EA has delayed the official unveiling of Madden NFL 21, following protests across the United States over the death of George Floyd.
The game's first trailer emerged last month, and was due to be revealed today ( June 1). That will no longer take place.
“We had committed to celebrating Madden NFL 21 with you, but we’re not going to do that now," said the publisher in a statement released on its official Twitter feed.
“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 needs all of us to stand together and commit to change.”
Floyd died on 25 May in Minneapolis after a police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The incident sparked 'Black Lives Matter' protests across America, with marches also taking place in London and Auckland.
It's trivial by comparison, but we'll update you on the status of Madden 21 as soon as we have further news. Lamar Jackson has already been leaked as its cover star, and confirmation of his appearance was expected to form part of the official reveal.
Last week EA and the NFL confirmed that they'd signed a deal to continue publishing sim games until 2025. 2K owns the rights to "non-simulation" NFL games.
