EA Sports is making changes to franchise mode in Madden 21 via post-launch updates as well as in development for Madden 22.
These changes are a response to the #fixmaddenfranchise movement that was trending on social media after EA Sports revealed their plans for Madden 21’s franchise mode.
While most of these changes won’t make it into Madden 21 at launch, they will be updated into the game via title updates.
Let’s take a look!
- TUNINGÂ – Improved progression and regression of players. Improve core player progression into the future such that X-Factors and other abilities for older players work well with incoming rookie classes.
- COMMISSIONER TOOLSÂ – See a more detailed summary below.
- AIÂ PERSONNEL MANAGEMENTÂ – The AI will make better team management decisions in the draft, free agency and trades.
- PLAYOFF and SUPER BOWLÂ PRESENTATIONÂ – Improve and refresh.
- X-FACTOR / SUPERSTAR ABILITY CUSTOMIZATIONÂ – Introduce the ability to customize X-Factor and Abilities on all players, allowing you to customize your roster as you see fit.
- CAREERS STATS UIÂ – Improved UI showing historical player performances. More immersion and depth on how players have progressed in your Franchise.
- TRADE LOGICÂ – More fidelity, depth, and authenticity.
- RETIREMENT UIÂ – Better insight into retirements each season to allow players to react/manage.
- PLAYOFFS UPDATE – Add an authentic playoff bracket screen to see who’s in, who’s won and who’s up next.
Commissioner tools is a large bucket of items with a lot of opportunities and a lot of work. We see this as something we’ll continue to work on to give you more control over your Franchise in the year(s) ahead. For Madden NFL 21 and 22 we are looking at the following tools:
Commissioner Tools Priority Ranking
- Ability to undo transactions, reducing friction and control over player movement contracts and trades.
- Ability to approve trades.
- Ability to reset a game in case of a disconnect.
For Madden 22, EA is looking to have these changes and features in franchise mode.
- Coaching and staff management
- Scouting improvements
- New scenario engine enhancements
- New team chemistry system
- Commissioner Tools improvements
- MORE CONTENT –Â Examples: Relocation/Branding Assets for Franchise – New uniforms, names, and logos to relocation options for more variety and depth in deeper careers.
What do you think about the upcoming changes to franchise mode in Madden 21? Let us know in the comments!
The ability to X- factor/ superstar abilities is a huge one for me. I hope they get that rolled out soon after launch. Overall it’s nice to see actual change happening in response to players’ complaints.
Why is this dersiable? Especially in online leagues, don’t you see this getting cheesy if left unchecked?
Personally I like it how it is, if a player doesn’t fit your scheme, have to look for an alternative who does…
It would be nice to add a faster way to choose a new play on practice mode, maybe a no huddle Type play call box.
Also, bring back random play call ability. Not the situational stuff they have now.
BRING BACK SPORTS TALK RADIO 2 FRANCHISE
Bring back the MNIN GAMES!!!!!!
Allow for teams to scrimmage other teams in lg play..that would be dope
A total presentation thing, but I want banners added in my stadium as I win Super Bowls
Have a ceremony the following season if you won the super bowl. Have the teams “ring if honor” and be able to retire Jerseys. Have references to the Franchise greats, not just someone you can use in MUT. Have a hall of fame ceremony, maybe your franchise can cast votes on the top 10 retirees, based on how many the franchise already has enshrined. Call out references in between games if someone, even if not the players team, broke a record or could break a record this season. Add better music, even make some purchasible, only for use at certain parts of the game. While not a Brady fan, would love to hear an intro for him on Sunday night football like Fallout Boy’s “Centuries”. With Jay Z in the NFL now, he should ensure the game has some great songs for a variety of fans. Have commentary about a star player that is staring a new season, with speculation if he has fully recovered from his season ending injury a year ago. Ensure the commentators can note specifics about a player from and draft class, not just the existing players already in the base game. Have a ratio system that can generate smart comments on a player who wasn’t a top draft pick but is rated highly in his 2nd or 3rd year, “this quarterback was a 4th round pick in 2023. I bet every team that passed on him is wondering how they missed picking this all pro”. Make meaningful comments. Do a post draft review. Comments like “this GM may have found a diamond in the rough by selecting this player in the 5th round” Put a value on the trades on draft day “I just don’t understand…they traded a 1st and two 2nd round picks (value of 105) to get player x at the No.4 spot (player rating is only 73 and development is only ‘good’)?! I think they reached”. Option to design a uniform for relocation team. Have an option for an expansion draft. Have a “name preview” so you know what names of players or names of new teams, the commentary have recorded audio for. Allow for a realignment of teams and conferences. Would love to realign the AFC South with Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Atlanta. Commentary around “the battle for Florida has begun, as these three AFC South teams will duke it out for bragging rights in the Sunshine State” or “the battle of NY has begun as the Giants and the Jets will face each other twice to see who is the king of New York.”. so much of these things have been offered in EA games over the years or in 2K games. How hard is it to take something, and build upon it every year? And finally, bring back College Football so I can recruit them from high school, then possibly draft them on a Draft Class import, and then 13 years into Franchise mode, see them retire a super bowl champ and possibly being elected into Canton. For the folks who play Franchise or Dynasty modes, those are the things they look for. They may play very few actual season games, but they will plan and strategize to get the best class, best picks and watch their team build up from nothing to contenders over the years, and possibly have the dream of someone they recruited from high school, help you to eventually win a superbowl, and may the cut to get into Canton.
Dude you hit the nail on the head with this one! I agree with everything. Maybe even bring back the my career player where you can start off fresh out of college and go to the combine. Instead of choosing what round you go in and what team you go to.
If a player breaks up a play make sure he gets the points for it and after the game let you leave before showing the coach throw down the clip board that’s so lame after a game
How about building the game off Nfl Espn 2K5. Go in the 2K direction make it more interactive and situational like NBA 2K. Stop making the same game year after year that has nothing to offer when it comes to the players dept of experience. NBA2K franchise is so good at makinging you feel like its your world, your experience with real emotions and character depth.
Add the ability to keep track of season and career playoff stats. Like why is that left out of every game. Let me break some of Brady or Jerry rice playoff records