While many Madden players have been eager to learn how modes like Ultimate Team will change going into Madden 26, the time has come for what many of the Operation Sports community have been waiting for: News on Franchise mode.
For years, it seems that Franchise mode in Madden has only received a few facelifts here and there, whilst major changes have been largely missing. And right now, there is no shortage of changes that the mode needs in order to be the best it can be. Issues pertaining to the salary cap, gameplay, and even presentation/atmosphere have all been sore spots for the Franchise mode faithful.
Not all of these issues are being addressed. That said, Madden 26 is promising its biggest overhaul to Franchise mode in years. But what are some of the biggest changes coming this year? Here are a few.
Just to put this out there, there are a lot of advertised changes — more than we can cover in one article. So if you want to see the full press release yourself, here it is!
The Biggest Changes Coming To Madden 26 Franchise Mode
Coaching Styles
Not every coach in the NFL is the same. Some are offensive geniuses, specializing in developing schemes that will constantly catch even the most elite of defenses off guard. Some specialize in defense and will constantly boast a team of uber-prepared defensemen who are ready to stifle any offense they come up against. And others love developing young talent, relishing the opportunity to work with inexperienced but talented young teams.
In order to capture this incredible diversity, Madden 26 is introducing Coach Archetypes. There are three to choose from:
- Offensive Guru
- Defensive Genius
- Development Wizard
This is an incredibly welcome change to Franchise mode and should give players much more variety when it comes to assembling a team and carving out an identity for it.
In addition to these archetypes, users will also have access to Coach Abilities, which place an emphasis on different aspects of football. The abilities are all tiered 1-4. An example used is “Dr. Dots”, which will provide a variety of different boosts to the passing game depending on which tier you’re at.
Check Out: Madden 26 Promises Unique Pathways and Consequences in Superstar Mode
Coordinators Are Important This Year
Being a head coach in the NFL is a hard job. You’re responsible for every aspect of the team, be it personnel decisions, gameday preparation, and man management. This is why offensive and defensive coordinators are so important in real life.
In past years, Madden has kinda neglected the importance of the coordinators. However, this year — especially with the addition of Coach Archetypes — they are more important than ever. If you, for instance, identify as a defensive-minded head coach, you will need to be careful as to who you hire to be your offensive coordinator. This is your blind spot, and you will need a brilliant mind that will cover for that weakness.
“We’ve built teams with this mindset, making coordinators more important than ever,” the EA deep dive states. “As a head coach, you’ll need to think strategically about how to use your coordinators to cover your own weaknesses and balance your team.”
Primetime Games Feel Different
We all love our Sunday matchups. But something just hits differently about Sunday Night, Monday Night, or Thursday Night Football, where the lights are just a bit brighter than usual. Primetime games should feel different. But, in past Madden games, they just haven’t, outside of a few scorebugs.
Speaking of scorebugs, some eagle-eyed Madden fans discovered three new ones in some recent Madden 26 promotional material. This led to speculation that EA would be doing an overhaul on primetime games. And, as it turns out, the company is doing just that.
“Each of the primetime packages is composed of premium assets with a different look, sound, and feel for Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night games,” the EA deep dive says. “The inclusion of four different broadcast packages is beneficial for the variety of sights and sounds you’ll see and hear as you play from season to season.”
To separate each primetime game from one another, there will be three different broadcast crews. They are as follows:
- Thursday Night = Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis
- Sunday Night = Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen
- Monday Night = Kate Scott and Brock Huard
There are also halftime reports and weekly recaps, which should make a full Madden 26 season hit differently. Immediately, my mind went to NFL 2K5, which featured ESPN’s Chris Berman reviewing scores throughout the week and even included highlights. I’m not sure if EA will deliver that kind of hype, but a guy can dream.
Weekly Storylines
Let’s face it: Outside of the action we see each week, some of the most fun we have when it comes to football pertains to the story threads we see each week. Who’s on the hot seat? Who’s getting benched? In a post Hard Knocks world, we as sports fans have come to love the drama just as much as the sport itself.
Madden 26 promises to deliver a similar kind of experience pertaining to in-game media coverage and decisions. If you don’t back one of your coordinators’ game plans, their relationship with you might sour. If player morale dips too low, you can lose the locker room.
Press conferences aren’t mentioned by name, but an image of one is shown. I’d imagine that’s where fan support comes into play, depending on how you address situations in public.
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