Madden NFL 19 doesn't officially release until August 10 (or August 7 if you buy the Hall of Fame edition), but a trial for the game is out now on EA and Origin Access. The game is picking up generally positive review scores, but as is the case pretty much every year, there have been some issues as well. A new patch is out now to fix some of these and other problems, including the Colin Kaepernick accidental censoring issue.

In addition to fixing that problem, the new update makes the game look better by updating a number of stadium exteriors and tweaking player likenesses and bodies. Additionally, the highly touted Real Player Motion feature gets improved with things like better pre-play QB signature looks, more authentic acceleration rates, and the ability for AI ball-carriers to use the new "one cut" running mechanic.

The pre-release patch also adds new commentary and makes some changes to Franchise mode as it relates to skill point progression. Additionally, the patch fixes a really bizarre bug where the camera would exit the entire stadium in some situations. You can see the full patch notes below, as posted by EA in the Madden forums.

For more on Madden 19, check out GameSpot's Review in Progress here. We're still testing the online modes, and we'll report back with a final score in the coming days.

Madden 19 Patch Notes

Key Highlights:

Authenticity: Updated various stadium exteriors, player likenesses/bodies, rosters and coaches

Real Player Motion: Improved Pre-Play QB Signatures, Players' Acceleration rates and AI-controlled ball carriers' usage of the One-Cut mechanic

Franchise: Tuned rookie generation to better match the base rosters & skill point progression for better league balance

Commentary: Added additional commentary for Franchise, MUT Solo Challenges, and more player specific content for the Legends and Rookies

Soundtrack: YG “Big Bank” track updated

Change Log:

General stability and quality improvements

Franchise Updates:

Tuned generated rookies to now have traits that are similar to base rosters

Tuned the frequency of high OVR rookies generated in the draft

Increased regression for some positions to maintain a more realistic league turnover rate

Increased XP cost of skill points for younger players, and reduced XP cost for higher OVR players

Tuned XP earned from training, awards, and goals to increase XP gain for rising stars

Reduced frequency of injuries

Reduced simulated game score results during the preseason for better realism

Tuned post game Snapshot logic to reduce shots of idle players and empty space

Visual Updates:

Resolved a bug where the camera POV would exit the stadium

Updated various stadium exteriors, player likenesses/bodies, rosters and coaches

Updated face likeness for the following players: San Francisco 49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo Buffalo Bills’ QB Josh Allen Arizona Cardinals’ QB Josh Rosen Baltimore Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson New York Jets’ QB Sam Darnold New York Giants’ RB Saquon Barkley Kansas City Chiefs’ WR Tyreek Hill Philadelphia Eagles’ K Jake Elliott New Orleans Saints’ LB Alex Anzalone Baltimore Ravens’ TE Hayden Hurst



Gameplay Updates:

Tuned Acceleration rate so players can hit their top speed faster

Fixed an issue to make QB Pre-Play audio when using hot routes to bluff on running plays

Fixed Pass Interference penalties not being called when a defender would use the cut stick mechanic vs. a receiver while running his route – this applies to all Game Styles and difficulty levels

Added ability to view Team TD Celebrations when playing online

Added coverage logic to better defend passes to the flats

Fixed an issue causing AI-controlled ball carriers to repeatedly use the one-cut mechanic during the same play

Fixed an issue to make the Audibles on the Fly interface update dynamically

Fixed an issue that was preventing users from loading into game with their selected playbook when not using an active profile

Fixed cases of players giving up on the play after a failed attempt at a fumble recovery

Fixed fumbled tosses on the following plays: I Form Pro FB Fake HB Flip, Gun Trips TE Speed Option, I Form Pro HB Toss

Tuned to decrease the frequency of defensive wins vs. double team blocks on zone plays

Fixed a missed handoff on Wildcat Trips Over Jet Sweep

Fixed issues with pre-play pass blocking adjustment interface that caused players to get stuck in the menu

Fix for blockers on kick return sometimes forming an illegal wedge, per new NFL kickoff rules

Fixed an issue causing players to repeatedly knock the ball out during fumble recoveries

Fixed an issue around the camera pointing in the wrong direction during Extra Points and Field Goals

Fixed an issue that caused receivers to go into a pass block assignment when running curl routes or after being sent in motion

Fix for defensive linemen constantly shifting back and forth when using defensive line adjustments in pre-play

Fix for receivers and/or defenders warping out of catch interactions

Fix for receivers running backwards after catching WR Screen passes

After watching you play the game and listening to your Beta feedback, we increased the speed of the QB pre-play animations and added some more clock-driven context around them while maintaining the integrity of our new approach. You can read about the QB Signatures in further detail in our earlier Gameplay Deep Dive (https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/2018/gameplay-deep-dive). Tuned to make player transitions smoother from the huddle break to the line of scrimmage Added functionality for QBs’ pre-play animations to speed up when there is either 10 seconds or less on the play clock, or the game clock when it’s running – under these circumstances, all QB adjustments will use Hot Route animations only Tuned to increase the speed of QB pre-play animations Added functionality for one free pre-play adjustment when breaking the huddle – the QB will not use an animation if an adjustment is called right after the huddle break



PC Updates: