When you turn on Madden NFL 22 you can enter The Gatorade “Road to the Dunk” experience. The game mode is a collaboration of Gatorade and EA Sports ahead of the Super Bowl. The game is now a component of The Yard, bringing the historic Gatorade Dunk to gamers. The game mode is available from Jan. 14 through Feb. 15.
Players can unlock and earn exclusive Gatorade gear across three flavor-related events – including uniforms inspired by Gatorade flavors like Fruit Punch, Orange, and Lemon-Lime, and the iconic Gatorade Dunk celebration can also be earned in the game. As part of the integration, Gatorade and EA will also be hosting four live co-streams leading up to Super Bowl LVI with gamers NMP and Esfand, as well as special guests.
As part of our season-long celebration of the road to the iconic Gatorade Dunk at Super Bowl LVI, we’ve teamed up with EA SPORTS to bring an immersive experience to Madden’s newest game mode, ‘The Yard,’ for the first time,” said Kalen Thornton, chief marketing officer at Gatorade. “As the leading sports fuel brand, we appreciate that the journey to greatness is about personal passion and commitment to your game, and no person better embodied that relentless pursuit than John Madden. It’s our privilege to celebrate his legacy and challenge the next generation of athletes to put in the work in pursuit of their own Gatorade Dunk moment.”
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Jarvis Landry, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, is one of the unlockable characters in the game mode. Speaking with The Source, Landry detailed the importance of the game mode, the Gatorade Dunk, and why he wants the Los Angeles Rams to win it all.
For all of our Madden players, there’s a new game they can play within there within the Madden game called Road to the Dunk. Let me know about your involvement with this limited edition game. What is so exciting about it?
Obviously, the road to the dunk is a tremendous thing. Also to be a part of it is the ultimate celebration. As a sports guy, and I’m sure you are a sports fan it’s nothing like seeing that cooler being dumped on the coach or winning team. It’s an iconic moment, that really brings sports together.
This game is creatively centered around the idea of dunking the Gatorade on a winning coach. Can you remember the first moment that you were part of a dunk?
Yeah, my first moment probably would’ve been high school. Winning the state championship and dumping on our head coach. We are carrying the cooler and guys are hiding in between us and you know, no coach really wants it, but at the end of the day, it is a great moment.
Have you been on that receiving end?
I have not been on that receiving end. I don’t think it’s too many players that actually know that feeling. That’s more like a coach thing, but at the end of the day, I don’t know how you react to somebody just coming and dumping a whole cooler Gatorade over you.
If you were a video game player starting this mode, which Gatorade flavor would you take on? You got the orange, the fruit punch, the lemon-lime. What has always been a favorite for you?
The fruit punch. It’s always been like the go-to since I was a kid.
The Gatorade dunk, is that a moment that is always in the mind of players or more spur of the moment?
I think it’s a spur of the moment thing. I think it is truly about the moment and not really predicted or on schedule or whatever. It’s just kind of one of those things when the game or if it was a championship or it was a milestone that the coach was reaching comes and we all want to be part of that celebration.
I know you have a busy schedule, but how often do you get the chance to, sit down, take a break and get into a game like Madden and “Road to the Dunk”?
Pretty often. More than likely if I’m not spending time with family or training, I’m sitting right here in front of this screen playing the game.
Do you use yourself on the game? If not, who is your go-to?
No, I don’t actually I don’t, I don’t. My go-to team probably has to be either Arizona [Cardinals] or the [Baltimore] Ravens. I hate to say that but I like the mobile quarterback, so I like to get out the pocket a little bit and do my thing like that as well.
Over the weekend you enjoyed the games like many other football fans. Especially the Bills and the Chiefs game. Being someone who laces up and throws on the helmet every week, how does it feel to sit and just enjoy something like that in real time?
It was iconic bro. Probably one of the best games I’ve ever seen, you know? Watching those two quarterbacks, no moment was ever too big. You know, players just kept making plays. I mean, you talk about 13 seconds, it was something that I enjoyed watching. It was like a mini Super Bowl before the Super Bowl. I don’t think the Super Bowl can be even that good of a game. That game was was man, if I can watch it again like there was seven-game series. I saw somebody on Twitter say that we need the series between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs because those games are just that good.
You mentioned the Super Bowl and we are headed into the championship weekend. Who do you think will win it all?
I hope the Rams make it.
Holding down Odell
Absolutely. Absolutely. They are going to make it, we want to speak that into existence. And then, The Bengals. I mean, listen, I love Kansas City, but like my guy, Ja’Marr Chase is going off. JB is going, Joe Burrow is going off right now. I love to see some new faces. The Chiefs are slowly becoming like the Patriots or something because they are here every year. But I would love to see the Rams for the most part
I know you have a connection with Odell and those LSU guys. They are locked in right now but do you have communication with them?
Absolutely. Absolutely. Even with me and O right now just manifesting it, you know what I’m saying? Talking every day, staying positive, and hoping and wishing his team the best. So I check-in.
Hopping back to “Road to the Dunk,” what is your most memorable experience from the game?
Probably like the yard, playing in the yard. I just did a quick streaming event and that was pretty dope. Seeing all the graphics cause this actually is my first time playing on PC. So like all the graphics looked crazy. Especially the field. It was pretty exciting.
During the mode, you get to unlock a number 92 rated player. Other than yourself who’s the one you’re going to go get?
Probably a quarterback so I can throw it to myself. So one of the quarterbacks that are out there would make sense.