What was NFL Retro Bowl '25?
In August 2024 Apple, the NFL and the NFL Players Association announced that New Star Games' Retro Bowl+ — the Apple Arcade edition of Retro Bowl — would relaunch as NFL Retro Bowl '25. The football stayed the same: you throw every pass and call every hand-off on the field, then manage the roster, contracts and morale between games. What changed was the league. Instead of made-up teams you could pick any of the 32 official NFL teams, and the real players were drawn in Retro Bowl's pixel-art style with tuned attributes, career stats and realistic contracts.
| Full name | NFL Retro Bowl '25 |
|---|---|
| Developer | New Star Games |
| Released | September 5, 2024, for the start of the 2024 NFL season (announced August 2024) |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad, through Apple Arcade only |
| What it replaced | Retro Bowl+, the Apple Arcade version of Retro Bowl |
| License | Official NFL and NFLPA license: all 32 NFL teams and real players |
| Today | Updated into NFL Retro Bowl '26 (2025) and '27 (2026) in the same App Store listing |
| Browser version | None. The game playable on this page is the classic Retro Bowl |
From Retro Bowl+ to '25, '26 and '27
- Retro Bowl+: The Apple Arcade edition of Retro Bowl, with the classic fictional league.
- Aug 2024: Apple and the NFL/NFLPA announce that Retro Bowl+ will relaunch as NFL Retro Bowl '25.
- Sept 5, 2024: NFL Retro Bowl '25 launches on Apple Arcade, in time for the 2024 NFL kickoff.
- Sept 4, 2025: NFL Retro Bowl '26 arrives as the next season's update and adds the Championship Leaderboard.
- Sept 3, 2026: NFL Retro Bowl '27 adds Gauntlet Mode and over 3,200 real players.
The App Store keeps one listing for the NFL edition and renames it each season, so the app first released for '25 is the one now called NFL Retro Bowl '27. Players who had '25 installed got the later seasons as updates; there is no way to download the 2024 rosters on their own.
Retro Bowl 25 unblocked: what you can actually play
Because '25 only ever ran on iPhone and iPad through Apple Arcade, there is no "Retro Bowl 25 unblocked" build for a school Chromebook. What you can play in a browser is the classic Retro Bowl — the same passing, running and kicking, the same draft and front-office decisions — with fictional teams instead of NFL ones. It is in the player at the top of this page and on the home page, where you will also find the full controls and tips.
Want a different football season? Try Retro Bowl College, where you recruit Freshmen and keep their grades up, or browse all unblocked football games.
Retro Bowl 25: frequently asked questions
What is Retro Bowl 25?
Retro Bowl 25 is the usual search name for NFL Retro Bowl '25, the first officially NFL- and NFLPA-licensed version of Retro Bowl by New Star Games. It came out on Apple Arcade on September 5, 2024, as a relaunch of Retro Bowl+ with the real NFL teams and players.
Can I still play NFL Retro Bowl '25?
Not as a separate game. The '25 app was updated into NFL Retro Bowl '26 in September 2025 and into NFL Retro Bowl '27 in September 2026 — it is the same Apple Arcade listing, renamed each season. If you install it today you get '27 with current rosters.
Is there a Retro Bowl 25 unblocked or browser version?
No. NFL Retro Bowl '25 was only ever on Apple Arcade for iPhone and iPad; New Star Games never released it for browsers, Chromebooks, PC or Android. Pages offering "Retro Bowl 25 unblocked" show the classic Retro Bowl. That classic game is what you can play free on this page.
What was the difference between Retro Bowl and NFL Retro Bowl '25?
The gameplay was the same Retro Bowl formula — you play offense on the field and manage the roster between games. '25 swapped the fictional league for the official one: all 32 NFL teams and real players, each drawn in retro pixel art with tuned attributes, career stats and realistic contracts.
Was NFL Retro Bowl '25 free?
It had no ads, but it was part of Apple Arcade, a paid subscription. The classic Retro Bowl stayed a separate free app on iOS and Android, and it is free in the browser here.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom: NFL Retro Bowl '25 on Apple Arcade (August 2024)
- CBS Sports: NFL Retro Bowl '25 announced (August 2024)
- Pocket Gamer: Retro Bowl+ relaunches as NFL Retro Bowl '25
- App Store: the NFL edition listing (now NFL Retro Bowl '27)
retrobowl.me is a fan site and is not affiliated with New Star Games, the NFL or Apple. Checked October 17, 2026.