Does Madden 24 Have an Established Esports Scene like NBA 2k?
The esports industry has exploded over the past few years. There are now scenes all over the world, including in the US, Europe and Asia, and competitions have attracted major brand sponsorship deals.
Madden is an American football video game franchise developed by EA. It’s extremely popular among gamers and sports fans, and each year’s new edition is met with much excitement and fanfare. Does the newest instalment of Madden have an esports following that is comparable to NBA 2K? Find out below.
Madden 24
The newest instalment of the Madden franchise, Madden 24, hit the shelves on the 18th of August. As with EA’s other sports franchises, each new edition doesn’t come with huge changes. Instead, small updates are made to every instalment, creating a gradual sense of progression and evolution that makes the transition smoother for players.
The biggest update in Madden 24 is the use of a new technology called FieldSENSE. This has significantly improved the game’s physics, making them more realistic, responsive and immersive.
Madden 24 also introduced a new multiplayer mode called Superstar Showdown. This new mode allows players to play against friends or online in small 3v3 games.
How Popular is Madden in the Esports Scene?
Generally speaking, the most popular esports games are combat titles. Games like Counter-Strike, Dota 2 and League of Legends regularly top the lists of the most viewed games and have dedicated tournaments with huge prize pools.
However, the esports industry is growing rapidly, with more and more games gaining popularity as esports titles. Esports betting is becoming more popular too, and it’s through this that we’re seeing an increasing crossover with the world of sport.
The most popular sports-based esports game is EA’s FIFA franchise, which was recently renamed EAFC. As soccer is the world’s most popular sport, this is hardly surprising, but the flagship soccer game is facing competition that could threaten its esports dominance.
Madden, even the latest Madden 24, is popular among esports players but hasn’t yet built a following like that of EAFC or other sports games.
What About NBA 2K?
NBA 2K is a basketball video game developed by 2K Games. Other than EAFC, NBA 2K is the most popular sports-based esports game.
In 2017, the NBA itself decided to help the game and further establish it as a major esports title. It set up the official NBA 2K league, giving weight and legitimacy to the industry and committing itself to the future of esports as a viable source of revenue and fan engagement.
How Does Madden Compare?
The NBA’s endorsement of esports has worked wonders, with NBA 2K enjoying incredible success as an esports game.
Does Madden have a similar scene and community? A few years ago, the answer was no, but the NFL recently responded by establishing a dedicated Madden league, in partnership with EA, to rival the NBA esports league.
The Madden NFL Club Championship is an annual tournament with big cash prizes. Unlike the NBA league, the NFL uses their esports league as an opportunity to educate. The initiative is used to teach people about the transferrable skills they can develop by playing video games like Madden.
Conclusion
It’s clear to see that both EA and the NFL are eager to push Madden on and rival the dominance of EAFC and NBA 2K. They will be hoping that the new features and multiplayer modes in Madden 24 will help them do just that, but they’ve still got a long way to go if they want to establish a scene and community that can rival some of the most popular sports-based esports games.