EA MADDEN 21 adds Spongebob Squarepants stadium and more in bizarre crossover

Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Squarepants x EA’s MADDEN 21 crossover is now a reality. That’s a weird sentence to type.

The announcement was made on the 7th January through EA MADDEN’s social media and the update is now available to experience in The Yard game mode.

I'm ready, I'm ready‼️ 🍍

Welcome to @SpongeBob Reef-Top in #Madden21pic.twitter.com/BhEN5dVh6Y

— Madden NFL 21 (@EAMaddenNFL) January 7, 2021

Users can play in the new stadium, unlock special SpongeBob goodies for completing challenges and more as wide receivers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks alike will be sporting Bikini Bottom-themed uniforms, helmets and cleats.

SpongeBob Reef-Top is the newest stadium in The Yard, the game mode added in last year’s edition that resembles backyard football in a six vs six Hail Mary, no-punts, trick-play-filled match on an 80-yard field.

The crossover came to life as the soon to be played Chicago Bears vs New Orleans Saints NFL Playoff game will be broadcasted on Nickelodeon.

(Picture: EA Sports)

From The Flying Dutchman’s Ghostly Grab to Sandy’s Rocket Arm Rally, the update is all fun and games until you see the fiasco this year’s MADDEN release has been.

Opinions are divided and the reception is split between good-spirited feedback and outraged pushback from the community.

MADDEN has been in hot water for the better part of five years as casual players and die-hard fans alike notice a regression in both quality each year.

• Read more: EA community manager breaks down on stream as Madden criticism goes unheard: "I can’t fix those things"

Last month, EA MADDEN’s community manager KRAELO broke down mid-stream after letting fans know he stands up for them, but “he can’t fix those things.”

Longtime YouTuber and content creator SOFTDRINKTV has an incredible mini-doc comparing MADDENs through the years, mentioning 2K’s NFL game threatened to push both titles to greater heights, but that was shut down by an exclusivity deal with EA back in the mid-2000s that made Madden the only game in town.

While gameplay and franchise mode updates are still rolling out several months after release, MADDEN fans just have to wait and see what 2K can come up with for their non-simulation style NFL game to be released sometime this year.