Madden NFL 21 Is Free Later This Week As Part Of Virtual Pro Bowl Festivities

Due to COVID-19, there will be no in-person Pro Bowl the week before the Super Bowl as usual, but the event is living on through the Pro Bowl: Madden NFL 21 Edition, and now EA has shared more details about it. This includes a celebrity competition and a free play period for everyone.

The event itself, which is sponsored by Verizon, takes place on Sunday, January 31 at 5 PM ET on the NFL's YouTube, Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as EA Madden NFL Twitch.

In this special version of the Pro Bowl, celebrities and athletes will duke it out. Participants include Snoop Dogg, Deshaun Watson, Derrick Henry, and Keyshawn Johnson competing for the AFC, with Bubba Wallace, Marshawn Lynch, Kyler Murray, and Jamal Adams representing the NFC.

Everyone will play Madden 21 from their homes, and each team will rotate in a new player from the celebrity/player roster each quarter. The commentators for the game include Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Fox Sports host Charissa Thompson.

Ninja, FaZe Swagg, AustinShow, and AMP will broadcast their own "watch parties" alongside the event itself, which will be re-broadcast at 8 PM EST and 12:30 AM EST on NFL Network.

"We're further blurring the lines between reality and the virtual worlds of our games, creating new opportunities to connect fans through the sport they love," EA boss David Tinson said.

NFL executive Peter O'Reilly said in his own statement, "Bringing our all-star game to a virtual stage in Madden has allowed fans to engage and enjoy the Pro Bowl, despite the unprecedented challenges of the last year. We're excited for fans to celebrate the best players in the NFL all on one field this weekend."

Snoop Dogg also released a statement on the upcoming virtual Pro Bowl: "I'm a Madden NFL star. So Kyler and Marshawn better watch out--my team is comin' in to win that championship title for the AFC."

To celebrate the event, EA is offering a free play trial of Madden NFL 21 from January 28-31. January 28 is the day that Madden 21 launches on the Google Stadia streaming service, and the free trial will be available there in addition to on console.

Super Bowl LV is scheduled for Sunday, February 7. The Kansas City Chiefs will take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the title.