Madden NFL's new model this year is called "The Yard", which is a tribute to EA Sports's backyard game. EA Sports said it will find this "fast-paced small game" football fan arcade-style title on NFL Street and other places.
The courtyard not only provides six-a-side football games but also includes skill games and rule changes. Players will create an avatar that allows them to enter the progress system for earning XP and rewards, and customize their appearance and equipment in the constantly refreshing "style area". This character is the star of the narrative mode and is called "Yard: Underground" and is now available in the Madden NFL 21 Mobile app.
The Yard and The Yard: Underground will have shared inventory, progress, and Madden 21 Coins. Once the main game is released, EA is clearly trying to attract users through its free Madden NFL Mobile app. The games in The Yard will be run according to the user's internal rules, which allow two passes, and score bonuses for certain types of games.
This is a bit reminiscent of EA Sports' FIFA 20 tried Volta Football, street football/futsal mode, with narrative activities and personalized superstar attempts. Volta Football's goals are performing well, but the model has little impact on the community, otherwise, the community will be attracted by the Football Ultimate Team and the deep career of the game.
Last year, "Madden NFL 20" launched the "Franchise Face", which is the narrative preface to the single career model of the series. But the customization of the player is not as deep as The Yard touted, or there are online components. In 2017, the first chapter of Madden NFL 18's "Longshot" narrative introduced backyard-style mini-games, but only in this mode. Longshot ended after the sequel in Madden NFL 19.
Madden NFL executive producer Sean Graddy said in a statement: "We want to create a new way of expression for players and play mini-football with a new arcade-style experience for Madden." Players will explore new gameplay on mobile devices and consoles, which will bring backyard football, which NFL players and fans have loved since childhood, to life. With relaxed rules, you can win with an attitude."
Madden NFL 21 will launch on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One on August 28. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Google Stadia versions will be released in the future.