EA Sports announced the Madden NFL Live Challenge which will be held within Draft Champions Ranked Mode from this month through the NFL Regular Season -- the very best players will meet at the Super Bowl for some big prizes.

To get more info, and to get the lowdown on what the tournament is and what EA is planning, we got a chance to send some questions in to Madden NFL 16 eSports producer, Matt Marcou.

Operation Sports:  First off, tell us all who you are and what you are doing for EA Sports and Madden?
 
Matt Marcou: My name is Matt Marcou and I am the eSports Producer on Madden NFL.  My goal is to build competitive experiences for the Madden community.   One way to think of my job is that I am turning the game of Madden NFL into its own sport and consequently thinking through all of the aspects that a sport needs: championships, prize money, viewing opportunities, a healthy amateur scene, etc.
 
I’ve been running gaming tournaments for about 15 years now.  Most notably I founded the Riot Games’ eSports program and was the former league commissioner for League of Legends Championship Series.
 
OS: So what is the Madden NFL Live Challenge?
 
MM: EA is bringing back the storied Madden Challenge series in a new form by working closely with the NFL and Twitch.  The Madden NFL Live Challenge will be the first major competition for Madden 16 and have two paths to the finals.  We’re bringing back prior Madden Challenge champions through an invitational tournament, as well as allowing all Madden players a chance to qualify for the finals through an open tournament format. The entire competition will span several months and involve both online and in person competitions. At the end of it all, a Champion will be crowned and $50,000 in cash prizes will be awarded.

OS: How exactly does it tie into Draft Champions Ranked mode?
 
MM: The game mode that we’ve chosen for this tournament is Draft Champions.  After a 6 week ladder season, the Madden NFL Live Challenge will kick off with the top 128 players from the Draft Champions Ranked (64 from Xbox One and 64 from Playstation 4) facing off against each other in an online elimination tournament.
 
OS: If you don’t own Madden and want to give this a shot, is that possible?
 
MM: Aspiring competitors can test the waters in the Draft Champions Ranked mode within Madden NFL 16.  Everyone will have a chance to play, as a worldwide free trial of the full game of Madden NFL 16, including Draft Champions Ranked, will be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 20 – 23. If you enjoy the experience and end up picking up the full game then you’ll be able to transfer progress and continue your climb up the ranks as long as you’re logged into the same account you used for the trial.
 
OS: What is the overall plan for the tournament as it progresses into January and towards the Super Bowl?
 
MM: In early January the top 128 rated players from Draft Champions (64 from each platform) will be determined, and will then face off for their spot in the playoffs. We’ll then whittle the field down to 8 players who will go head-to-head in the finals, with the championship being played at Madden Bowl in San Francisco before the annual NFL players’ tournament.
 
OS: Any hints as to what to expect, are you guys planning on any surprises during the tournament?
 
MM: I’ll leave the surprises up to the competitors and their stick skills.  I think most competitive Madden fans will expect to see one of our returning champions take the title, but with a new game mode there is a lot of opportunity for a newcomer to rise up and take the title.

OS: What players will be part of the past Madden NFL champions side of the bracket?
 
MM: We can announce the first four: Eric “Problem” Wright, Zach “Serious Moe” Lane, Trevor “Tweezy” Bocian, and Andrew “HaShugz” Bogart.  I’m excited for everyone to see their skills and learn more about them.
 
OS: You guys are producing Madden NFL Live, which will air on Twitch and the NFL Network. Any hints as to what we can expect?
 
MM: Madden NFL Live is being produced by the NFL Network and they will be covering the tournament extensively throughout. You can expect to see some highlights and analysis as the tourney goes on, as well as tips and tricks.
 
OS: Let’s just talk about how you play Draft Champions Ranked. What is your approach to the mode when playing it? How do you draft a team?
 
MM: First and most important, I always rock the Green & Gold of my home state Green Bay Packers.  I prefer to draft well-rounded teams and I’m always exploring new elite players to see how they play in game.  One thing that might be different about my play style is that I’m never shy to draft two quality tight ends and either turn that into a unique passing attack or give my elite RBs some support. I’m also experimenting with both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses to see what works better for my defensive style.
 
OS: Lastly, if there is one thing you want fans to know about the Madden NFL Live Challenge, what is it?
 
MM: It’s the first step for the Madden team to providing a comprehensive competitive experience for our community.  We know we’ll learn a lot and we will be listening to everyone’s feedback on all channels.  We think that our fans will appreciate this first step, but we know that more can be done to celebrate our champions and fans.