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Madden NFL didn’t have a great 2020. The PS4 and Xbox One version was panned by critics and fans alike, many who zeroed in on the perceived deficiencies of single-player modes like Face of the Franchise and Franchise Mode. It was also buggy. Really buggy.

Like most games in 2020, Madden NFL had to deal with the unprecedented challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the team to shift to work from home right in the middle of development. EA also had to deal with a console transition — always a tricky period for a sports game as developers try to balance old and new tech.

Fast-forward to 21, and EA is now more fully settled in to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, allowing the team to begin weaving some more ambitious changes into Madden 22. Key among them is homefield advantage, a feature that has been neglected in past years. While Madden has typically been able to capture the look and feel of a stadium like Seattle’s Lumen Field, where ear-shattering crowd noise makes it impossible for a quarterback to even hear themselves think, none of that has translated into actual gameplay.

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That will finally change in Madden 22. Now, away teams forced to play in notoriously difficult stadiums like Lumen Field will see their playart wave dangerously, with some of their receiver buttons hidden. EA is calling such features “M-Factors” — special advantages enjoyed by all 32 teams that will activate depending on the momentum of the game. Yes, even the Chargers, notorious for having more away fans than home fans in their stands, will gain an offensive boost if they are doing particularly well at home.

If this sounds familiar, it may be because NCAA Football 14 had a similar feature back in 2013. Going to a stadium like Alabama would even produce the same wriggling playart. Gameplay producer Clint Oldenburg acknowledged the similarities during EA’s briefing earlier this week, “It has its origins in what we did in NCAA Football, for sure, but it’s modernized. One of the key pieces of feedback we received in NCAA Football was that it was a little ambiguous and it wasn’t clear when you unlocked certain things, so that’s what we really attacked with Gameday Momentum.”

Gameday Momentum refers to a meter that swings to one side or another depending on the flow of the game, with perks being unlocked for the home team when they are playing well. The Seahawks, for example, have three levels of homefield advantage: The 12’s, which distorts playart; Unstoppable, which prevents home team players from being knocked out of their X-Factor or Superstar ability, and Nerves, which will result in receiver icons being hidden. Homefield advantage also varies from team to team, with stamina being an issue in Denver, and kicking meters going awry in Chicago (cue visions of the infamous Double Doink).

It’s a long overdue addition to Madden NFL, and should help make playing at home feel more meaningful. Its main risk is that it might start to feel gimmicky, and that the advantages conferred by homefield advantage might result in more games getting out of hand quickly (just like in real-life, but I digress). On the other hand, M-Factors are built on the proven X-Factor system. Similar balance concerns arose when X-Factors were introduced in Madden 20, but Madden has largely managed to keep them under control.

In fact, strip away the bugs, wonky sideline detection, and weird animations, and Madden is actually a pretty enjoyable football game. Its main issue has always been polish — a problem certainly exacerbated by the pandemic. By and large, I don’t mind the recent direction of the gameplay, and I think homefield advantage is a smart addition that’s frankly been a long time coming.

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Outside of homefield advantage, here are some of the other improvements that I learned about during EA’s unveiling of Madden 22.

• A coaching tree is being introduced: Outside of homefield advantage, another feature that Madden 22 is seemingly lifting from NCAA Football 14 is the ability to hire offensive and defensive coordinators and improve them through a skill tree. It’s a long-requested feature that should add a solid layer of depth to franchise mode. As for its inspiration, Executive Producer Seann Graddy says Madden isn’t looking toward NCAA Football. “[H]onestly, their influences are more rooted in games like God of War,” Graddy says, “My son and I have been playing a lot of it.”

• Scouting will be updated… later: Scouting has been another sore point for franchise mode, and fans will be happy to know that it’s finally being overhauled in Madden 22. It’s just not happening right away. Graddy says the team considered pushing the update to Madden 23, but ultimately decided to make it part of a live update. “We’ve been treating the whole game and certainly not just franchise like a live service,” Graddy says. “So we said, well, let’s continue to work on it and get it out, you know, close to the NFL season in that September timeframe. So the fans can have it this year.” When it does arrive, it will feature elements like a dynamic draft board that changes throughout the year

• Franchise will include more than 35 new scenarios: A key criticism of Madden’s franchise mode in recent years has been its scenario engine — a one-dimensional attempt to add a bit of storytelling to each game, usually in the form of accounting for the other team’s star player. In response, EA hired a community member to build up the engine, and they have responded with some 35 new scenarios. “This year we hired somebody out of the community who is super passionate about this, taught him the tool, and allowed him to create, I think, some really compelling scenarios,” Graddy says. “I think you’re going to enjoy the refresh.”

• Halftime adjustments will add a bit of realism to the flow of the game: Franchise mode has long featured the ability to choose certain plays to emphasize before the game, thus incurring corresponding stat bonuses. Now it’s possible to do something similar during halftime. It’s a minor change, but it does add just a bit more realism to the flow of the game.

• The Super Bowl presentation will finally be different: After years of pointed video showing how the big Super Bowl trophy presentation hasn’t changed a bit, Madden 22 will be changing things up this year. The improvements will be joined by updates to the broadcast package, including flyovers and a great big American flag.

• Superfans will be in the stadium: Back in the days of Madden 12, crowd close-up shots were a major part of the game’s presentation, only fading away when the PS4 and Xbox One rolled around. Crowd close-ups (ironically) returned in Madden 21, and now Madden 22 is enhancing them with so-called “Superfans” — cosplaying fans who serve as a sort of team mascot. Plenty such fans exist in real-life, but characters like Fireman Ed won’t be leading the J-E-T-S chant in Madden 22, alas. EA says the cost of tracking them down and adding their likenesses would be just too high.

• Face of the Franchise is back: Yep, Face of the Franchise is back. It’s not a new feature, per se, but it will be a new story. This year’s version will be called “United We Rise.” Face of the Franchise is an intriguing story mode, but over the last two years it has been criticized for its brevity and lack of depth, not to mention its stilted dialogue. Graddy says that this year’s version has to be better, “There was enough feedback from some of our reviewers and our fans that they were looking for more out of the story and more of the progression. And so I think what we’re going to share in the coming weeks leans into some of that feedback. I think it’s going to be a stronger Face of the Franchise.”

• Next-Gen Stats rolls into Year 2: Last year, the next-gen version of Madden 21 introduced Next-Gen Stats — an ambitious attempt to use real-world data gathered from on-field sensors to give star players bespoke animations and other improvements. As expected, Madden 22 will include a multitude of enhancements to Next-Gen Stats, with data governing passing aggressiveness, how ballcarriers break tackles, and team strategy. This is on top of improvements being made to sideline detection, tackling mechanics, and other gameplay features.

• The PS4 and Xbox One versions are also getting updates: While EA’s focus has plainly shifted to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, previous-gen consoles will continue to be supported for another year. Graddy confirms that all of the modes should be very similar across all platforms. “So Face of the Franchise is going to be very similar between Gen 4 and Gen. Ultimate Team will be very similar. The Yard and Superstar KO, which we didn’t talk a lot, those that are going to be a fairly similar,” Graddy said. “With franchise, staff management will be there, game planning will be there, but some of the other dynamic gameday elements around atmosphere, and obviously the Next-Gen stats gameplay, which is only available on Gen 5, won’t be there. But I think our Gen 4 audiences are going to be happy with a lot of the content that they’re getting.”

All in all, Madden 22 is an intriguing update on paper, with lots of interesting improvements to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S version in particular. Much will depend on EA’s execution, which has been lacking of late. A little bit of extra polish would do wonders for the series as it forges ahead on next-gen consoles. We’ll see whether EA takes that lesson to heart when Madden 22 launches later this year.

Madden 22 releases August 20 on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, Google Stadia, and PC. It will available via early pre-order access on August 17.

The NFL recently announced a deal with 2K Sports for new arcade-style NFL games, but EA Sports executive producer Seann Graddy isn’t afraid of the competition. In fact, he believes it’s a good thing that the NFL is cutting deals with other game developers.

EA’s own Madden series remains the exclusive developer of simulation-based NFL games, so when players want that type of experience, Madden is there for them.

“As far as the other products that [the NFL is] working with, I honestly think it’s a good thing for the industry and the market because you’re seeing more players engaging with with the NFL and getting excited about the league, getting excited about players,” he told GameSpot. “And when they want to get the simulation experience, they come to Madden. So I think it’s a good thing.”

Graddy went on to say that Madden has succeeded in recent years in expanded the market of “football fandom” across its various modes. Its newest one, The Yard, offers a more stripped down take on the game, and EA is further investing in this mode in Madden NFL 22.

“I almost see Madden as a football amusement park where you can come in and play a lot of different ways. Over time, if you’re playing Madden one way when you’re 15, 17, 18, may not be the same way you play it when you’re 28, 30, 35. I think that relationship is healthy [with the NFL],” he said.

2K worked out a deal with the NFL for arcade-style NFL games. That’s an important distinction because EA remains the exclusive developer of simulation-style NFL games.

2K’s own NFL game was recently delayed, but it heralds the return of what was once a very popular NFL 2K series. Under its new agreement with the NFL, 2K will make arcade-style NFL games. That’s an important distinction because EA Sports remains the exclusive developer of simulation-style NFL games with its Madden NFL series.

The new NFL game from 2K will have the names, numbers, images, and likenesses of more than 2,000 current NFL players, which is a big deal.

The NFL is also working with Skillz on a game jam of sorts to create even more NFL games for mobile, so the league is clearly interested in growing the reach of NFL in gaming.

Going back to EA, the developer just announced Madden NFL 22 with Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes on the cover.

J.J. Abrams is set to produce a new four-part documentary series about UFOs. The series is simply titled UFO and will be made for Showtime.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, UFO will be executive produced by Abrams and directed by Mark Monroe and Paul Crowder. Monroe previously co-wrote the Oscar-winning doping scandal exposé Icarus, while Crowder worked as an editor on acclaimed documentaries such as Dogtown and Z-Boys and Sound City.

The synopsis for UFO states that the show will explore “what clandestine influence the American government, lucrative private companies, and the military may have in shielding the truth behind extraterrestrial phenomena to further their own agendas” as well as examining “the history of the phenomenon through cultural and political touchpoints, including shocking testimony from eyewitnesses across the country.” The show doesn’t have a premiere date yet.

The announcement of the new series couldn’t be more timely. Members of the House Intelligence Committee are soon to receive classified briefings on on UFOs sightings (now termed UAP, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon), with an unclassified version of the report presented to Congress at the end of June.

As well as making UFO, Abrams is involved in a variety of projects for DC. He’s producing a new Superman movie, which will be written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and feature a Black superman. In addition, he’s developing a new Constantine show for HBO Max, as well as one focusing on the superpowered sorceress Zatanna, to be written by Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell.

Update: Metroid Dread amiibo preorders have just gone live at Amazon for £25.99. These won’t last long, so get your preorder in as soon as possible. We’ve also just seen the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda preorders go live, another incredibly popular item.

There are some awesome deals in the roll-up to Prime Day, but it’s not all Amazon dominated at the moment. Currys have got some spectacular discounts, including £10 in PlayStation Credit and a PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller for just £55. All you need to do is use code GAMINGFND3 checkout. You can also get a Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros for £25 with code FNDDGAME at Currys.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest deals on games, tech and accessories.

Metroid Dread Amiibo Preorders Live at Amazon (Limited Stock)

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Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda Preorders Live (Limited Stock)

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£10 PlayStation Credit + Dualsense Controller for £55

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Mario Game & Watch Down to £25 with FNDDGAME

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Robert Anderson is a Commerce Editor and deals expert for IGN. Send him awesome gaming screenshots @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Scott Cawthon, the creator of the Five Nights at Freddy’s games, has announced his retirement. The decision comes in the wake of a controversy over the developer’s political donations to Republican party candidates, including Donald Trump.

On the ScottGames.com website, Cawthon wrote “I realize that I miss a lot of things that I got to focus on before FNAF became such a success. I miss making games for my kids, I miss doing it just for fun, and I miss making rpgs even though I stink at it. All of this is to say that I am retiring.”

He went on to praise the support of the Five Nights at Freddy’s fanbase. “I have been shown tremendous love and support over this last week, a lot of which has come from the LGBTQ community,” he said. “The kindness shown to me has been surreal.”

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His mention of the LGBTQ community is important, as just a few days ago Cawthon was caught up in a controversy over the revelation that he had donated thousands of dollars to Republican political candidates, many of which have shown anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments in their beliefs. A substantial part of the Five Nights at Freddy’s community crosses over with the LGBTQIA+ community, and so it’s easy to understand why so many fans were upset by Cawthon’s donations.

In a message posted to Reddit following the controversy, Cawthon said “If I get cancelled, then I get cancelled. I don’t do this for the money anymore; I do it because I enjoy it. If people think I’m doing more harm than good now, then maybe it’s better that I get cancelled and retire. I would accept that.”

While Cawthon does not mention his Reddit message nor the controversy in his retirement announcement, it does seem logical that the two events are linked due to the short time period between them. However, as Cawthon says, he also has a wish to focus on his family. “I have SIX kids now,” he wrote. “I want to focus my attention on them, focus on protecting them, and spend my time making things write for them. I only ask that my fanbase respect my decision.”

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Cawthon states that his retirement will not bring an end to Five Nights at Freddy’s, and the popular horror series will continue. “Someone else will eventually be running the show,” said Cawthon. “Someone of my choosing, and someone that I trust.”

Five Nights at Freddy’s has a huge fanbase and is among the most beloved horror game series of the past few years. A film is in production at Blumhouse, and this year’s Nic Cage movie, Willy’s Wonderland, certainly looks like it was inspired by Cawthon’s ideas.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

If you are one of the lucky ones that managed to get a PS5 between now and when the system launched last November, you can now sign up to become a tester in the inaugural PS5 system software beta program.

According to the latest PlayStation Blog, testers that sign up and are selected will be “among the first to put new features to the test and provide essential feedback that will help guide [Sony’s] development.”

That means you’ll get early access to the next firmware update for the PS5 ahead of its public release, and share your thoughts on the firmware to help Sony improve on anything that needs tweaking. It’s not unlike the Xbox Insider Program, which regularly tests upcoming features with a sub-set of Xbox users.

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If you are interested in beta testing the next PS5 firmware update, you can sign up now on the official PlayStation website. You must be 18 years of age and reside in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, or France to be considered. This is nothing hugely new for the company, as the PS4 also allowed people to sign up for a system software beta program to test out the software before a console update would roll out.

The PS5’s last major update introduces several new features to the console, such as cross-generation Share Play and extending USB storage, allowing you to store (albeit not play) PS5 games stored on a USB external drive.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

The PS5 is getting a software beta program so that you can try out the latest features and updates before they go live to the general public. You can sign up for a chance to be a part of the program now, if you, like Austin Powers’ Richie Cunningham, like to live dangerously.

In order to sign up for the beta program, you have to be at least 18 and living in the United States, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, or France. If you’re selected, you’ll get an email explaining how to proceed and get the beta software onto your system, and you can restore your system to the public software once the beta period has ended.

Once selected, you won’t have to go through the process again to register for future beta releases, though you will be included in a “potential participant pool” that doesn’t guarantee you’ll always get access to them. Given that they are not finalized, you’re doing this at your own risk, but it does give you the chance to help Sony make the software better before a full launch.

The PS5’s software kind of felt like it was in beta at launch, with crashing problems–often associated with rest mode–and a few features are still not included. The empty NVMe SSD slot inside the system, for instance, is still not usable, though Sony does now allow you to store PS5 games on an external drive in order to hold them until you’re ready to transfer them to the internal storage. All of this, of course, is only relevant if you have been able to find a PS5, and with PS5 restocks so sporadic, that hasn’t been easy.

Pokemon Unite, the first strategic team battle game in the series, will release in July for Nintendo Switch and in September for mobile devices. The game uses the free-to-play model, though The Pokemon Company refers to this as “free-to-start.” Players can spend real money on various items throughout the game or unlock them with gameplay.

The Pokemon Company also revealed that cross-play between Switch and mobile is planned, while Pokemon Trainer Club and Nintendo Accounts are supported, too. A cinematic trailer for Pokemon Unite has also been released; check it out below.

Pokemon Unite is set on Aeos Island, which is the home to the Unite Battle Committee. This group organizes Unite Battle tournaments that players take part in. Teams of five battle against each other to rack up the most points before the clock runs out.

To get points, players gather Aeos energy by defeating other Pokemon and then putting the energy into one of the opposing team’s designated zones. There are multiple battle stadiums in the game, and each has its own unique rules that determine things like match length and what types of Pokemon will appear.

Pokemon Unite has ranked matchmaking system that starts with the Beginner Cup and advances up to Master Cup. There is also a global leaderboard so you can see how your statistics match up with the rest of the playerbase.

Players can dress their Pokemon in different clothing, and they can customize the look of their trainer, too, with different clothing and accessories. Pokemon Unite also has a seasonal Battle Pass that gets you various rewards for use in the game.

Pokemon Unite has an in-game shop that accepts three types of currency, including Aeos gems, which are paid for with real money. There are also Aeos coins and Aeos tickets. Coins and tickets are available simply for playing the game, and they can be spent on “licenses” that allow you to partake in the Unite Battles. There is an Aeos Emporium shop that accepts coins and gems where you can buy cosmetic items and more.

You can read the full announcement to learn more. Pokemon Unite is a joint development from The Pokemon Company and Tencent’s TiMi Studios.

If Pokemon Unite doesn’t seem like your speed, The Pokemon Company is also developing a new RPG called Pokemon Legends: Arceus for release in 2022 on Switch.

Near the end of April developer, Hazelight’s co-op game It Takes Two had recorded more than one million sales, a figure that has since then doubled according to the studio.

“We’re simply amazed by the PASSION you wonderful people have shown our game and we couldn’t be happier seeing so many fans of co-op out there,” Hazelight tweeted.

An independent studio, Hazelight’s game is published by Electronic Arts, with the company claiming that it won’t receive a single cent from the proceeds of the game. It Takes Two still has a long way to go if it wants to beat Hazelight’s current best-seller, A Way Out, which was released in 2018 and has so far sold more than 3.5 million copies.

Besides positive reviews praising the imaginative design of It Takes Two, one other element that has been a big draw is the ability to invite someone to join you in the exclusively co-op game, even if they don’t own It Takes Two. One of GameSpot’s favorite split-screen co-op games, our It Takes Two review scored the game a 9/10.

“Takes Two is the best 3D platformer I’ve played since Super Mario Odyssey, and like that game, it has a flair for variety,” reviewer Andrew King said.