on remastered audio.
There will be more both inside and outside Madden 23 to honor Coach Madden, and EA will release more details as the release date comes closer.