Today, EA announced Madden NFL 18, which will feature Tom Brady on the cover and arrive on PS4 and Xbox One on August 25th.

As you may know, Tom Brady is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks and players of all time. Brady notably played college football at the University of Michigan before being drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In Brady's 15 seasons as a starter, he has quarterbacked the Patriots to seven Super Bowl appearance, the most by any player in NFL history.

Brady has been honored with four Super Bowl MVP awards (the most by any player), has won two league MVP awards in 2007 and 2010, has been selected to the Pro Bowl 12 times, and has led his team to more division titles (14) than any other quarterback in NFL history. As of the end of the 2016, Brady is fourth in career touchdown passes, fourth in all-time passing yards, third in career passing rating, and has a postseason record of 25-9. He has won more playoff games than any other quarterback (and the most regular season wins) and has never had a losing season.  Oh, and he is one of two players to ever win five Superbowls.

The one drawback to being a Madden cover star is the Madden Cover Curse. For those that don't know: the Cover Curse haunts each year's cover of the game, inflicting either a sub-par following season or a major-injury. The recent victim of the curse was Rob Gronkowski, also of the Patriots, who adorned the cover of last year's game. As you may know, he had a terribly injury riddled season this past year.

However, Brady isn't phased by the curse according to a new press release:

"The Madden NFL 18 cover is a great honor for me, especially since I have been playing the game since growing up next to EA headquarters in the Bay Area. I'm not one to believe in curses, so I'm ready to take the challenge head on like always! It doesn't stand a chance!"

In addition to revealing the the cover star and release date, EA also detailed the game's special "G.O.A.T" edition:

Here's a breakdown between the two editions

STANDARD EDITION

  • FULL GAME
  • 1 ELITE PLAYER FROM YOUR FAVORITE NFL TEAM
  • 5 MADDEN ULTIMATE TEAM SQUAD PACKS
  • 7 MADDEN ULTIMATE TEAM SQUAD PACKS
  • 1 ELITE G.O.A.T. PLAYER
  • 2500 CONTRACTS
  • 1 MUT UNIFORM PACK
  • 3-DAY EARLY ACCESS

G.O.A.T. EDITION

  • FULL GAME
  • 1 ELITE PLAYER FROM YOUR FAVORITE NFL TEAM
  • 5 MADDEN ULTIMATE TEAM SQUAD PACKS
  • 7 MADDEN ULTIMATE TEAM SQUAD PACKS
  • 1 ELITE G.O.A.T. PLAYER
  • 2500 CONTRACTS
  • 1 MUT UNIFORM PACK
  • 3-DAY EARLY ACCESS
More details on Madden NFL 18, including a brand-new mode, are set to debut at EA PLAY on June 10th. According to EA, "fans can expect to see big things in this year’s title, including new ways to play, and some of the greatest innovation in a generation." Madden NFL 18 will cost $59.99 USD (or $79.99 USD if you buy the G.O.A.T Edition) and be available to play early via EA Access. Below, you can check out its new announcement trailer: