Hey friend! If you‘re a Madden fan wondering how long you can play Madden NFL 22 early with an EA Play membership, I‘ve got you covered.
The Madden 22 free trial available on EA Play is 10 hours of game time. This gives you a solid chunk of time to experience the new entry in the series before launch day.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about the Madden trial: how it works, what‘s included, when it ends, tips to maximize your time, and whether it‘s worth playing. Let‘s dive in!
What Exactly is EA Play?
For those who aren‘t familiar, EA Play is a video game subscription service from Electronic Arts that grants members special perks and early access for $4.99 a month. It‘s available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
The key benefits include:
- The Vault: A library of over 100 free EA games to download like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Need for Speed Heat
- Exclusive challenges and monthly rewards in games like Madden Ultimate Team
- Full early trials for new releases like Madden 22
- Discounts on EA digital purchases of 10%
There‘s also a higher tier called EA Play Pro at $14.99 a month that additionally provides unlimited early access to brand new games before launch.
So in summary, EA Play acts like Netflix for EA titles. It‘s a great way to play and save money if you enjoy their games.
What Can You Experience in the 10-Hour Madden 22 EA Play Trial?
When you join EA Play and download the Madden 22 free trial, you get access to the full game for up to 10 hours. Here‘s everything you can experience before buying the game:
- All Play Now, Franchise, and Ultimate Team modes
- Exhibition games with any of the 32 NFL teams
- New Skill Stick ball-carrier moves with precision jukes, hurdles, and shifts
- Gameday Momentum featuring dynamic home field advantages
- Online head-to-head matches across platforms and console generations
- Time-limited challenges in MUT to earn rewards before launch
- Customizable gameplay settings like game speed and difficulty
Basically you can try every part of Madden 22 during the 10-hour trial period. All of your progress and unlocks will carry over if you choose to purchase the full version too.
It‘s a remarkably generous trial that really lets you kick the tires before buying!
When Can You Start the Madden 22 EA Play Trial?
EA Play members can begin the 10-hour trial starting August 12th, which is 8 full days before the official Madden NFL 22 launch on August 20th.
So over a week before everyone else, you can get hands-on with the new entry a decent amount. Just make sure to budget your time wisely, as 10 hours flies by quicker than you‘d think!
In comparison, pre-ordering the special Dynasty or MVP editions only grants 3 days early access starting August 17th. So the EA Play trial gives you the most time with Madden 22 pre-launch.
Does the Trial Timer Run in Menus?
Now this is important – the 10 hour limit counts down ANY time the game is launched and running. Even if you‘re sitting idle at menus and settings, the timer keeps ticking away precious time.
Stay focused when booting up Madden 22 and be ready to play. Don‘t let the minutes vanish while you‘re tweaking settings or reading menus. Hop into a game ASAP to maximize playtime!
When Does Access to the Trial End?
There are two end conditions that will cut off your early access:
You reach 10 total hours of playtime. EA will give you a warning when only 1 hour remains.
August 20th arrives. Once Madden NFL 22 officially launches, the EA Play trial expires regardless of how much time you have left.
So the window to take advantage spans August 12th to August 19th. After the 20th, you‘ll need to purchase the full game to continue playing.
It‘s a good idea to track your remaining trial time in the settings so you know when it‘s ending. Plan to buy Madden 22 on the 19th if you want to continue where you left off.
What Happens to Your Progress After the Trial?
The good news is that ANY progress, unlocks, roster edits, settings changes, MUT collections, etc. all carry over to the main game if you choose to buy Madden 22 after the trial ends!
Everything is saved server-side, so you can pick up right where you left off. All that practice and grinding wasn‘t wasted.
Just be sure to purchase Madden 22 on the same EA/Origin account you used for the trial for this to work properly. Your stats do not transfer across accounts.
Tips to Get the Most Out of the 10-Hour Trial
To really maximize your early access time with Madden 22, keep these tips in mind:
Do some skills training to learn the new moves – they take practice to master!
Play on a lower difficulty to quickly taste success with different teams and plays.
Shorten quarter lengths to 5 minutes to squeeze in more games before the timer expires.
Enable chew clock to speed up breaks between plays. More game time!
Focus on one main mode like Franchise or MUT so you have something to come back to.
Change gameplay camera angles to find your favorite views of the action.
Don‘t forget to have fun! It‘s a free trial, so enjoyment is the priority.
With the right strategy, you can get a satisfying preview of Madden NFL 22 before buying. The trial lets you properly demo the game.
Can You Replay the Trial on the Same Account?
Unfortunately, the EA Play trial can only be played once per account. Even if you unsubscribe and resubscribe, you won‘t be able to access the Madden 22 trial again on that same EA/Origin ID.
However, starting a separate account on your console and joining EA Play again would let you play another trial. Just know that your progress wouldn‘t carry back over to your main account.
So savor your 10 hours wisely the first time! But it‘s not the end of the world if you do need a reset.
When Will Madden 22 Join EA Play for Free?
While the full Madden 22 game isn‘t free via EA Play after the trial ends, it will be added to The Play List (EA Play‘s games vault) later in 2022.
Historically, Madden titles join The Play List around 6-12 months after launch once the next annual entry is close. So based on past timing, Madden NFL 22 will likely become free in EA Play around Summer 2023.
At that point, members can play the full Madden 22 experience at no extra cost as part of their $4.99 monthly subscription. It just won‘t be immediately free after the trial.
But once Madden 23 releases, expect 22 to join The Play List so subscribers always have access to the previous year‘s game. I‘ll update this guide when we have confirmed timing!
How Does the EA Play Trial Compare to Just Pre-Ordering?
You may be wondering how the EA Play trial stacks up against just pre-purchasing one of the special editions of Madden 22 that grant early access:
- EA Play: 10 hours starting August 12th
- Pre-order Dynasty Edition: 3 days early on August 17th
- Pre-order MVP Edition: 3 days early on August 17th
As you can see, the EA Play route gives you the most opportunity to play Madden 22 early. You get nearly a full week more than just pre-ordering, plus a 10-hour window is generous.
However pre-ordering does let you play as much as you want in those 3 early days without limits. So if you‘ll be grinding hardcore at launch anyway, maybe directly buying is better so you don‘t face trial time restrictions.
But for most players, the EA Play trial is the superior way to play Madden 22 early without fully committing to buying right away.
Does the Trial Include Any Unique Content?
Yep, EA has added some exclusive content and challenges only available to EA Play members during the trial period:
- MUT Welcome Pack – Free pack of player items and currency for Ultimate Team
- Exclusive Solo Challenges – Timed solo events with special rewards
- Monthly MUT Rewards – Bonus items and packs each month
- Special EA Play Uniforms – Unique uniforms and coach outfits
These limited-time challenges and unlocks give you something neat to work towards that regular players won‘t get. It makes grinding the trial rewarding beyond just testing the gameplay.
How Does the Trial Work on Xbox Game Pass?
If you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you actually get EA Play included at no extra cost. This grants you full access to the Madden 22 10-hour trial too.
So Xbox players with Game Pass Ultimate can enjoy the Madden trial starting August 12th without paying anything beyond their existing membership. A fantastic free bonus!
PlayStation and PC players will need a standalone EA Play subscription to play the trial since it‘s not bundled with their services.
Is the Madden 22 EA Play Trial Worth Playing?
For die-hard Madden fans like yourself that look forward to the new game every year, I think the EA Play trial is definitely worth checking out to get hands-on early.
Here are some of the biggest benefits:
- Try new features like homefield advantage and skill stick moves
- Test if any legacy issues like franchise mode remain
- Make sure the game runs well on your console
- Build up your Ultimate Team ahead of launch
- Experience the new presentation and commentary
- Help decide which edition you want to buy
And the best part? All your progress carries over to the full game.
With 10 full hours to spend with Madden NFL 22 before launch day, you can get a major head start by joining EA Play. While 10 hours goes quick, they are 10 quality hours spent with the new gridiron gameplay.
The trial really lets you properly demo the game to see if it clicks with you this year. Don‘t just blindly pre-order – take it for a test drive first! Then enjoy those bonuses like exclusive challenges and welcome packs.
For the impatient football fan, it‘s a glorious week-and-a-half of early access bliss. I‘d absolutely recommend trying out the trial if you‘re on the fence about Madden 22. Or fire it up to build skills before competing online.
Either way, enjoy the early look at what could be a Madden revival thanks to the EA Play free trial! Now get out there and start virtually passing, running, and tackling to your heart‘s content a week before the crowds. Let me know what you think of Madden NFL 22!
