EA has announced that Madden 26 early access will begin on August 7, giving fans a full week to jump into the game before the official launch. If you want to get a leg up on your friends and foes, this early access period might be worth the extra cash.
Early access isn’t available for the Standard Edition. Only those who buy the Deluxe Edition or the MVP Bundle, which also includes College Football 26, will get to play Madden 26 up to 168 hours ahead of everyone else. So if you’re wants to to strap on your pads and hit the gridiron early, you’ll need to upgrade your purchase.
Here’s a quick rundown on how to grab early access:
- Head over to the Madden 26 official site.
- Look for the ‘Pre-Order Now’ button in the top-right corner.
- Click it and select your platform.
- Log into the storefront for that platform.
- Buy either the Deluxe Edition or MVP Bundle.
- Download the game once preload goes live.
- Start playing early access on August 7.
Wondering exactly when early access unlocks in your region? Here’s a handy table showing the start times:
| Time Zone | Early Access Start |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 09:00 AM—Aug 7 |
| Central Time (CT) | 11:00 AM—Aug 7 |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 12:00 PM—Aug 7 |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 5:00 PM—Aug 8 |
| Australian Eastern Time (AET) | 2:00 AM—Aug 8 |
Paying more for early access might not sit well with everyone, but it does mean you’ll have a head start on building your Ultimate Team and mastering the new features. Are you gonna take the plunge and get those extra seven days? I’m curious what you think about this approach.
