It’s crazy how quickly the time has passed, but believe it or not, we are only just over a week away from the release of Madden 26. In the lead-up, the hype for the latest entry into EA’s long-running football sim has reached a fever pitch as the publisher has promised a ton of new changes.
As is customary with modern sports titles, an Early Access period will be granted to many players who pre-ordered a special edition of the game. This is obviously a big incentive for some players to pay a bit more pre-launch in order to either get their hands on the game before their friends do, or get a head-start when it comes to assembling their Ultimate Team squad.
But when does Early Access start for Madden 26? And is there any way to get it even earlier than it says you should?
Madden 26 Early Access Release Date
The official Early Access release date for Madden 26 will be on August 7, 2025, a full week prior to the game’s wide release date on August 14. This 7-day Early Access period is exclusive to those who pre-ordered either the Deluxe or MVP editions of the game, the latter of which also contains a copy of College Football 26.
If you’re subscribed to EA Play — the publisher’s subscription service — you will also get a 10-hour trial of Madden 26 so you can try it without paying full sticker price. Currently, a monthly subscription for EA Play costs $5.99. It is also included as part of Xbox Game Pass, so if you have that, you also have EA Play. Like Early Access, the window for the 10-hour trial period begins on August 7.
Can You Play Madden 26 Earlier Using The New Zealand Trick?
Even if August 7 is only a few days away, there will be some who do not want to wait anymore for the release of Madden 26. Naturally, they will wonder whether or not the “New Zealand trick” will be applicable for the game.
For those of you who are not in the know, the “New Zealand trick” is a term used for changing your console’s region to the New Zealand time zone, which is typically 16 hours ahead of the American East Coast. This means that by simply changing your console’s region, you can enjoy a game almost a day earlier than normal.
As far as I can tell, Madden 26‘s full release universally on August 14 will be at noon EST. This means that it won’t be released at various times across different time zones. Assuming Early Access is following the same modus operandi, you’ll unfortunately have to wait until August 7 proper to enjoy Madden 26 in Early Access.
