'Madden NFL 16' Release Date & Cover Vote Winner: Title Out in July? The Latest News & Updates Here

"Madden NFL 16" which is expected to be out in July or August this year has a new development after Electronic Arts announced Monday the four finalists who could grace the cover of the game.

GameSpot said the four athletes vying for the cover are New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

The same report said that players can vote through the free-to-play game Madden NFL Mobile or the Madden Ultimate Team in "Madden NFL 15."

"Mobile players can vote once per day, and can unlock extra votes by completing in-game challenges. Ultimate Team players, meanwhile, can cast just one vote initially, but can also earn four extra votes by completing Solo Challenges," added GameSpot.

An EA Sports press release explained that players will receive a vote collectible once they log in to Madden NFL Mobile every day.

"Cover Vote Collectibles complete ANY of the repeatable Cover Vote Sets, so that players can continue voting for the Madden NFL 16 cover athlete. These Collectibles can't be auctioned. Players can also cast votes by completing four daily Live Events (one Live Event every six hours). These events are unlimited play, meaning unlimited voting, as long as players have stamina," wrote EA Sports.

As for the Madden Ultimate Team, EA Sports said players will receive one cover vote collectible for their first log in.

"This and other Cover Vote Collectibles can be used to complete Cover Vote Sets. There is one Set for each of the four semifinalists," the report added.

The first round of the voting will reportedly close on May 11 with the two finalists to be revealed the next day. On May 13, fans and players can visit the ESPN website to key in their selection for the "Madden NFL 16" cover. GameSpot added that the winner will be revealed on May 14 at 6 p.m. EDT edition of SportsCenter.

A GottaBeMobile report, however, said that this decision to put the judgment on which players will make it to the finals has raised some eyebrows.

"Those who would like to vote need a copy of Madden NFL 15 to cast their ballot for a finalist. Users who don't have the game are allowed to vote through the game's companion apps on the iPhone and devices running Google's Android operating system," added GottaBeMobile.

It also said that people who do not own the game will not be given the chance to "alter the results of the voting too early if everything goes according to Electronic Arts' plan" but it said that anyone can already cast their vote once ESPN hosts the final round of voting.

The upcoming release, according to VideoGamer, could be launched on PS4 and Xbox One as early as July along with "FIFA 16" and "NHL 16."

On the other hand, GameSpot noted that the "Madden NFL 16" is expected to be launched on August 25 and could also be available in last-generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.