MODDEN 26 Puts Concussions Back ‘In The Game’

The Derek Sheely Foundation debuts free football video game mod with simulated concussion symptoms during Brain Injury Awareness Month to help people recognize the dangers of staying on the field with a concussion

Concussion awareness nonprofit The Derek Sheely Foundation today put sports-related brain injury issues in the spotlight with MODDEN 26, a free video game modification (mod) that depicts common symptoms of concussions in football. The new mod puts concussions back in the world's most popular football video game series after they were removed more than a decade ago. Gameplay footage and highlight reels of MODDEN 26 can be seen at modden26.com.

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Concussion awareness nonprofit The Derek Sheely Foundation is putting sports-related brain injury issues in the spotlight with MODDEN 26, a free football video game modification (mod) that depicts common symptoms of concussions. Introduced during Brain Injury Awareness Month, the immersive custom mod simulates debilitating symptoms, including blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, nausea, light sensitivity, and tinnitus. Gamers in the modding community can access free downloads of MODDEN 26 (for PC) and more information on the initiative at modden26.com. Gameplay footage and highlight reels are also featured on the website.

Introduced during Brain Injury Awareness Month, the immersive custom mod simulates debilitating symptoms of a concussion as gamers experience blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, nausea, light sensitivity, and tinnitus.

MODDEN 26 was designed to increase awareness about the signs, symptoms, and dangers of concussions. It enables people to experience the symptoms of concussions (brain injuries)—both on their screens and in their video game performance—with impacted visuals, distorted sounds, and slower reaction times.

“It’s critical for everyone to be aware of concussion signs and symptoms because players who are concussed often don’t even realize they’re injured,” said Kristen Thomson Sheely, executive director of The Derek Sheely Foundation. “The speed at which concussions are diagnosed and treated is vital to player health, safety, and recovery time.”

Inspired by Coach John Madden

MODDEN 26 was inspired by Hall of Fame coach John Madden, who in 2011 said, “Concussions are such a big thing, it has to be a big thing in the video game...Kids used to learn football in the playground, but now they learn the game more by the video game.”

That same year, Thomson Sheely’s 22-year-old son, honor student Derek Sheely, died after he suffered a traumatic brain injury during a college football practice.

“We want to help prevent other children and families from enduring the devastating effects of concussions,” she added. Her recent memoir Very Dark Places recounts how Derek died after an alleged ‘freak accident’ on the football field—only to receive an anonymous email revealing a far more disturbing truth: his death was preventable, triggering an investigation, a lawsuit, and a landmark settlement against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), youth tackle football players each sustain about 378 head impacts per season. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine have reported an estimated 3.8 million concussions occur annually in the U.S. through sports and recreational activities, with up to 50 percent going unreported.

Health marketing agency Klick Health collaborated with the foundation on the initiative, honoring Derek’s memory and his love of the game. The mod features his jersey number (40) displayed on a stadium banner and a dedication at the end of gameplay.

“Games don’t persuade. Games reveal. When you feel your reaction time slow, your vision blur, and your performance fall apart, that’s your brain learning at a physiological level,” said Devon Taylor, Vice President, Group Director, Strategy, Klick Health. “MODDEN 26 uses the language of play to help convey something passive education and warning labels often fail to: how it can feel to experience concussions.”

Gamers in the modding community can access free downloads of MODDEN 26 (for PC) and more information on the initiative at modden26.com. Gameplay footage and highlight reels are also featured on the website.

Note: This game simulates commonly reported concussion symptoms for educational purposes only. Symptoms can present differently in each person. This content is not intended to diagnose a condition or replace professional medical evaluation or care.

About The Derek Sheely Foundation

The Derek Sheely Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to increasing awareness of concussions and traumatic brain injuries, with a focus on youth sports. The foundation was established after Derek Thomson Sheely, a strong and extremely healthy 22-year-old honor student, suffered a traumatic brain injury during football practice in his senior season at Frostburg State University in August 2011. He died one week later. Derek’s doctors believed he had Second Impact Syndrome, which occurs when a second concussion is sustained before the brain can recover from an initial concussion

Since then, The Derek Sheely Foundation has distributed approximately 12,500 Concussion Awareness Kits across the U.S., providing young athletes, their families, and coaches with tangible reminders of the signs, symptoms, and devastating consequences of untreated concussions and traumatic brain injuries. The foundation also supported a multi-year research study at Penn State Center for Sport Concussion and Service, examining the consequences of head acceleration events and their relationship to the disruption of normal brain development.

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MODDEN 26 enables people to experience the symptoms of concussions, both on their screens and in their video game performance, with impacted visuals, distorted sounds, and slower reaction times.