Next-gen footage of FIFA 21 and Madden 21 debuted at EA Play Live

(Image credit: EA)

FIFA 21 and Madden 21's next-gen versions were shown off during EA Play Live. 

The operatic trailer gave us another look at Madden 21's next-gen debut, after a brief snippet was shown during last month's Inside Xbox event, while this was the first time we've seen any footage of FIFA 21.

While there wasn't too much to go on from the trailer, what we did see looked undeniably impressive. For FIFA 21, one shot showed an ultra-realistic Kylian Mbappé drenched in rain and sweet as he prepared to take a penalty, while another showed crowds waving scarves and cheering in full voice at stadiums such as Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion and Liverpool FC's Anfield. 

During the Madden 21 segments, we got to see plenty of snippets of in-game action, as well as Tom Brady in his new Tampa Bay Buccaneers kit. This followed this week's official Madden 21 reveal trailer, which showcases the game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, as well as revealing this year's cover star in Lamar Jackson. 

Laura Miele, Chief Studios Officer at EA said about the next-gen sports titles: “Historically console transitions have been punctuated by increased graphic fidelity, which will certainly be the case this time as well, but this time the games will actually feel different. And, nothing will bring that immersive and visceral experience to life like EA SPORTS. "Our developers and creators have been hard at work on this new technology for the past few years so we are thrilled to finally be able to share it with our players.”

As we already know for Madden, anyone who buys the game on Xbox Series X or PS5 will be able to upgrade from an Xbox One or PS4 copy for free until Madden 22 is released. This offer is now also coming to FIFA 21, it was confirmed during the stream. For more information, head to EA Sports next-gen website

Ben Tyrer

Hello, I'm GamesRadar's News Editor. I've been working in the games industry since 2013, after graduating from Bournemouth University with a degree in multimedia journalism. Since then I've worked for Official PlayStation Magazine as a staff writer and games editor, as well as writing for Official Xbox Magazine, Edge, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, PC Games N, and more. When I'm not moaning about being beaten on FIFA and Warzone, I'm writing news, features, and reviews for this wonderful site.