Madden NFL 21 is slated to hit consoles later this year — current-generation consoles will get the latest in EA Sports’s football series on August 28, while next-generation consoles will have the game as an option sometime after they launch. Those who want the game now can get its mobile version, and when the app is opened, they’ll get a glimpse into the newest game mode in this year’s edition of the game.
EA Sports announced The Yard on Wednesday morning via a trailer. In it, gamers get to play a backyard football-style game, one (called The Yard: Underground) that is 5-on-5 on the mobile version of Madden and 6-on-6 when it hits for consoles.
“We wanted to create a new way for players to express themselves and take on small-sided football in an arcade-style experience that’s completely new to Madden,” Seann Graddy, the Executive Producer of Madden NFL 21, said in a statement. “The Yard is fast, thrilling and most importantly fun. Players will delve into all new gameplay on mobile and on consoles that will bring to life the backyard football that NFL players and fans grew up loving, where the rules are relaxed, and you can win with attitude.”
The Yard will include solo, online co-op against the computer, and online head-to-head multiplayer games with teams of 1-3 players. The concept seems awfully similar to another former EA Sports NFL release, NFL Street, in that it embraces the silliness of backyard football with things like trick plays, while also giving players the ability to customize the character they control in the game mode.