The Madden Championship Series news has been the most anticipated Madden information of the Summer, and it’s finally here check out what Commissioner Matt Marcou announced today.
This season, Ea is aiming to take the MCS to the next level. They have taken the best of last season and added some new elements. Here are some of the key adjustments made for the 2018 MCS.
Larger Prize Pool, More Live Events, and More Broadcast Hours
There’s even more prize money at stake in 2018. Ea is proud to announce that the new prize pool will be $1.153 million. The number of spots available to players has also increased from 152 to 192.
There will also be significantly more hours of MCS broadcasting, which means the competitors who do make the big show will have more opportunities than ever to say “Hi, I’m on TV.” And those who love watching competitive Madden will even more chances to catch great action on TV.
More Countries, Bigger Age Range
For the 2017 MCS, the minimum age for competitors was 18. Ea is also happy to announce that players as young as 16 years old can compete in the 2018 MCS as long as a legal guardian can attend with them.
Not only has the eligible age been expanded, but Madden players from Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Germany are now eligible. There’s more money on the line, but the talent pool also just got a lot bigger.
Challenger Events
For the 2017 MCS, EA events focused on game modes like Draft Champions and Madden Ultimate Team. While those modes are still heavily featured, EA didn’t want to exclude the Head-to-Head players who like to compete with real NFL team rosters. If you’re used to selecting the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots and competing online, they want you to feel part of the competitive community as well.
Additionally, EA has realized that while traveling to live and local events is extremely fun, there is a financial cost. EA have tweaked the system to offer greater incentives for those who travel to Challenger Events while eliminating the need to travel. Challenger Events are an alternate path to qualify for the 2018 EA Majors, but offers fast advancement into deeper stages of the EA Majors that aren’t available through the online ranked ladders.
Online Leaderboard Adjustment
Last season, players put in work on the online leaderboards. There were millions of games in total played with the average finalist in the MCS playing hundreds, even thousands of games. This season, Ea has made some tweaks to the leaderboard requiring less of a time commitment. Winning is more important than the quantity of games played. Make sure to check out brand new modes like MUT Champions.
NFL Club Championship
The NFL Club Championship (formerly the NFL Club Series) has been promoted to an EA Major and now has all 32 NFL clubs involved. Players will qualify first through online competition with high-performers advancing to tournaments at select NFL stadiums, popular cultural landmarks, and other spots.
Once the final 32 players are identified, one per NFL team, they will compete in the 2018 Madden NFL Club Championship Live Finals, a tournament occurring first at the Pro Bowl Experience in Orlando, FL, and culminating at the Super Bowl Experience Driven by GMC in Minneapolis, MN.
These aren’t the only changes to the Madden NFL Championship Series in 2018, but these are some of the favorites.EA didn’t even have time to cover MUT Draft or Weekend League! Don’t worry, there are more announcements to come according to Marcou.
– Matt Marcou, Madden Competitive Gaming Commissioner