At a recent EA SPORTS Media Day, we were not only able to get our hands on gameplay forCollege Football 26, but also forMadden NFL 26. Madden is coming out of the gate sprinting this year as it launches on August 14.We already know the cover athlete is Saquan Barkley, and this actually does tie in directly to a big mechanic being added this year.Weather will impact everything asMadden NFL 26will incorporate the Wear and Tear system fromCollege Football 25. A big focus remains on delivering authenticity with styles and that’s all here. There’s also a lot that cannot be discussed as of now.
Madden NFL 26 Area of Focus This Year
The development team is dedicated to delivering the best sports simulation ever. It wants to deliver both the proper NFL energy levels and the emotions that feed families on Sundays.In gameplay testing at the Media Day, the new feel to the series was witnessed first hand, or you could say one from year’s passed.There are some people who were a part of this franchise years ago who are back and it’s starting to show.
The data stemming from QB DNA and Coach DNA combined with machine-learning AI have allowed the tendencies from individual players, specifically at the quarterback position, be 1:1 replicated on the field. The core gameplay technologies have been established in recent years and built upon. No game will feel the same due to how these actions work.
The First Madden NFL 26 Trailer is Here
The dev team has more data than ever to work with to replicate tendencies and movements to improve the experience against the AI.
Playing a one-off exhibition game, Wear & Tear may not be as meaningful as playing in week 16 of a season, but it was made readily apparent. What is cool is the presentation brought up a stat window during play showing off the damage that has been done to the quarterback and what attributes are affected. It may make just enough of a difference in one game, but this is the type of strategy this series has needed.
What is cool is the presentation brought up a stat window during play showing off the damage that has been done to the quarterback and what attributes are affected.
Extreme Weather can further impact Wear & Tear on players. Not only was this a visual buffet, but the game feels different when playing in the snow. For non-weather gameplay, there are a ton of differences. Running the ball feels tight and responsive. Thanks to the physics expansion, players will now flick the right stick to truck and it just feels more immersive brushing a guy off. Ignoring the defensive coverage and changing the zone depth with the new Custom Defensive Zone gave more power. The overall AI logic continues to improve.
Presentation Elements Upgrade
There are a ton of individualistic aspects to the gameplay forMadden NFL 26, but a better summary and a change to the overall feel of gameday can be reported on.Madden NFL 26seems to be going towards a more dramatic feel, and that can even be felt in the first trailer.Every team has team specific run outs that include traditions for each team.Some will have former players beating a drum or a random fan.
Thanks to the physics expansion, players will now flick the right stick to truck and it just feels more immersive brushing a guy off.
There’s an entirely new pre-game production. Gone are the faceoff walkouts in the matrix. The experience is much more akin to what an actual television broadcast feels like. There are four completely different productions and if you combine that with the three commentary teams coming back from last year with tons more lines, these changes alone will alleviate the thought of the game becoming stale.
Running Backs Go Back-to-Back for Madden Covers
Super Bowl Champion Saquan Barkley will be on the cover of two different editions of Madden NFL 26.
Players can expect a specific presentation complete with different theme songs and a different broadcast delivery for Sunday games, Thursday Night games, Sunday Night games and Monday Night games.The devs are going after their own broadcast channel identity as each broadcast starts with the National Football League introduction.The drama and passion of the NFL will be back with Madden NFL 26 thanks to the broadcast package changes.
Jonathan Coachman has been relieved of his duties and replaced with NFL Red Zone’s Scott Hansen. He has a halftime show during the games and a weekly recap in Franchise Mode. Rich Eisen is also a part of the game, but this didn’t appear on game day. The overall feel of a game, at this stage, is the closest that any Madden has come to a television production.Madden 97tried back in the day, but these changes aren’t even everything that can be discussed at this stage.
Gameplay Enhancements for Madden NFL 26
Community Feedback Requests
The devs have made it clear that they are listening to community feedback about the series. A lot that has been initially announced focused on building upon the core gameplay and improving AI that amounts to a ton of little things. Sure, a Josh Allen jump pass on the sidelines is cool, especially when the highlight of an older Madden was the Mahomes dive throw. The data is here to do so much and the gameplay at this state feels like a band that plays tight.
Adding stunts creates a new strategy completely on defense. During gameplay, there was a DE that came across to the opposite tackle and came free and got the sack. It was so satisfying to watch.These aren’t just cross-up stunts, but advanced stunts, as clearly this type of play calling helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl last year.Block steering can further help meaning if you’re able to’t get off your guy and you see a teammate free, push that OL away from the free guy. Feel free to push the OL into a running back, as well.
There’s a ton more on this which can’t be discussed, and while we didn’t get a ton of time with the game, we witnessed the gameplay from others at the event. Playing multiple games with multiple teams will be the best way to get the feel for the game. Every starting quarterback in the game will have their own style, rather than just a few. The team has implemented more on feedback this year than it has in the past.
Nintendo Switch 2 Version Impressions
The Switch 2 releases on June 5, but Nintendo showed up to show off Madden NFL 26 on the unit. Having a portable console experience for Madden with the way the game is played in today’s world is more important than it was back in 2012. That was the last time a true portable experience could be had with the Vita. The game is very playable in its current state with player models looking phenomenal on that small screen.
The Switch 2 was not docked, so it was purely in stand-alone mode.Some cutscenes provided hiccups, but other than that, the gameplay was smooth and this isn’t some separate cartoon version of the game. This will be the same game on the current gen consoles. Controllers were docked to the unit and button placement will take adjustment. The devs also tailored the controls on the game towards those who are used to a Nintendo scheme. Buttons you expect to do certain things didn’t, but that was due to the lack of familiarity with how most Nintendo games are programmed. It’ll be interesting to see how the final version turns out at release in August.
