During the recent preview event forMadden NFL 25in Orlando, the development team behind the game went over the upgrades to this year’s game. This presentation took nearly three hours and involved not only the tech being instilled into it, but also what is coming in terms of game modes. Team Builder highlights the ways to playMadden NFL 25, as these teams will be introduced into Franchise Mode moving to the side the relocation options. The modes confirmed for the game will be Franchise, Superstar The League and Showdown, Ultimate Team and Madden Online H2H. While familiar, what is going into these modes is deep.
Bring Your Own Team
Team Builder is being carried over fromCollege Football 25toMadden NFL 25. Teams will be customized online outside of the game and brought into it. Players can upload custom logos, design uniforms and create every player on their roster. Teams can be shared and thus be downloaded from others. Teams can then be imported into Franchise Mode for usage. There has been no confirmation of usage of teams outside of swapping in Franchise, though. This would open the book on possibilities for exhibition or online play.
Dynamic Stories in Franchise
The goals for Franchise Mode inMadden NFL 25involved crafting a story, improving draft night, adding Team Builder, creating Franchise Central and adding female coach models. Players will encounter over seventy dynamic storylines that include the likes of managing a player requesting a trade to players showing up to camp out of shape. There will be a wide variety of story arcs that involve players on each team. The developers wanted to incorporate aspects from the NFL Head Coach series as they believed the mode has been missing both life and immersion. Players will need to be properly rested throughout the season along with other stories involving culture changes, sitting the rookie quarterback, exploiting opponent weaknesses, planning early for the offseason and intense contract negotation. The idea is to create more substance to the mode that has been missing.
With these 70+ storylines, players will remember decisions. Managing the right decisions with personalities can make or break them wanting to stay on the team or aggressively trying to get out. These storylines will also last for multiple seasons rather than just a few games. The team has also added 26 new mini games and a new Gauntlet experience building upon mini-camp from last year. Core improvements to the mode will include the addition of team and rookie records so that they can be broken, improving AI for free agency and the draft, a big focus on player progression logic, new draft generators and rookie stories. In the past, older players rated in the 70s would hold up rookie progression and this has been balanced and confirmed not to be overboard.
EA went out and signed Roger Goodell for the game as he will be announcing draft picks during Draft Night. The NFL Draft will also feature walkout cut scenes when players are drafted, much like real life. This also includes later picks of rookies sitting at home that decided not to show up. The development team has also added a new prospect board and a draft environment with a real-time draft board. Players will also receive immediate feedback on the pick that was selected.
Franchise Central will be the new hub for the mode. This will show top players, top stories and matchups within the league. The idea behind this is to add more content and life to the league rather than just progressing through the season. This includes an MVP tracker and other important aspects to engulf the player into their season’s narrative. A personal message system that includes players on the trading block, free agents becoming available and fatigued players will also be included.
Madden NFL 25 Cover Athlete Officially Revealed
Christian McCaffrey joins a few running backs to grace the cover of the Madden series.
Online Ranked and Ultimate Team
Madden NFL 25will be adding a competitive division and a ranking system for its head-to-head online games. Players can achieve a Legend ranking by reaching the top 50 players online. Ultimate Team will be offering 6-on-6 events along with solo seasons and new challenge types. The presentation for the mode has been refreshed and will offer a new lineup experience. With the 6-on-6, the development team wanted to focus on small-sided football playing with a MUT roster. This will be more approachable for new players as 6-on-6 will have specific position in the lineup screen.
Solo Seasons will feature a season, playoffs and a Super Bowl that will unlock endless play. Those looking for a longer experience can jump into Solo Challenges. For quicker games, Gridiron Forge will be permanent to MUT. The team also wanted to streamline the deck building process for accessibility. Proper information will be displayed on the user interface and includes a drag-and-drop feature. The team will also add meme cards for things that happen in real life over the course of the year.
Draft Your Guy
Superstar Mode will feature The League and Showdown, with The League being the NFL experience and Showdown being the arcade mode. Avatars will have tattoos and more faces this year, but EA will allow players to import theirCollege Football 25player from Road to Glory into Superstar Mode. Avatars will have preset archetypes to choose from that will change the maximum potential of ratings and what tier can be maxed. Adjusting height and weight will also affect potential. NFL Combine performances will dictate physical ratings and their floor that won’t be a temporary boost.
With 26 new mini games and Quests, there will be a wide variety of options for the Avatar. Quests will be provided by Decision Moments and are based on the answers to questions from the press. New actions will affect player grading. The Maddencast will also have a higher level of production. Brand endorsements will play a role in the mode. For Superstar Showdown, players can expect custom intros and outros and the option to play solo with a friend has been added.
Madden NFL 25
Madden NFL 25 is the officially licensed NFL simulation for the 2024 NFL season. Christian McCaffrey is the cover athlete for Madden NFL 25.
