Washington Redskins: 'Madden NFL 21' to Remove Team Name and Logo

The Washington Redskins name and logo will not be featured in Madden NFL 21. This past weekend, game developer Electronic Arts made the decision to remove Washington's nickname and logo since both have been retired by the franchise. ESPN confirmed the movie.

"We are pleased to see Washington's decision to change their team name and visual identity," an EA representative said in a statement to ESPN. The statement also said EA is "working to update Madden NFL 21 to feature a generic Washington team" while they await the final word on what the updated logo and team name. Madden NFL 21 will hit the shelves starting on Aug. 25, and when gamers buy a copy, Washington's old nickname and logo will be featured because the discs are already in production. However, once a player connects the game to the internet, it will be patched out automatically.

"The first changes will be available to our EA Access players and will include audio/commentary updates; motion graphics and presentation updates; stadium art, environments, crowd gear and signage updates; and uniform updates," EA stated. Along with those changes, EA said users could see some outdated Washington references in other areas of the game at launch," but any old Washington references will be gone shortly after the game is released.

Last week, Washington announced the team will no longer be called "Redskins" and dropped the Native American image on the logo. As for a new name, the team has some trademark and legal issues before making that announcement, which they hope to do soon. The decision to change the name and logo comes amid protests of racial and social injustice after the death of George Floyd back in May. Washington has taken heat for its name over the years, but team owner Dan Snyder was adamant of keeping "Redskins" as the nickname because of the team's history.

Washington really felt the heat when FedEx issued a statement to the team saying if there isn't a new name, it would take its name off of the home stadium. Other sponsors also spoke out, and places such as Nike and Amazon stopped selling Redskins merchandise. It has been reported the team will keep it's burgundy and gold colors, but some of the names that have been considered are Warriors, Redtails, Red Wolves, and Generals.