Madden NFL esports returns with MCS 26 $1.5m prize pool

The Madden Championship Series (MCS) 26th season kicks off later this month, with five events scheduled until February next year.

This season features a familiar schedule to its previous campaign, with three challenges and a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), all culminating in the Madden Bowl, which boasts a prize pool of $1.5m (~£1.17m).

MCS enters its 11th season as an open competition through Madden Ultimate Team (MUT). This allows anyone to enter for the chance to reach the in-person finale at the Madden Bowl by securing MCS points and earning prize funds along the way.

According to the official rules, the season begins with the Kickoff, Most Feared, and Zero Chill challenges, with $150,000 (~£113,000) prize pools on the line for each event. Each challenge will begin with up to five days of online ladder play to determine up to 544 of the best players who will move on to the single elimination phase.

The Live Finals will see the top eight players go head-to-head at Full Sail University, with seedings based on their performance in the single elimination phase, and the overall winner will receive $50,000 (~£37,620).

This is the full schedule for the challenge events:

The LCQ is the fourth event running after the challenges conclude, taking place from December 13th, 2025 to January 21st, 2026.

Registered players will compete in up to four days of online ladder play to determine up to 126 players who will move on to the single elimination phase. An additional four players will also be decided through ‘Premier Events’, events sponsored by third parties.

The LCQ will then follow the same format of single elimination before ending with the Live Finals, with the winner receiving $10,000 (~£7,530).

This is the LCQ schedule:

The Madden Bowl is the final event in MCS, and will take place in February 2026. It is an invitation-only tournament, with only thirteen players with the highest MCS points total as of December 11th, 2025, and one player based on the LCQ standings.

The competitors will participate in a series of elimination matches, with seedings determined by their total MCS points accumulated. The event will conclude with the Finals, where the MCS Champion will be crowned and awarded $250,000 (~£188,250).

The event allows for players on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC to compete. They must be 16 or over, and must be a resident in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Ireland, or NFL’s recent addition, Australia. All players who participate in MCS events will also be awarded a MUT pack.

All events will also be broadcast on the official Twitch and YouTube channels, with Twitch drops and MUT Player Items available for those who tune in.