You Can Play Madden 17 Right Now on Xbox One If You Do This

Madden NFL 17 doesn't officially release until August 23, but if you own an Xbox One, you might be able to play it right now. The full game is playable now on Microsoft's system through EA Access. You need a subscription ($5/month or $30/year) to play, which gets you access to the full game ahead of launch.

Players have access to the game for a "limited time." The exact length of the early play period was not specified, but if history is any indication, it should be between 6 and 10 hours.

Madden NFL 17 is 24.84 GB on Xbox One. It appears there were some problems with the rollout, though GameSpot was able to start a download today with no issue.

You could also score a huge prize for playing. As announced previously, 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.

Madden NFL 17 is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is the game's cover star. The athlete, who is currently sidelined from practice with unspecified injury, says he doesn't believe in the so-called Madden Curse.