Madden NFL 21 Will Have Player Stats Updated In Real-Time On PS5 And Xbox Series X

EA's Chief Studios boss Laura Miele has shared some new insight on the company's first next-generation games, one of which is EA Sports' Madden NFL 21. Miele said the game will not only look better and load faster thanks to the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but it will also contain some under-the-hood improvements to make the game more authentic to the NFL experience.

She told GI.biz that Madden NFL 21 will make use of "next-gen stats" that will seemingly include updated player stats in real time. Here's how she described the feature: "In Madden we will be using the NFL's next gen stats so every athlete in the game will play how they do in real life, with the data being updated in real-time."

Player ratings are a huge part of the Madden series--it's always a big deal each year when the ratings are revealed and players react to them. Changes are made regularly in previous games, based on real-world performance, but it sounds like Madden NFL 21 will take things even further by updating them in "real time."

It's not exactly clear how this will work, or if this feature will be available on the PS4 and Xbox One editions of the game, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

This new feature is based on the assumption that the upcoming NFL season will indeed go forward. Play is currently scheduled to begin normally in August with the pre-season before the season in proper begins in September.

Miele also shared that Madden NFL 21 will feature new crowd mechanics so people look and act more believably. "Fans in the stadium will be unique people responding to the action on the field," she said.

The NFL has yet to announce if fans will be allowed into stadiums for games this year, if they do go forward.

Additionally, Miele revealed that Madden NFL 21 will use "deferred rendering" to make light act and react more realistically. There will also be "dynamic weather systems" that can affect how athletes look and perform on the field. "Games are going to feel different, better, and more visceral," Miele said.

Also in the interview, Miele said the Madden NFL 21 commentators recorded their lines from home "with no quality drop." A major part of the the Madden games in recent years has been how the commentary is updated regularly based on what happens in the real NFL. It remains to be seen if this feature will come forward to Madden NFL 21, and whether or not the real NFL season goes forward is probably tied into that decision.

Madden NFL 21 launches on August 25 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, before coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X later in the year. The PC edition will be sold on Steam for the first time in franchise history.