REDWOOD CITY, Calif. The next iteration of the Madden NFL game franchise will allow players to stand, sit, or kneel during the National Anthem before they take the field, sources confirmed today.
National Anthem story mode is the latest addition to Electronic Arts upcoming Madden NFL 19 franchise, following the success of Madden 18s Longshot mode, which allowed gamers to play the story of an NFL prospect on his road to the draft or a terrible career and failing marriage.
Developers confirmed that before kickoff in Madden 19, gamers in franchise mode can tell their players whether they should sit, stand, or kneel during the anthem. Franchise owners can also decide whether to be even more patriotic by accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Pentagon for tributes to soldiers deployed to wherever they are fighting now.
Maddens updated franchise mode also features a live feed of Twitter activity from President Trump, which awards points to owners for doing whatever he tells them to do.
National Anthem mode gets even more realistic when gamers take the field as their favorite quarterback or wide receiver, sources said.
Thats because when the national anthem plays, gamers can choose to have their player react in myriad ways beyond just standing or kneeling, to include raising a fist, taking off all their clothes, or to drink a tall, overpriced Budweiser out of a red cup like fans in the stadium.
Developers are still waiting to see what the NFL does in regards to so-called anthem protests, since changes may have to be incorporated into the game. For example, a recent letter from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was considering changing all team uniforms to American flag colors, in addition to requiring all players to recite the Pledge of Allegiance before leaving the locker room.