Madden NFL 19

Madden NFL 19 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed and published by EA Sports. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is the cover athlete of the standard edition of the game, while Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens is on the cover of the "Hall of Fame" version, featured in a Dallas Cowboys uniform. The 30th installment in the long-running Madden NFL series, the game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on August 10, 2018. It received generally favorable reception from critics, with praise directed towards the updated running and catching mechanics.

Development
In May 2018, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Terrell Owens was announced to be on the cover of the "Hall of Fame" edition of the game. Owens is featured in a Dallas Cowboys uniform, a move which was questioned by some as Owens was drafted by and played eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, compared to just three with the Cowboys. The game's standard edition cover features Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. The soundtrack for the game will feature over 30 tracks, including artists such as Migos, Pusha T, Post Malone, Young Thug, Innanet James, Lil Uzi, Lil Baby, T.I., Fat Joe, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Flatbush Zombies, 2 Chainz, and Lil Yachty, among an original score by John Debney. EA also announced they would add several more tracks to the game over the course of the 2018 NFL season.

Gameplay
Madden NFL 19 features "real player motions," allowing players to push blockers to gain more yards while running and make realistic cuts up-field after the catch, as well as take part in interactive touchdown celebrations for the first time since Madden NFL 09 including team celebrations, which were made legal by the NFL for the 2017 season. There were also changes to the Ultimate Team mode, introducing three vs three online matchups as well as a "Solo Battles" game mode, a leaderboard-driven reward system that measures players' performances in daily single-player challenges. The game will also feature a sequel to Longshot, Madden NFL 18's single-player story-driven mode, with more focus on football gameplay and NFL-related events.

Release
The game was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows on August 10, 2018, with the Windows release being the first for the series since Madden NFL 08 in 2007. A "Hall of Fame Edition" was released on August 7 for subscribers of the EA Access program.

Reception
Madden NFL 19 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

In a review for IGN, Dustin Toms wrote: "Madden 19 has finally cracked that slightly repetitive feel that can make it tough to go on, game after game. With Real Player Motion delivering a fluid on-the-field experience, and Franchise mode customization offering another level of realism, Madden is in a great place." Bradley Russell of GamesRadar+ praised the updated catching and running mechanics as well as the Longshot: Homecoming mode, calling the game a "stunning return to form" for the series, and one of the "finest" in years.

Controversy
Prior to its release, the game was criticized for censoring quarterback Colin Kaepernick's name from the song "Big Bank", which appears on the soundtrack. The verse came from Big Sean, who called the action "disappointing and appalling". EA responded to the criticism by saying that it was a mistake by members of their team who misunderstood the fact that just because they did not have rights to include Kaepernick's likeness in the game as a player because he is no longer in the NFL Players Association, however it does not apply to him being mentioned elsewhere. Before the game was released, EA released an update to restore his name in the song.

Tournament shooting

 * Main article: Jacksonville Landing shooting

During a livestreamed tournament event for the game on August 26, 2018, a shooting occurred at the Jacksonville Landing in Jacksonville, Florida. It resulted in numerous injuries and two deaths, as well as the suicide of the shooter, who had participated in the tournament but had lost earlier in the day.