Although NFL fans were supposed to get their first peek of what to expect in this year’s release of Madden NFL today, it seems that they’ll be waiting for a little bit longer.
Yesterday, EA Sports released a statement of solidarity with those protesting the “unjust treatment and systematic bias that is plaguing the nation and our world,” stating that the June 1st reveal of Madden NFL 21 would be postponed until another time; the decision stemming mostly from the protests that have continued to take place over the weekend following the death of African-American man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer.
The full statement reads as follows:
“Tomorrow, we had committed to celebrating Madden NFL 21 with you, but we’re not going to do that now.
We stand with our African American/Black community of friends, players, colleagues and partners. Our immediate attention is on actions we can take to drive change against the unjust treatment and systemic bias that is plaguing the nation and our world.
We’ll find another time to talk football with you. Because this is bigger than a game, bigger than sports, and all of us need to stand together and commit to change.”
Twitter users reacted as expected. Some users believed that there was simply nothing to show, while some said that Madden news is needed now more than ever as a distraction. Others questioned the timing of the decision, pointing out that EA Sports had formerly censored references to NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick for his decision to kneel in protest of the treatment of Blacks in America - a move that essentially blackballed him from the NFL.
It’s understandable that a decision to delay the announcement came, considering that now a large majority of corporations and businesses are releasing statements to give public transparency with their stance on the current nation-wide issue. Given the longevity of the on-going issue, though, it seems like a bit of a bandwagon decision, with more delays expected to take place around the gaming industry. No new date has been revealed yet for the Madden 21 first-look.
