Franchise Mode, arriving in Maximum Football on December 9, is undoubtedly the biggest update the game has received since launch. The mode is slated to bring an ambitious level of flexibility — customizable leagues, front-office management, evolving draft classes tied to Dynasty Mode, stadium upgrades, coordinators and staff roles, dynamic free agency, and a built-for-sandbox structure that lets players craft their own football universe.
On paper, it’s everything an alternative to the dominant Madden franchise needs to compete. But the reality heading into launch is unavoidable: Maximum Football is approaching this milestone with an extremely low active player base.
According to Steam Charts, the numbers currently paint a troubling picture:
- All-time peak: 1,523 players
- 24-hour peak: 106 players
- Players two days ago: 32
As you can tell from a peek at the numbers, they’re not high, and never have been. For a sports title, player counts this low put it in a precarious position where even major updates struggle to gain traction. But ironically, that’s also why Franchise Mode is arriving at exactly the right time. If there’s any update capable of reviving interest, it’s this one.
And the feature set is really substantial. Franchise Mode lets players build entire leagues from scratch — traditional 32-team structures, smaller Spring-style setups, or fully fictional formats. Every detail can be customized, be it overtime rules, kickoff formats, hash marks, scoring systems, and more. It’s a football sandbox in the purest sense, positioning Maximum Football as the most flexible pro-style simulation outside of PC modding scenes.
The connection to Dynasty Mode adds even more depth. College players from your dynasty graduate into your pro league as real draft prospects. Even if your college universe runs years ahead, the game automatically uses the correct graduating classes in each draft cycle. It’s a living ecosystem — something no other football game currently attempts.
Again, on paper, Maximum Football‘s Franchise Mode makes big promises, and many of them are exactly what fans craving an alternative have been asking for. However, the game’s ability to capture attention now becomes critical. If Franchise Mode doesn’t pull players back in — or bring new ones in — the long-term chances of a viable alternative to Madden become increasingly slim.
With the NFL license locked into another multi-year exclusive deal with EA, a high-budget competitor simply isn’t coming. That puts the onus on indie developers such as Maximum Entertainment to fill the void — and on players to be willing to give these projects a real chance. Because if they don’t, it’s unlikely anyone else will.
