The National Football League’s annual Pro Bowl, the exhibition game that celebrates and recognizes the league’s best players, is going virtual this year. The NFL and Electronic Arts announced plans to transition the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl presented by Verizon to a virtual environment by playing the game as a simulation using Madden NFL 21. And just like the live real-world event, fans can vote to have their favorite players selected to play.
Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, was set to host the annual pro bowl event, but health concerns and complications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to cancel the event.
According to EA SPORTS and the NFL, the two will “create a week-long series of matchups featuring celebrities, NFL Legends, current players, and streamers playing as the official Pro Bowl rosters in Madden NFL 21.” The finale will see the Pro Bowl being played with 2021 Pro Bowl players facing off within Madden NFL 21. Additionally, fans and players of the video game franchise will see some new Pro Bowl content inside of the game that will give everyone the opportunity to “play out the AFC vs. NFC matchup themselves.”
Fans can choose their favorite players by voting for their inclusion into the 2021 Pro Bowl team rosters. Alongside the voting, the NFL will showcase its players’ athletic accomplishments and competitive nature by creating content to be shown across its social media platforms as well.
In one of the more unique aspects of the Pro Bowl Voting process, Madden NFL players will see Pro Bowl voting content and announcements in-game throughout the duration of the voting period.
Voting ends on Dec. 17 with fans being able to vote directly on Twitter during the final two weeks by tweeting the first and last name of the player, tagging the player’s official Twitter handle, or creating a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. All three of these methods must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.
The NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Dec. 18, with player selections being determined by the consensus votes of fans, players, and coaches, with each group’s vote counting as one-third toward determining the All-Star players who will be selected to this year’s Virtual Pro Bowl.
