LOS ANGELES — Electronic Arts announced Wednesday that the late John Madden will grace the cover of the next edition of the video game named after him.
Madden 23 will have three different editions, all featuring cover art with John Madden. Madden passed away in Dec. 2021 at the age of 85.
Madden is known as the legendary coach of the Oakland Raiders, where he won Super Bowl XI in 1977, and then his long, nearly 30-year career as a sportscaster commentating NFL games.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
The artwork designer of the video game, Chuck Styles, called it a full circle moment for the game and Madden.
“As someone who grew up loving football, playing in the suburbs of West Philly, it’s a full circle moment to now be able to contribute to the culture of the sport by honoring an icon like John Madden, who has influenced generations of football fans through his passion for football and unmistakable energy, through my art,” Styles said in a release.
The game was first released in 1988, called "John Madden Football." Madden was on the cover of the game from 1988 until the 2000 edition of the game, released in 1999. Since then, NFL athletes have graced the cover of "Madden" games year to year.
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Electronic Arts also announced where the $5 million John Madden Legacy Commitment to Education, announced earlier this year, will be distributed.
Electronic Arts will commit $2.5 million of the John Madden Legacy Commitment to Education to support programming over the next five years for the following four nonprofit organizations focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) education: College Track, Mission Bit, StreetCode Academy and Girls Who Code.
The remaining $2.5 million of the John Madden Legacy Commitment to Education will go towards the creation of the EA Madden Scholarship in partnership with the UNCF, (United Negro College Fund), which will support students at 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to graduate college prepared for the next step in their career.
Madden 23 will be released in August of this year.