Madden NFL 23: Is Madden 23 on Game Pass?

Madden NFL 23 is available now for certain players, but its official launch isn't until August 19. When it does touch down, it'll be a massively important release for the sports gaming community. More players, more options, and even better-looking graphics are coming with the newest game, and it's going to be a major step forward in the series, even for longtime National Football League fans and Madden followers. There's plenty to be excited about.

Madden 23 is the latest entry in the long-running football video game series. It's an annual release with souped-up extras each year and plenty of content to wade through for sports fans. This year's installment includes a slew of changes, including changes to the physics engine, FieldSENSE, as well as improved animations, models and more. Fans who have played the games year after year will be thrilled to see new Franchise mode offerings as well, all the way down to new Player Tags, Player Motivation and more when it comes to signing new players.

Some players are already experiencing what the new game has to offer. If you pre-ordered the All-Madden Edition or have an EA Play subscription, you can jump in and play football right now. For anyone hesitant to pre-order or pay more to access the game early, there's always the potential that Madden 23 could be available to play at no additional cost via subscription service like Xbox Game Pass. This begs the questions: Will Madden 23 be on Xbox Game Pass? Will Madden 23 be available on Game Pass in the future?

If you're wondering whether you should invest in an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play Madden 23, we've got all the answers you're looking for here.

Is Madden NFL 23 on Xbox Game Pass?

No, Madden 23 is not available on Xbox Game Pass. If you want to play the full game, you must purchase it. It will launch as a full-price game for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. It will not be available on any subscription services at launch, including PlayStation Plus and EA Play. Despite there being a free 10-hour trial available for EA Play subscribers, Madden 23 will not be made available as a free game there.

If you were previously under the impression that Madden NFL 23 would be coming to Xbox Game Pass, it's easy to understand why. In the past, Xbox.com featured a special ad that previewed Madden NFL 23 being included with Xbox Game Pass. This appeared to be a mistake, EA confirmed, as the game will not actually be available on the service.

However, that does not mean you'll never see Madden 23 on Game Pass in the future. It's very possible that the game will make its way to the service in the future, as part of EA Play. Madden NFL 22, the previous year's Madden installment, eventually came to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by way of the EA Play Vault following the Super Bowl on February 17. It's likely we'll see the same timing with Madden NFL 23. That may be a ways off, but since the game is very new, it will need some time to sizzle and rake in sales.

It's important to remember that most release date Xbox Game Pass candidates are first-party titles or from studios that Microsoft owns. The Madden franchise has never historically released on any subscription service the same day the game debuted. This could be different in the future, but there's currently no indication that plans will change.

For now, if you're planning on playing Madden 23, you'll have to pay full price.