EA Sports announced a few weeksk ago that there would be 50 new Superstar and X-Factor Abilities in Madden 21.
Thanks to the good people at /r/madden, we have a list of some of the new abilities in this year’s game as well as some confirmed abilities from last year’s game making a return in Madden 21.
We also know that non-quarterback players have 3 superstar slots instead of the 2 they had last year.
We’ll start with all of the new superstar abilities and what they do.
New Offensive Superstar Abilities
Fearless – Immune to defensive pressure while in the pocket. This one isn’t exactly new but it is now a regular superstar ability instead of an X-Factor.
Mid Out Elite – Improved catching on medium passes outside the numbers.
Mid In Elite – Improved catching on medium passes inside the numbers.
Deep Out Elite – Improved catching on deep passes outside the numbers.
Short Out Elite – Improved catching on short passing outside the numbers.
Natural Talent – Begin the game with blocker resistance.
New Defensive Superstar Abilities
Film Study – Shows offensive play after repeated play calls.
El Toro – Dominant bull rush wins from max pass rush points.
Flat Zone KO – Improved reactions & catch knockouts in flat zones.
Short Route KO – improves knockouts in man vs short routes.
Mid Zone KO – Improved reactions & catch knockouts in mid zones.
Deep In Zone KO – Improved reactions/knockouts in deep inside zones.
Deep Route KO – Improved knockouts in man vs deep routes.
New X-Factor Abilities
Truzz – This is Lamar Jackson’s unique X-Factor ability where when he is in the zone, he can’t fumble as the result of a tackle. To activate it, you must run for 1+ yards 8 times.
Returning Superstar Abilities
Dashing Deadeye – Perfect pass accuracy on the run up to 40 yards.
Red Zone Deadeye – Perfect pass accuracy while throwing in the red zone.
Escape Artist – Improved scrambling speed when leaving the pocket.
No Look Deadeye – Perfect pass accuracy on cross-body throws up to 20 yards.
Hot Route Master – Four additional hot routes.
Conductor – Faster hot routing & blocking adjustments.
Set Feet Lead – Increased throw power when leading bullet passes with set feet.
Sleight of Hand – Higher chance of success on pump fakes & double moves.
Fast Break – Improved ballcarrier control on designed QB runs.
Juke Box – Grants steerable juke animations.
Leap Frog – Prevents fumbles when hurdling.
Tank – Breaks hit stick tackles.
Route Technician – Quicker cuts while running routes.
Grab-N-Go – Quicker turning/change-of-direction after a RAC catch.
TE Apprentice – Four additional hot routes when lined up at TE.
Red Zone Threat – Improved Catching vs single coverage in the red zone.
Slot-O-Matic – Better cuts and catching on short slot routes.
Edge Protector – Stronger pass protection vs elite edge rushers.
Secure Protector – Stronger protection vs quick block shed moves.
Inside Stuff – Quicker run sheds against inside zone plays.
Run Stopper – Shed attempts are free on run plays.
Edge Threat – Dominant pass rush moves from the edge.
Goal Line Stuff – Quicker run sheds near the goal line.
Under Pressure – Large area of effect for QB pressure and disruption.
Acrobat – Diving swats and interceptions.
Lurker – Spectacular catch animations for lurking defenders.
Strip Specialist – Reduced tackle penalty while trying to strip the ball.
Returning X-Factor Abilities
Bazooka – Max throwing distance increases by 15+ yards.
Pro Reads – Highlights the first open target & ignores pressure.
Double Me – Wins aggressive catches vs single coverage.
Rac ‘Em Up – Wins RAC catches vs single coverage.
Run Stuffer – Block Shedding is more effective vs run plays.
Momentum Shift – On field opponents have their zone progress wiped.
Reinforcement – Higher chance to defeat run blocks & disrupt catches.
One other thing to note is the defensive back ability, Universal Coverage, is now an X-Factor ability in Madden 21.
Please keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list of every Superstar and X-Factor ability in the game. It is just the ones we know so far.
Which Superstar or X-Factor ability are you most excited to try out in Madden 21? Let us know in the comments!