Unable to load up Madden on EA Play First Play Trial - Stuck on loading screen

I have only one account on my PS4. 

It gets stuck on "Showtime!" On PS4 and Xbox 1X.

My EA Play account is active on both.

My ps+ and gold is active.

I want the trial version to see if I buy the game or not. I lost more than 1h on xbox and 30 min on ps4 and haven't play the game. Sorry, but it seems like I won't be purchasing the game this year. Gonna wait for the 2k version of it. 

I only have EA Play bc of the Madden games. 

I've cancelled my subscription on both. 

Once I know for sure the full game and the trial version is working, I'll get back. Untill then, #NFLdropEA

I am having this issue as well. Only one account on the PS4. All my trials for other EA games work fine, in fact I am able to play the FIFA 21 flawlessly. I don't understand why the trial for Madden 21 gets stuck on the loading screen at "showtime". I have searched all over the internet for this and many people have the same issue. The only people who don't have this issue are the ones who purchased the full game. Clearly this issue is not of extreme importance to EA, as this has been a problem for weeks. I would rather you guys be transparent and admit the trial is no longer available, rather than advertising it as functional. This just doesn't make any sense. It is clear the purpose of a trial is to promote the eventual purchase of the game, but how can you decide to purchase the game when EA places a barrier on the trial itself?

Same here. Lost about 5 hours trying to fix.

@EA_Kent Same issue here. Sometimes freezes during the loading bar at various points, other times I make it to the main menu and when I click anything like MUT or Franchise that requires EA connection, nothing happens. Xbox One X trial version.  The times when I make it to main menu, I get a few "EA servers unavailable" or "must connect to EA servers" but I cannot.  I tried hitting the start button and I see it try to connect on the bottom right, but ultimately fail.

Hi!

I have the same problem on xbox one using trial.

Platform: Xbox one

Gamertag: Takric

I bought every year the game and I had no issues so far.

But this year's version....I was willing to buy it after trial, but it is sure that I will not.

Thanks for the updates!

I'll pass this information along to the Madden team for a look. 

/Kent

I was having a same issue as others, but slightly different. I am on the ea trial for xbox one and for awhile I couldn't get past the loading menu. It would get 90% plus loaded, then sit. Eventually after restarting my xbox, changing back and forth from wireless to wired, restarting my internet, and more, I got in. Then when I got to the menu it said I couldnt connect to ea servers. Then when it connected I would try and play any game mode (not just online modes) it would allow me to navigate and press the game mode.. but it would just sit there and not let me in anything, so I was just sitting moving/scrolling around on the menu for half an hour. I have changed from wired to wireless connection while at the menu, signed back into ea servers, and the same thing would happen. Then would go back to wired and it would still do the same thing.

Basically I have half of my trial left and was in the mood to play a football game so I was going to give this years madden another shot. Instead I now have 4 hours of the trial left and a game that is just a menu simulator or loading simulator... with so many people having the same issue I would guess its something happening on yalls end. Was there an update pushed or something else changed that could've bricked the game? Maybe bricked the game just for people on ea access/play trials? I am sad to say, but this is just another reason why Im glad I didnt buy or pre-order madden for the first time in 21 years.

Well another issue is I get into the menu screen and it doesn’t let me load into any game modes at all even play now . So if you see this can you fix this bug so I can play it . It has to do with ea access and the trial . Every time I get into the home screen it won’t load any game modes at all.

---

@a6ny3wwl wrote:

Well another issue is I get into the menu screen and it doesn’t let me load into any game modes at all even play now . So if you see this can you fix this bug so I can play it . It has to do with ea access and the trial . Every time I get into the home screen it won’t load any game modes at all.

---

I hope I am wrong, but they wont help you with this part. I have the same issue as you and they just completely ignored my comment. The only way to truly fix it is to buy the full game.. If that's the case why would anyone keep EA Play (and why hasn't this happened for any other game, just the game that got crushed in reviews for being the worst madden in awhile) ? Also, why would I do it when the people who are supposed to keep the game playable and working, dont respond to our issues or give us a fix to issues they created besides "buy the game". I bought the game for 2 decades, but during the trial didnt enjoy this one so decided to wait and play more of the trial instead of buying it, I am glad I did.

I buy Madden all years since the first, on Genesis/Megadrive !

I decided today to buy the game.

I'll give you another confirmation as soon as possible : when I'll receive my disc !

My Trial version doesn't want to launch anything,  during last 4 weeks ! (EA : 4 WEEKS !!!).

If it's "just" because trial version is no longer available, please EA, if you want to sell more games, display a message to inform gamers when we launch the game !

Having the same issue with the trial managed to get through yesterday on my third or fourth attempt seemed like it auto open the player avatar and that’s what got me in played for an hour or so and tried to get back on today and it either tells me the servers are down or sticks at  showtime but n the load bar 

@EA_Barry  and @EA_Kent : IMPORTANT : FOR ALL USERS who can't play Trial mode (progression bar freezes at launch)

I confirm that my Trail version has the same issue (impossible to play since 4 weeks !!!!)

I bought Madden and I receive it today (physical disc, not digital) :

I delete Madden 21 game on my PS4 Pro

I insert disc, and wait until update downloaded

I CAN PLAY NOW !

EA : please , allow time to developers (occupied on next Gen version ?) to correct trial mode, because A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T BUY game because trial mode doesn't work !!!

Just display a simple message like : "Sorry Trial mode is finished, please buy the full game if you like it !"

Thank you

@Renamed9343221 wrote:

@EA_Barry  and @EA_Kent : IMPORTANT : FOR ALL USERS who can't play Trial mode (progression bar freezes at launch)

I confirm that my Trail version has the same issue (impossible to play since 4 weeks !!!!)

I bought Madden and I receive it today (physical disc, not digital) :

I delete Madden 21 game on my PS4 Pro

I insert disc, and wait until update downloaded

I CAN PLAY NOW !

EA : please , allow time to developers (occupied on next Gen version ?) to correct trial mode, because A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T BUY game because trial mode doesn't work !!!

Just display a simple message like : "Sorry Trial mode is finished, please buy the full game if you like it !"

Thank you

------------------------

Again, saying "just buy the game 4Head" is not an answer or resolution. We pay money for EA Play to try the game. Why would anyone want to buy a game that they wanted to trial before buying it and then the trial doesn't work. If you gave a discount on the game or gave a free month of EA Play maybe it can be accepted as an answer, but right now it doesnt work. Lets compare this to buying a car you used as a rental and liked a lot. During the rental a check engine light comes on, you say "Hey if you buy it we will fix that for you". Well why would I want to buy it when it could be a preview of a major engine issue that happens once I buy it.

Anyone know if the latest update fixed the problem?

4/5 weeks without playing the trail is ridiculous.  EA seems to not really be taking this seriously.

It loaded. Thanks EA I guess for finally telling my trial ran out. Now if I buy the full version it will work. Try loading it now guys let me know if it works.

so after the patch it loaded but gets stuck in a infinite loop cycle where it says disconnected / can connect.  still can't play the game.  they don't care i guess.  i won't either, will delete this game.

Ea blueberry as you said to me to type here my psn id its AeronauticPilot5.