Suit up, call the plays, and compete for gridiron glory. EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition debuts August 6 on Apple Arcade.
On August 6, the most authentic NFL video game comes to Apple devices with Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition. Designed specifically for Apple Arcade, this all-new release in the massively popular franchise lets fans live out their gridiron dreams, offering an immersive season-based experience featuring current NFL teams and realistic simulation gameplay. Arcade also welcomes NFL Retro Bowl β27 and Retro Bowl College+, adding to the blockbuster catalog of hit sports games on the service including Football Manager 26 Touch, Mini Football Legends, NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition, NFL Retro Bowl β26, PGA TOUR Pro Golf, Skate City: New York, and more.
βFrom the pitch to the court to the gridiron, Apple Arcade delivers an unmatched lineup of sports games for every kind of fan,β said Alex Rofman, Appleβs senior director of Apple Arcade, in a statement. βIβve been a longtime Madden NFL player and adding this legendary franchise to our catalog is a dream come true. Just in time for the new season, our Arcade community can now dive into an authentic NFL experience alongside other massive sports hits like NFL Retro Bowl, NBA 2K, and Football Manager, all in one place.β
βMadden NFL 27 Arcade Edition is a chance to bring the most authentic NFL experience to a new audience of football fans, letting them play and compete as the leagueβs most elite players, or take control as GM and shape a franchise,β said Evan Dexter, EAβs vice president of Franchise Strategy and Marketing, in a statement. βApple Arcade is the perfect home for Madden as a premium platform that matches the complete, no-compromise experience weβve built. Whether youβre playing on your iPhone on the go or on Apple TV with friends and family, the future of football is now in your hands.β
Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition delivers the pure football experience players seek, a complete Madden NFL game free from ads or in-app purchases. Players can dive into fan-favorite Franchise and Quick Play modes featuring dynamic player ratings built on real-world NFL performances. Powered by a weekly story engine, Franchise mode puts players in the GM seat to navigate season-shifting narratives, win over fan bases, and build a championship team. With seamless controller support across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition brings players closer to the action exactly how they want to play, wherever they are.
Retro Bowl College+ developed by New Star Games.
Sports fans looking for even more football action can tackle Retro Bowl College+ on August 6. In this beloved spinoff of the hit Retro Bowl 8-bit game, players can make a name for themselves as a winning head coach for one of 250 college teams.
NFL Retro Bowl β27 developed by New Star Games.
On September 3, NFL Retro Bowl β27 kicks off a brand-new season. The hit pixel-art game is raising the stakes with a thrilling new Gauntlet Mode. Starting with limited resources, armchair GMs must survive a grueling 15-game win streak with the highest score among other players. Along the way, they must choose between safe matchups or high-risk opponents, and the rewards of real NFL stars or powerful perks. Player XP and abilities carry over after a loss, with every run fueling a relentless climb toward an epic winner-takes-all showdown against a bitter division nemesis and weekly leaderboard supremacy.
NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition developed by Visual Concepts and 2K Games.
With a constant stream of new releases and updates to current favorites, Apple Arcade ensures that players always have something to look forward to. Sports fans keep winning. The latest update to NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition is out now, adding two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey as the newest Paragon player, along with the 2016-2024 Era to The Association mode. Also available now in PGA TOUR Pro Golf is an all-new course, Bearβs Best Atlanta, and on July 16, NFL Retro Bowl β26 introduces a new set of Apple Games Historic Super Bowl challenges, where players can tackle some of the biggest matchups in Super Bowl history.
PGA TOUR Pro Golf developed by HypGames, Inc.
Players can also check out new free introductory experiences on the App Store for select Arcade games without a subscription, including PowerWash Simulator, Mini Motorways, Cooking Mama: Cuisine!, and Play-Doh World.
Apple Arcade is available for $6.99 per month with a one-month free trial. Customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV receive three months of Apple Arcade for free. Apple Arcade is part of Apple Oneβs Individual ($19.95), Family ($25.95), and Premier ($37.95) plans, with a one-month free trial. Arcade Originals are playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. App Store Greats are available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. An Apple Arcade subscription gives a family of up to six unlimited access to all the games in its catalog. Availability for the 200+ games across devices varies based on hardware and software compatibility. Some content may not be available in all areas.
MacDailyNews Take: Itβd be awesome if you could pay off the refs and players to fix NBA games just like in real life!
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Itβs July, and Apple TV and Apple Arcade have an interesting lineup, including four games that debuted last week, the return of Silo, one of my favorite Apple TV series, Lucky, a limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and The Dink, a pickleball movie that looks like a lot of fun.
The game Iβm most curious about this month is Stray Fawn Studioβs Dungeon Clawler+, which Apple says βcombines the strategic depth of a roguelike deckbuilder with the unpredictability of an arcade claw machine.β The hook is that instead of drawing cards, you use a claw to grab weapons, shields, and other items that affect your next move.
Creatures of the Deep+ is a single-player fishing adventure that pairs fishing with exploration and mystery. Your job is to embark on the open seas, catch fish, and learn the secrets that lie beneath the waves.
If youβve ever played a classic Sim City game, youβll have a feel for Pocket City 2+. You play as the cityβs mayor and are charged with building and maintaining your city, which you can explore on foot as you build.
Draw It+ challenges players to draw things based on prompts under time pressure. Itβs a single-player family-friendly game that can be passed around at a party or played solo, while honing your doodling skills.
I only just started Silo, season 2, prompted in part by the release of season 3 last Friday. Itβs a fantastic dystopian mystery starring and executive produced by Rebecca Ferguson and created by Graham Yost. If you like a good post-apocalyptic brain teaser, be sure to check the new season.
This week the acclaimed British comedy Trying returns for a fifth season. Starring and executive produced by Esther Smith and Rafe Spall, the series is a lighthearted look at the ups and downs of family life.
Lucky is a limited series starring Anya Taylor-Joy based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Marissa Stapley. Taylor-Joy plays a young woman whose former life of crime comes back to haunt her, just as she thinks sheβs escaped her past.
The Dink is a comedy about a former tennis star played by Jake Johnson who has been reduced to coaching kids at a suburban country club. Johnson, who stars with an ensemble cast that includes Ed Harris, Ben Stiller, and Mary Steenburgen, discovers that he loves pickleball, which just may save the ailing country club.
Thatβs it for July. Iβm personally looking forward to moving on to season three of Silo once I finish season two and watching Lucky.
If youβre a Club MacStories Plus or Premier member, drop by the TV and Movies channel in Discord to chat about what youβre looking forward to from Apple TV this month, and be sure to listen to MacStories Unwind where we will undoubtedly cover these shows in the coming weeks.