How to Play Madden NFL 17 Five Days Early

Madden NFL 17 launches on August 23, but you don't have to wait that long to play the newest installment in the long-running professional football series.

As with other EA games, Madden NFL 17 will be released early on Xbox One. EA Access subscribers can start playing on August 18 and have access to the full game for a "limited time." The exact length of the early play period was not specified in the Xbox Wire announcement post today, but if history is any indication, it should be between 6 and 10 hours.

Everyone who installs Madden NFL 17 through EA Access in the August 18-August 22 window, signs up for MUT Rewards, and plays Draft Champions will be automatically entered into a contest to win a pair of tickets to Super Bowl 51. You can see the full contest rules and regulations at this sweepstakes page.

All of your Madden NFL 17 stats and save progress from the early play window will carry forward to the full game, should you decide to buy it. Additionally, EA Access members will save 10 percent on the full game, bringing the price down to $54 instead of $60.

In other news about Madden NFL 17, retailer Best Buy is currently running a nice trade-in deal where you can get a new copy of the game for only $35 on launch day.