EA is removing Madden NFL 23 CPR touchdown celebration following Damar Hamlin incident

The celebration is being removed in light of recent events

A touchdown celebration animation is being removed from Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL 23, in light of recent real-world events. The CPR celebration will be taken out of the game, after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field on January 2.

The celebration in question has the scoring player lie down the ground, while their teammates run over and give fake CPR to “revive” them. EA Sports told CBS Sports that celebration will be removed from the game relatively soon.

“EA Sports is taking steps to remove the celebration from Madden NFL 23 via an update in the coming days,” a spokesperson told CBS.

Hamlin collapsed on the field during the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2. He went into cardiac arrest, and personnel had to perform CPR on Hamlin.

Damar Hamlin has since been discharged from a hospital in Buffalo and will continue rehabilitation at home.

On the field, off the field

This isn’t Madden NFL‘s first time seeing real-world events collide with in-game features. EA removed former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden from Madden NFL 22 in 2021, following his resignation over remarks made in emails. Concussions and brain injuries have also been an ongoing topic for the Madden series, with some games working to address their portrayal of the issue.

And for sports on a grander scale, world politics come into play. Electronic Arts removed the Russian national teams from games like FIFA and NHL in response to the invasion of Ukraine, in line with its partners at FIFA, UEFA, and the IIHF.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter