Every year, Madden players debate which gameplay setting offers the most authentic football experience: Simulation or Competitive. On paper, Simulation is supposed to mirror the real NFL style of play as closely as possible, while Competitive is geared towards online and head-to-head play.
But after spending time in both modes, one Madden 26 player has reached a surprising conclusion: Competitive might deliver a more realistic experience than Simulation.
One Madden 26 Player Has Tested Simulation Against Competitive
Operation Sports forum user RyanLeaf16 recently decided to run an experiment that pitted Simulation and Competitive against each other in a single-player environment. Using All-Madden default settings with no slider adjustments, he played six games across three different matchups — Cowboys vs. Eagles, Jets vs. Buccaneers, and Bills vs. Ravens. Each matchup was played twice: once on Simulation, once on Competitive.
The results weren’t exactly what he was expecting:
- Cowboys vs. Eagles: On Simulation, the score was 21-10 after the first quarter. On Competitive, it was 3-3.
- Jets vs. Buccaneers: Simulation ended in a 44-36 shootout, while Competitive wrapped up at 27-13.
- Bills vs. Ravens: Simulation produced a wild 49-42 arcade-style game with no punts and absurd QB accuracy. Competitive finished 30-27 with more believable stats.
According to RyanLeaf, the Competitive games looked and felt more like actual NFL contests, with reasonable scores, balanced stats, and fewer head-scratching moments.
Of course, this drew criticism from Leaf, as well as others in the OpSports community. After all, in theory, Simulation should make player attributes matter more, but in practice, it seemed to create bizarre, immersion-breaking outcomes.
For example, according to Leaf’s original research, defensive tackle Vita Vea was planted on a stiff-arm by rookie running back Braelon Allen. And no, not the extended fight animation where a tackle can be shaken off, but a full-on knockdown that sent Vea backwards. And this entire ordeal transpired on Simulation. Meanwhile, when using the Competitive setting, no such thing occurred.
QB play was another sticking point. In one Competitive game, Dak Prescott had 65 passing yards at halftime and a completion percentage under 70, which is pretty realistic. On Simulation, however, CPU quarterbacks were completing passes at a cartoonish rate, with final scores resembling arena football more than NFL stat lines.
All of this begs the question: Are Madden settings mislabeled?
Simulation should, in theory, be the go-to for Franchise players or anyone looking to replicate real-life football in Madden 26. However, this sample size of results refutes that premise and shows Competitive providing way more balance and realism when it comes to stats and even attributes.
So, what gives?
