Update #2 []:
For those who are struggling to get this to work, EA says they're looking into it:
Update #1 []: The trial for Madden 26 is now live! If you're struggling to find it, go to the Standard Edition for Madden NFL 26, scroll down to "in this bundle" and press "A" on the EA Sports Madden NFL 26 tab. In there, you should see the "Free Trial with EA Play" button - as shown in the image lower down this article.
Original Story: In addition to all the new Xbox Game Pass releases this week, we've also got a 10-hour free trial for Madden NFL 26 as part of EA Play - which itself is included as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers.
The official release date for the Madden NFL 26 free trial is Thursday, August 7th. Early access for Madden NFL 26 begins on the 7th at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST, and this appears to be when the free trial will go live as well.
Here's a quick look at how to download the free Madden NFL 26 trial (when early access begins):
- Search for "EA Sports Madden NFL 26" on the Xbox Store
- Look for a button that says "Free trial with EA Play" or something along those lines
- Download the trial, and then you should be able to start playing!
If you're reading this before early access has begun, you can pre-install Madden NFL 26 by using the Xbox app for Android and iOS. Link your console, search for the game on the app (specifically "EA Sports Madden NFL 26", not the Standard or Deluxe Edition), and then hit the "Install To" button.
In terms of the game itself, Madden NFL 26's big new feature is an AI-powered machine learning system that aims to "convert thousands of plays from nearly a decade of real NFL data into more explosive gameplay", resulting in more authentic play-styles, adaptive counters, improved player movement and various other upgrades. Presentation has received a major focus this year as well, featuring the likes of team-specific field art, mascots, sounds, and motion graphics. You'll find lots of deep dives about this year's changes on the official Madden NFL 26 website.
If you end up really liking the Madden NFL 26 trial, the standard edition release is set for next Thursday, August 14th, while the aforementioned Deluxe Edition launches later today. There's also a special MVP Bundle that grants access to the Deluxe Editions for both College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26 if you're interested.