Madden NFL 21 Gridiron Notes: Welcome Back, Kap!

NatureBoy2323

https://twitter.com/EAMaddenNFL/status/1303377562475925505

Colin Kaepernick is one of the top free agents in football and a starting-caliber quarterback. The team at EA SPORTS, along with millions of Madden NFL fans, want to see him back in our game. We’ve had a long relationship with Colin through Madden NFL and worked through our past soundtrack mistakes.

Knowing that our EA SPORTS experiences are platforms for players to create, we want to make Madden NFL a place that reflects Colin’s position and talent, rates him as a starting QB, and empowers our fans to express their hopes for the future of football. We’ve worked with Colin to make this possible, and we’re excited to bring it to all of you today.

Starting today in Madden NFL 21, fans can put Colin Kaepernick at the helm of any NFL team in Franchise mode, as well as play with him in Play Now. We look forward to seeing Colin on Madden NFL teams everywhere.

FRANCHISE MODE



In Franchise mode, players have the opportunity to sign Kaepernick by starting a new franchise with their favorite team as an owner or coach where they are in control. Once the franchise has been started, simply go to sign free agents and sort by QBs to find Kaepernick as the highest-rated free agent QB in the game.

Based on Kaepernick’s prior on-the-field performance, combined with our data-driven EA SPORTS ratings simulations, Kaepernick is an 81 OVR, which takes into account that he has not taken the field since 2016.

When Kaepernick was a healthy starting quarterback he was rated 89, 89, 81 overall and known for his strong touchdown-to-interception ratio, mobility, and playoff performances. And because this is YOUR franchise, you also have the ability to adjust Kaepernick’s ratings, giving you the flexibility to add him to the 99 Club.

Now’s your chance to bring back Kap and be the virtual GM that signs one of the most dynamic QBs in the game. Make sure you choose the live roster file option when starting your franchise and sign Kaepernick before the start of week 1 of the preseason because the CPU controlled-teams definitely won’t miss the chance to scoop him up and make him their starter.

THE YARD



The Yard is a brand new backyard football-inspired mode in Madden NFL 21 where self-expression with your own create-a-player (CAP), wild gameplay moments, house rules, and a fearless attitude are the name of the game. In celebration of Kaepernick’s return, the Nike Kaepernick Icon Jersey 2.0 will be made available for free inside The Yard for you to equip your CAP.

SIGNATURE CELEBRATIONS



Signature, user-controlled celebrations are new to Madden NFL 21 and Kaepernick has chosen his own for fans to activate in game. Following a big play or touchdown, you will see Kaepernick raise his fist as a symbol of Black Power when you choose to celebrate with him, as he did during his last season.

FREE-TO-PLAY WEEKEND

To celebrate Kaepernick’s return and the start of the NFL season, Madden NFL 21 will be free-to-play Thursday, September 10th through Sunday, September 13th, so that all fans have an opportunity to play with Kap.

https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/madden-nfl-21/news/gridiron-notes-madden-nfl-21-welcome-back-kap

cjacks009

Kap should have always been in there. He was legitimately trying to find a team as a free agent. 81 is overkill though, and we really just want the bugs fixed first and foremost.

EA_Blueberry

TheINFORMANTANT

With all that is going on in the world today, we need to separate fun from real politics.
EA, you have lost a fan, I am so glad that I did not open my game, and was able to return it. Let me explain, first, being that you are so fearful of competition that you bought out the NFL once again. Secondly, if you put as much time and money in the production of your game, as if you had competition maybe the game would be better.
Now last, but Not least, adding Kaepernick back to the roster was so PC that it makes you look weak.
I am not just picking on you, for if the NFL brings him back just to appease the few, and does all that political stuff this year, I will not be watching it at all. There is a time and a place for these things, whether on the field (real life) or off, (with video games) are not those times or places.
...and if anybody asks, this is a black man(not naive and young either) in America saying this.These people do not speak for all blacks in America.This offends me. Bow before no one but for God, and salute our flag for our fallen and living soldiers whom fought for this country.
There is a way to be sensitive to the situation without throwing in the dag on towel.

kennybolo20

Guy you really crying over Kap? A team can still pick Him up so technically he’s a free agent also I’m more bothered by his rating lol also no matter what sport or movie you watch I doubt you’ll agree with everyone’s political view so stop crying

tidaldust

I think he's been way overrated. First: overall ratings have dipped so his should have as well. Second: Football is very hard to get back into and especially as a QB you need to be accustomed to NFL speed. He hasn't set foot on a field in years, so it is very difficult to argue that he would be at or above his ability level when he left. Third: when he left, he got benched for Blaine Gabbert after extremely poor play. Putting him in the game above so many current NFL starters who were better than him then, have been playing for quite a while, and are better than him now is a stretch.

BSDShoes

big [Removed - CM] deal

giulianacide

They really believed that it would soften our hatred for adding Colin Kaepernick??????!!!!!

Coverfelt10

I was not aware that EA was going to use my kids game to promote some political or social ideology! Last I checked it was called the NATIONAL football league and not the promote the social agenda of your choice league! If you want to bring a QB and promote his beliefs, and prove to me that you are all about promoting equality; then bring back Tebow so at least when my character is forced to kneel in your game I can tell myself I am praying for the America to wake up and start thinking for themselves, or allow my character to celebrate by saluting the flag. That would allow players to choose which celebration they want to use, and not pigeon hole them into one side of a conversation. I read your Inclusive and Diversity section on your site. By only showing or promoting one side of any issue violates the Inclusiveness part of your stance. Don't even get me started on the glitches in the game!

lagnaf73

To those of you who are whining about Kap being in the game ... Either don't use the player or stop playing the game altogether.

HawksNest87

So, here is my issue with this. First and foremost, he should've never been removed from the game in the first place. Ever since he turned down his contract with the 49ers and subsequently the Broncos, the man has been a free agent. He should've been in the free agent pool in every Madden.

Secondly, this is 100% pure publicity stunt and a desperate one at that. Madden 21 has had the worst release in the history of the game. It was full of bugs and it resulted in not one but two hashtags trending world wide. I won't mention them here, we all know what they are. So what does EA Sports do to try and combat the hashtags and the universal awful ratings and reviews? Do they try and fix the game?.. Of course not! They start handing out the game for free.. 1000s of copies for free. Remember when 2K SOLD their NFL 2K5 game for $19.99 and the NFL got extremely angry at them for doing so? (if only they didn't, we might not be in the mess that we're in right now in the football gaming world, but I digress...) Well I can imagine how angry the NFL got at EA for quite literally giving this game away (which is my hypothesis).

So now, EA Sports is still in a bad shape, so what do they do now? They bring back Colin Kaepernick, since EA is really good at trying to make lemonade out of lemons, but let's face it, they never are able to add any sugar to make it taste good. So here we are, with C.K. back in the game after being taken out, and we're supposed to be happy?! Add in the fact along with a free weekend of gaming (which also had its faults).

Instead of trying to fix the game, they just keep putting band aides on things and this one is one of those fancy band aides with cartoon characters on them, to make it look cooler. Because let's face it, EA is in desperation mode. EA had ZERO plans initially to put Colin Kaepernick in this game. If they did, this is one of those 'back of the box' features which they would've been advertised months in advance to try and boost initial sales of the game.

This is yet another pathetic attempt at EA to just give themselves some better numbers and better ratings, and they're quite literally using another human being in order to try and accomplish this endeavor.

Shame on you, EA.

EA_Blueberry

@rweiss13

The message "End Racism" on the back of helmets mirrors what was seen on helmets of NFL players in last night's game. It is one of the many messages players have chosen to represent on their equipment.

amellis25_15

Kap sucks all NFL teams know this and refuse to sign him. You just made sure me and millions of others refuse to buy the game ever again. Not because he is black but because he is a racist bigot who got rich by saying he hates America. He loves America but realized becoming the face of a movement would make him more money than his seriously flawed QB skills.