Madden Director Leaves EA, Suggests Series May Go In A "New Direction" Without Him

Rex Dickson, the creative director of EA's massive Madden NFL sports franchise for the past six years, has left the company. In a statement posted on Twitter, Dickson said his decision to leave EA was made after "discussions with other leaders on the team." Intriguingly, he suggested the Madden franchise may go in something of a "new direction" in the future.

"We collectively agreed this was the best path forward for everyone involved," he said. "This is as much for me and my family as it is about giving the team, the community, and the Madden franchise a chance for a new direction." He added, "I am filled with hope when I think about the passion of those who will pick up the flag and fight on for the future of the Madden franchise." There is no word as of yet regarding who will replace Dickson as Madden's creative director.

Also in his statement, Dickson stressed that "there is no drama or deeper story" regarding why he's leaving EA. He has been with EA for 12 years; he worked on Medal of Honor before joining the Madden team. Dickson says he has "nothing but gratitude for all the opportunities [EA] created for me," adding that EA is "truly an incredibly company to work for."

There is no word yet as to what Dickson will do in his post-EA life. He says he's not doing any interviews and will not respond to Twitter questions about his departure. Whenever he decides to announce what's next, we'll report back with all the information.

"Working on the EA Sports Madden NFL franchise was a lifelong dream realized," Dickson said. "It has truly been an honor."

Dickson worked on Madden 13-18, along with the unannounced Madden 19, according to his statement on Twitter. He also worked on NCAA 14, which was the last entry in EA's NCAA Football series before the franchise was put on hiatus.

Dickson leaves EA after the successful launch of Madden NFL 18. The game was praised for, among other things, its new story mode called Longshot that featured Oscar winning actor Mahershala Ali.