With College Football 26 fully unlocked, the hype is at its peak. If you’re booting up the game for the first time, some mechanics might catch you off guard, as they’ve changed a bit from College Football 25.
One of those mechanics is the good old playmaker. Since many players seem unsure about how it works in CFB 26, let’s break down what’s new and how to use the playmaker effectively.
What Is The Playmaker Mechanic?
Before we start talking about what’s changed, let’s have a little recap on the Playmaker mechanic. During gameplay, the playmaker comes in handy as you can alter the receiver’s path after the snap. This way, you can maximize separation and exploit coverage breaks with route adjustments, on the fly.
However, Playmaker is most useful when your route has been predicted by the opponent. Let’s say you were going for a pass-play, and set up a route for your WR. Unfortunately, the opponent predicted that route and marked your receiver. This is where the Playmaker would come in, as you’ll be able to alter your receiver’s route and dodge the defender.
With that said, let’s rewind to last year’s game and see how playmakers used to operate in College Football 25.
How Playmaking Was Done In College Football 25?
While the purpose remains the same, the way you use the playmaker mechanic in College Football 26 is different from EA’s previous installment. In College Football 25, playmaking was simple: just flick the right stick in the direction of your intended receiver, and that was it.
Of couse, it sounds easy on paper, but it was a headache, especially when you bump into the right stick by accident during pressure. As a result, it was common for players to send their receivers in random directions, while their main intention was to keep them adhered to their original position.
How To Use The Playmaker Ability In College Football 26
There’s no rocket science behind the playmaker mechanic in College Football 26. While it will feel new due to the CFB 25 muscle memory acting up, the change is very subtle.
To use it in CFB 26, follow these steps.
- Snap the ball and initiate play development.
- After the snap, look for your nearest wide receiver, someone who is fast.
- Hold L2 (if on PlayStation) or LT (if on Xbox), then simply flick your right stick in the direction you want them to go. (You’ll be able to identify which receiver you’ve selected through the black circle that appears under them.)
This is how you can successfully use the playmaker in College Football 26. All EA has done is add the left trigger to the mix, so players don’t accidentally make runs they never intended. This is honestly a great addition, and won’t take much getting used to. Just practice it 2-3 times, and you’ll be golden.
