The release of Madden 26 is just under two months away. And now, EA has begun to reveal what longtime players of the NFL’s only officially licensed football sim can expect when they get their hands on the final product in August. We’ve already been introduced to some new features that are slated to appear, but how will these new functions affect gameplay?
EA Sports has released a gameplay deep dive, and it’s quite extensive. But here are five things that stood out to us here at OpSports. If you want to read the full press release of everything new that’s coming to Madden 26, check that out here.
5 Things That Stood Out In Madden 26 Gameplay Deep Dive
The Weather Is Certainly Extreme
One of the bigger selling points of Madden 26 has been its weather system, which claims to be more advanced than it’s ever been. Obviously, weather has always factored into Madden games in one way or another. But in past years, it’s felt more cosmetic than anything, with weather’s only real effect seemingly being the RNG which determines if a play is successful or not.
This year, however, it seems EA has made it a point for the weather to play an even bigger role in influencing games — we’ve seen glimpses of players losing footing or slipping as they run across the field. In the gameplay deep dive, it’s mentioned that snow, rain, and wind will all factor in.
I’ll admit, it looks really good. But it remains to be seen how much of an effect extreme weather will have in-game.
There Will Be Two-Way Players
Ever since Shohei Ohtani busted onto the sports scene in baseball, sports players serving in multiple different roles on a team have been a big talking point when it comes to video games. Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars — drafted second overall out of Colorado — is essentially football’s Ohtani.
A highly touted receiver and corner in college, Hunter has been tried out on both offense and defense during OTAs. In the Madden 26 gameplay deep dive, he is seen lining up at wide receiver, despite most NFL pundits expecting him to be more of a breakout star at CB.
Now, being able to play offense and defense isn’t exactly a new thing in football games. College Football 25 lets you do it, and technically, you can put defensive tackles at fullback in past Madden titles. You could also do some serious re-arranging of your depth chart. However, there is no “official” way to have a two-way player in Madden. Until now.
In the press release for the gameplay changes, EA has stated that it has “removed certain restrictions on depth charts” so that players can play on both sides of the ball. It’s probably going to be awful for your players’ stamina, but it’s a nice option to have!
Realtime Coaching AI Could Give Players A Better Challenge
The battle to create a formidable AI opponent has been a never-ending odyssey in sports games. It’s never fun when it feels like you’re playing against scripted AI behavior that doesn’t adjust for anything, and is susceptible to the “cheese.”
EA has decided to fight this with what they’re calling Realtime Coaching AI. Football fans got an early glimpse of this feature in College Football 25 last year, and now, it’s in Madden.
Essentially, Realtime Coaching AI (or RTC for short) is designed for AIs to adapt to plays and find ways to stop you. “Building on top of the College enhancements to the system for 26… defenses can now disguise their intentions through delayed safety rotations, pre-play defensive front adjustments, and precisely timed blitz packages,” the press release says. On top of that, each individual coaching AI should respond to your playcalling with their own signature style.
This is obviously a welcome feature for Madden players who don’t enjoy multiplayer modes such as MUT and prefer single-player. It was solid in College Football 25 — which was a significantly better game than any Madden in a while — and with some improvements, it could breathe new life into modes such as Franchise.
Defensive Playbook Overhauls
Everybody loves a good offense. It’s one of the reasons why EA has always tried to make that the focal point of most Madden games. In Madden 25, EA introduced custom route stems, which allowed players to get very imaginative when it comes to offensive playcalling — it was a welcome addition. In Madden 26, the defense is getting some of that same treatment.
Finally — and I mean finally — there will be custom defensive zones available in Madden that allow players to counter custom offensive routes. There’s not much to say about this other than it should be able to give defenses a ton of new options when it comes to covering zones, especially against pass-happy teams.
The Offensive Line Is Finally Getting Some Love
Madden gets a lot of criticism, both of the fair and unfair variety. But one thing is 100%, undeniable truth: Offensive lines suck in Madden. For as much attention as skill players such as QBs, RBs, WRs, etc., get when it comes to gameplay innovations, the offensive line almost always feels like an afterthought. But, according to EA, that has been worked on. And Madden 26 is advertised as having new mechanics when it comes to that aspect of football.
In the press release, EA states that it’s added “unique pass protections to each passing play in the playbook data.” There is also a new feature called “unTarget Defender”, where offensive linemen are instructed to ignore certain players instead of blocking defenders who are of smaller importance. There have also been changes made to linemen’s locomotion, making them move more realistically as opposed to simply strafing left and right.
Now, will the AI perform as intended? That remains to be seen. But we football purists love hearing about the O-line getting some much-needed love!
