Franchise fans, we hope you’re sitting down. To put it bluntly, this is the biggest Franchise Mode update we’ve made in over a decade. This Deep Dive will walk you through all the details of what we’ve been working on and we hope you’ll see why we couldn’t be more excited to finally share it with you.

Our development team is incredibly passionate about Franchise Mode. We’re longtime fans just like you, and we’ve poured that passion into every part of this year’s update.

For Madden NFL 26, we focused on three major areas to bring you the most comprehensive improvements yet. Our goal was to make Franchise deeper, more dynamic and more true to the NFL experience:

, we want you to every single week, all season long. Whether it’s building your staff, adjusting your strategy or preparing for your next opponent, your decisions will matter more than ever.

, we focused on making sure . From AI behavior and player traits to weather effects and opponent tendencies, each matchup should feel unique and bring new challenges to the table.

, we know you want . You want Monday Nights to feel special. You want to feel the shift in atmosphere when the calendar flips to December. You want to see what’s going on around the league via Halftime Shows and a Weekly Recap. 

We’re delivering of that this year.

Before we get into the new features, I wanted to talk about our number one priority.

We want screens to load quicker, and we definitely know you want them to load quicker. We spent a lot of time early in our development cycle focusing on how quickly our screens load. We agree that they felt sluggish and wanted to make sure we addressed that right away. We’ve spent a lot of time tracking the loading speed and fixing issues related to that. It may not be the most exciting change to the mode this year, but we know you’ll appreciate it and it should definitely improve your experience.

Now - let’s kick things off with your all-new coaching experience.

In order to make sure your coach feels like you, they need to look the part. Custom coaches got a massive overhaul, with 200 new heads to choose from when creating your coach.

There’s also a ton of new gear exclusively for custom coaches. With more than 50 new shirts, 15 pants and 40 shoes, you can make more than 30,000 combinations to wear on the sidelines.

From a shirt & tie and slacks to a sleeveless shirt and shorts, you can bring your own style to the field every week– and change it up each game if you want.

Every coach in Madden NFL 26 will fall under one of three distinct archetypes: Offensive Guru, Defensive Genius or Development Wizard. As a created coach, choosing your archetype will be the first decision you make and will impact how you evolve and develop as a coach. This choice will dictate not only the abilities you start with, but also the abilities you will unlock as you progress in your career. As an , the entire unlock path will consist of offensive-minded abilities and the same goes for the where its unlock path will be centered around defensive-minded abilities. As a , the unlock path will primarily be a mix of off the field abilities and gameplay abilities. All existing coaches will also fall under one of these three archetypes and the abilities they possess will be tailored to match their real-life counterparts.

When it comes to coach progression, each coach now has a level from 1 to 50. If you create a coach, you’ll begin at level 1. As your career advances and you reach higher levels, you’ll unlock new abilities and ability slots (we’ll talk more about those later). To level up, you’ll need to earn Coach XP. There are a few ways to earn it, but the main method is through completing goals. In addition to Season and Career Milestone goals, we’ve added in-game goals. These let you and your coordinators earn XP weekly based on what happens during your games. After each week, you’ll see a summary of your completed goals, how much XP you earned, and how close you are to your next level. If you level up, you’ll also get a special tab that shows off any new unlocks you've earned.

New to Madden NFL 26 are . Coach Abilities have been built to reflect the authentic skills, traits and characteristics displayed by NFL coaches on a weekly basis.

Abilities are split into two types: Gameday Abilities and Season Abilities. Gameday Abilities do exactly what the name suggests. They impact your team directly during games and influence gameplay in unique ways. We’ve made a focused effort to ensure these abilities do more than just boost attributes. They’re designed to affect actual gameplay moments and interactions. That said, if you’re the kind of player who likes to give a specific position group a stat boost before a game, don’t worry, there are still coach abilities that offer traditional attribute increases.

When it comes to Gameday Abilities, there will be 46 different abilities at a launch, including 22 offensive and 24 defensive Abilities. Utilize the ability to give your offensive tackles an increased chance to win against various pass rush moves. Equip the ability to give your receivers a higher chance of catching passes or counter it defensively with which gives your defenders an increased chance of knocking potential catches loose. Or if you’re looking for a game changing hit, equip my personal favorite ability to give your defenders a higher hit stick timing window and increased chances of forcing fumbles. Here is a preview of some more Gameday Abilities we will be delivering in Madden NFL 26:

Coaches with this Ability: Andy Reid, Sean McVay, Zac Taylor and Mike McDaniel

Coaches with this Ability: Nick Sirianni, Jim Harbaugh, Kyle Shanahan and Shane Steichen

Coaches with this Ability: Mike Tomlin, Jonathan Gannon, Sean McDermott and Todd Bowles

Coaches with this Ability: Mike Tomlin, Mike Macdonald, Mike Vrabel and Dan Quinn

When it comes to Season Abilities, there will be 28 at launch and they are tailored to the off the field aspects of franchise mode and will be heavily based around player progression, scouting and building your staff. Looking to fast track the development of your players? Use one of the many abilities to gain an increased amount of Training XP. Need a leg up on the upcoming draft? Equip the ability to hire more Tier 3 scouts or the ability to gain scouting percentage boosts on all quarterback prospects. Here are a few more examples of some Season Abilities:

Coaches with this Ability: Mike Tomlin, Mike Macdonald, Mike Vrabel and Dan Quinn

Coaches with this Ability: Sean McVay, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Campbell and Nick Sirianni

Every Coach Ability in Madden NFL 26 consists of four tiers. As an ability progresses tiers, the effects of the previous tiers stack and the ability becomes more powerful. Abilities can be progressed in two different ways: . Each tier of a Gameday Ability will have an Upgrade Goal and completing the goal will unlock the next tier and its effect. However, it goes both ways. Part of becoming a great NFL coach is not only building a team that can be successful but the other, arguably more important part, is sustaining that success. When designing this feature, we wanted to ensure that the replayability was high and that there wasn’t a distinct ceiling where you could no longer progress as a coach. Enter Knockout and Mastery Goals.

Each tier of an ability has both an Upgrade Goal and a Knockout Goal. The helps move the ability up to the next tier, while the can do the opposite. If the Knockout Goal is completed before the Upgrade Goal, the ability will drop to a lower tier. For example, if an ability is at Tier 1 and its Knockout Goal is met first, the ability will be removed completely and must be repurchased to unlock it again. This reflects how coaches evolve throughout their careers, trying new strategies and adapting. Ultimately, their success on the field shapes how they’re judged. That’s the idea behind Knockout Goals: if you can’t turn an ability into real in-game success, it may be downgraded or lost.

Lastly, there’s the final part of the progression system, Mastery Goals. Once you upgrade an ability to Tier 4, the Upgrade Goals shift into Mastery Goals. Each tier has its own Mastery Goal. When a Mastery Goal is completed, that tier becomes permanent. So, if you finish the Tier 1 Mastery Goal, Tier 1 of that ability is yours forever and can’t be lost. If you complete the Tier 4 Mastery Goal, the ability becomes fully mastered and can never regress or be removed.

Upgrade, Knockout and Mastery Goals will come in two types: and . Game Goals are things you can achieve in a single game, for example, an Upgrade Goal might be ‘Get 4 Passing TDs in a Game’, while the Knockout Goal could be ‘Allow 5 Sacks in a Game’. On the other hand, Cumulative Goals track progress over time. For example, an Upgrade Goal could be ‘Pass for 300 Yards in a Game Twice’, while the Knockout Goal might be ‘Allow 3 Sacks in a Game Three Times’. Progress on Cumulative Goals carries across weeks and seasons, and only resets when an Upgrade or Knockout condition is triggered.

The Weekly Strategy part of Franchise mode has been completely redesigned, with a big focus on Coach Abilities. During development, we set out to fix one of the biggest issues with the old coach talents system: it didn’t put enough weight on actual strategy. In the NFL, it’s not just about how many tools a coach has, it’s about how they use those tools to solve the challenge in front of them. Our goal with the new Weekly Strategy was to capture that chess match and make each decision matter more than ever.

When you first jump in, you’ll notice three different types of loadouts: a Staff Loadout, a Playsheet Loadout and a Trainer Loadout.

Think of the Staff Loadout as your weekly gameplan. It consists of up to six slots, and the number of available slots depends on your coach level. A well-established coach like Andy Reid will start with all six slots unlocked, while a created coach begins with just three. Each slot can be filled with either a Gameday or Season Ability from any member of your staff.

At the start of each week, your loadout will be automatically filled with suggested abilities based on how your team matches up with that week’s opponent. If you have a strong run game, you’ll likely see more run-based abilities recommended to help take advantage. If your defense has weak spots and you're up against someone like Patrick Mahomes, you’ll probably see more pass rush and coverage-focused abilities. These suggestions are designed to give you a helpful starting point, but ultimately it's up to you to choose how to prepare. You can adjust your loadout however you like each week.

On the right side of the Weekly Strategy screen, you’ll see a matchup panel that breaks down how your team compares to your opponent in various areas, along with the impact your abilities are having. You’ll also find a set of scouting cards that highlight key opposing players, current injuries, individual and position group matchups, and even a breakdown of the opponent’s coaches and their top abilities, giving you insight into how they might gameplan for you.

A few additional things to consider when filling out your staff loadout:

As crucial as head coaches are, their coordinators play an equally vital role in a team’s success. If you’re an offensive-minded coach, your defensive coordinator essentially becomes the head coach of your defense, the reverse is true for defensive specialists. Coaches like Sean McVay, Todd Bowles, and Andy Reid are known for focusing on one side of the ball and leaning heavily on their coordinators to lead the other. That’s exactly what we aimed to reflect when assigning abilities to coordinators.

If you’re an offensive guru, your only access to defensive abilities will come from your defensive coordinator, making them a key part of your weekly strategy. You can go all-in on offense and try to win every game in a shootout, but as the saying goes: defense wins championships. A strong defensive coordinator gives you more tools, better options, and greater impact. The same logic applies to defensive masterminds. Offense is still necessary to win games, and a skilled offensive coordinator could be what separates a good season from a deep playoff run.

We’ve built teams with this mindset, making coordinators more important than ever. You’ll see a variety of coordinators, some experienced veterans with more and higher-tier abilities, and others who are younger with fewer, lower-tier abilities that improve as they develop. 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.

Just like head coaches, coordinators have their own set of in-game goals that reward Coach XP when completed. Their abilities can progress, regress, and even be mastered, adding another layer to your team's growth and success.

Playsheets have been mentioned a few times already here and you’re probably asking yourself: what exactly is a Playsheet?! Think of Playsheets as mini playbooks you can bring into a game to expand your base offensive or defensive playbook. From the emergence of the Wildcat in 2008 to Andy Reid breaking out Rose Bowl Right Parade in Super Bowl 54, for years we’ve seen NFL Coaches bring unique concepts to gameday. That was a huge inspiration behind this feature. 

Playsheets are treated just like gameday and season abilities in that they will also have four tiers. The first tier simply unlocks the playsheet while all subsequent tiers provide attribute boosts to your players while running those plays in-game. Playsheets also follow the same progression model that coach abilities do. Each playsheet tier will have an Upgrade and Knockout condition that controls how it progresses or regresses. Playsheet abilities can also be mastered.

Here are a few examples of some Playsheets you can utilize in Madden NFL 26:

Based on the classic scheme that rose to prominence in the 1980s, the West Coast playsheet focuses on ball control, rhythm and high-percentage passing concepts and features a myriad of runs and passes from Near and Far formations.

Coaches with this Playsheet: Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, Jim Harbaugh and Matt LaFleur

Utilizing five wide receivers and every inch of the field, the Wide Empty playsheet will spread the defense out to the max, stressing defensive backs and forcing them to cover every blade of grass.

Coaches with this Playsheet: Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, Kevin O’Connell and Kellen Moore

Another classic scheme popularized in the late 80s and early 90s, the Run N Shoot Playsheet features both the Pistol - Trips Open and Singleback - Spread formations. Nicknamed “The Lonesome Polecat” this playsheet focuses heavily on spreading defenses out using a halfback and four wide receivers.

Coaches with this Playsheet: Sean McVay, Shane Steichen, Brian Callahan and Kellen Moore

Tip the scales with the Heavy Sets playsheet. A run-heavy set of plays out of formations like the Split T, Shotgun - Heavy, Maryland I and the Power I. If you’re looking to pound the rock and grind teams out, this is the playsheet for you.

Coaches with this Playsheet: Dan Campbell, Jim Harbaugh, Nick Sirianni and Kevin Stefanski

Put the pressure on offensive units with a playsheet featuring various blitzes from 4-3, 4-2-5 Over G, Nickel 3-3 and Nickel 2-4 Dbl Mug formations.

Coaches with this Playsheet: Mike Macdonald, Todd Bowles, Aaron Glenn and Raheem Morris

As mentioned earlier, just like you have a Staff Loadout to set each week, you’ll also have a to configure. The Playsheet Loadout includes four slots, and the number of available slots depends on your Coach Level. The playsheets you equip here will carry into the game and work alongside your base offensive and defensive playbooks.

During the game, your selected playsheet formations and plays will be smoothly integrated into the playcalling menu. You’ll also see a dedicated Playsheets tab within that menu. This tab will show all the specific playsheets you brought into the game, allowing you to quickly access any of your playsheet plays, organized by their playsheet. Additionally, you’ll be able to view the active playsheet tiers, along with a full statistical breakdown showing how well each playsheet play has performed in actual gameplay.

With Abilities now extending to your Coordinator and Trainer, managing your staff has never been more important.

From the Coach Central hub (more on that soon), you’ll get a full view of what each staff member brings to your team. Track their Goals to level them up, or view their Abilities to see how they can impact your team on gameday. You can also spend Staff Points to unlock abilities earlier, allowing you to shape your staff to fit your exact strategy.

If your current staff doesn’t match your vision for the franchise, you can head into the to find someone who does. At certain times during the season, you’ll also be able to fire your staff and browse available replacements. .

To help guide those decisions, a new metric called Job Security has been added for all coordinators. This value updates based on how your team is performing and whether the offense or defense is trending up or down. A higher value means more stability, while lower values suggest you might want to consider a change at the next opportunity.

It’s not just you making these moves, CPU teams will be using the same mechanics to build their own NFL dynasties. Everything described here is part of their decision-making too. That means your top coordinators might be hired away for head coaching jobs. Nothing’s guaranteed. The CPU is playing by the same rules, using the same data, and chasing the same goal: building a winner.

With so much new content for staff, it needed a new home. Coach Central is the hub for your entire coaching team and their abilities, playsheets, and progression.

From the , you’ll get a quick snapshot of your coach and staff. You can check their unlocked abilities, edit your custom coach, and view both your coordinators’ Job Securities and your own Approval Rating (a new way to track how you're performing as a head coach).

Strong relationships are essential to being a leader in the NFL. Your Approval Rating reflects how well you manage key groups: the GM, Coaching Staff, Players, Fans, and the Media. Each week, their opinions shift based on how your team performs. If you’re winning, your rating goes up. If things go poorly, expect it to drop. This system gives you a real-time view of where you stand as head coach.

At the end of each season, coaches are judged based on their Approval Rating. The same rules apply to both user and CPU coaches. If your rating is too low and your support is weak, you might find yourself out of a job. If you do hang on, your Approval Rating carries into future seasons. A rough year can put you on the hot seat, forcing you to bounce back and rebuild trust with those key groups the following season.

In the , you’ll find everything available to you and your staff. Unlocked items are organized into categories: Offensive, Defensive, and for abilities specifically, Progression, Staff Building, and Scouting. You’ll be able to see which abilities and playsheets you’ve unlocked, what tier they’re at, and your current progress toward their upgrade or downgrade goals. You can also use Staff Points to skip upgrade goals. Keep in mind, Mastery Goals can’t be bypassed, those still require success on the field.

The Upcoming and Locked sections show abilities and playsheets you don’t own yet. You can still preview and purchase them with staff points. Upcoming abilities are part of a staff member’s unlock path, meaning they’ll earn them as they level up. Locked abilities, on the other hand, won’t unlock naturally. If you want early access to an upcoming ability or want to give your coach or coordinator more variety, you can spend staff points to unlock it and make your staff more unique.

Lastly, the Goals tab shows how to earn the XP and staff points needed to grow your coaching staff. In-Game and Seasonal Goals provide short-term and long-term targets to hit. If you’re a head coach, there’s also a Narrative Goals tab that tracks the promises you’ve made in your Coach Storylines. These affect your Approval Rating and play a role in shaping your coach’s personal storyline.

Your story begins on day one. As a new coach, your journey kicks off with an opening interview, giving you the chance to shape your first chapter. This is where you set the tone, defining who you are and how you plan to leave your mark.

From there, your story unfolds. The impact of your Staff, their Abilities, and how different groups view your performance all play a role in your path forward.

For instance, Coordinators may approach you with their Gameday Strategy. If you dismiss their input or make poor choices, their trust in your leadership may decline. But if things go well, they can earn XP, and even unlock or upgrade their abilities.

When things are going your way, morale stays high and the experience is positive. But if support starts to fade, the tone shifts. Players might hold meetings without involving you and the Media won’t hold back.

It’s up to you to handle each situation, not just to win on the field, but to build a franchise where every member of your organization feels empowered to contribute to a winning culture.

Facing off against an AI QB in Madden NFL 26 is going to feel different than it has in the past. The gameplay team has completely reengineered how AI players behave on the field by introducing a brand-new system of player traits.

At launch, Madden NFL 26 will debut 50 unique player traits, designed to capture the decision-making logic behind CPU-controlled athletes. These traits don’t affect gameplay outcomes directly. Instead, they shape how individual AI players respond to game situations, helping them feel more distinct and true-to-life in their play styles. Each trait is rooted in authentic NFL data to ensure authentic behavior you see every week in the NFL. 

For instance, Josh Allen is assigned the ‘Run Over’ trait, making him more inclined to power through tackles instead of sliding or stepping out of bounds while scrambling. This is backed by the fact that over the past two seasons, Allen has led the league with 54% of his scrambles resulting in 3+ yards after contact.

When we generate Draft Prospects, they’ll all have these new traits, too! 

While the spotlight this year is on quarterbacks, the trait system applies across all positions and will continue to grow beyond launch. 

Every week, you’ll have to gameplan for players that have these special traits. Derrick Henry, Isaiah Pacheco, Justin Jefferson. And yes… Saquon Barkley. Good luck if you’re playing the Eagles twice a year. Here are some of the Franchise team’s favorite traits:

This new traits framework adds depth and personality to every player, helping bridge the gap between CPU and human competition. Whether you’re going head-to-head with an AI QB or building your gameplan around your opponent’s most dangerous player this week, the system ensures every player plays like you’d expect them to. 

One of the most exciting ways we’re bringing the personality and style of the NFL to life in Franchise Mode is through the introduction of Coach DNA. This feature captures the distinct strategies and behaviors of every NFL head coach, making each matchup feel more authentic and unpredictable. Gone are the days of exploiting repetitive CPU playcalling — now, success demands real preparation, adaptation, and a deep understanding of your opponent’s coaching philosophy.

At the heart of this innovation is Data-Driven Coaching, a powerful new system built directly from nearly a decade of real NFL data. We've trained a machine learning model on years of playcalling tendencies across the league, giving rise to a predictive engine that mirrors how actual coaches make decisions in the heat of the moment. It allows you to step into a true-to-life simulation and wonder: What play would Andy Reid call here? How would Dan Campbell handle this fourth down? Madden now answers those questions with strategic depth.

This model powers not only the AI’s in-game decisions but also the revamped Coach Suggestions system. It dynamically adjusts recommendations based on contextual factors like down and distance, score, time remaining, field position, personnel on the field, timeouts, and even weather conditions. Each CPU-controlled team now calls plays with a personality that reflects its real-life counterpart. You’ll notice the Lions under Dan Campbell playing aggressively and taking fourth-down risks, while the Eagles under Nick Sirianni lean into RPOs and zone reads to complement Jalen Hurts’ strengths.

Even your own playcalling experience will reflect this evolution. When browsing the Coach Suggestions, you’ll be shown what the real-life head coach would likely call in that same situation — giving you a chance to test your instincts against theirs and sharpen your strategic edge. 

Real-Time Coaching AI (RTC) also significantly advances Madden 26’s schematic depth by providing players with an authentic NFL strategic experience that dynamically evolves throughout each game. Defenses can now disguise their intentions through delayed safety rotations, pre-play defensive front adjustments, and precisely timed blitz packages. This evolution forces players to carefully read and react post-snap.

Detailed NFL Coach Archetypes further amplify this realism, closely mirroring the strategic philosophies of actual NFL defensive coordinators. Teams like the Vikings and Chiefs aggressively pressure quarterbacks through blitz-heavy schemes and disruptive pass-rushing techniques. Other teams like to disguise coverages, like the Eagles that primarily play defense from a two-high coverage shell, or the Steelers that operate from a one-high look. AI-controlled teams will be utilizing diverse personnel groupings, blitz adjustments and disguises to create confusion at the line of scrimmage.

With the dynamic nature of the RTC system, every game you play should feel more rewarding and strategic, while displaying the signature identity of the team you’re playing against every week. 

Madden fans, get ready— we’re introducing a brand-new feature that brings even more depth and excitement to your Franchise experience. This year, we’ve overhauled the injury system, making how you manage your team more strategic and unpredictable than ever before.

Madden NFL 26 adds a new feature called —a system that tracks every hit a player takes in a game and accumulates those impacts across the season. It’s designed to reflect real-life player health, forcing you to manage workloads realistically. Relying too heavily on a few players—like giving Derrick Henry 40 carries or running Lamar Jackson 30 times—will carry consequences. Inspired by ideas from the College Football team, Wear and Tear launches with Dynamic Subs, letting you make on-the-fly substitutions during preplay, and full slider customization for Franchise mode.

After each game, players recover some health, but not always fully—especially if they accumulated a lot of Wear and Tear in last week’s game. Early in the season, this might not be noticeable. But as the season goes on, Wear and Tear builds up, making player management more important if you want a healthy squad for the playoffs. Don’t expect to win back-to-back Super Bowls with Saquon Barkley at 60% health. Spread the touches during the season to keep stars fresh and help backups develop.

In the past, injuries also came with a fixed number of weeks for recovery. That’s gone. Now, when a player gets injured, you’ll see a range of weeks instead of a set duration. This change adds suspense and forces you to make more thoughtful decisions as the season unfolds.

Longer injuries will show broader recovery windows at first, but as time passes, that range becomes more precise. This mirrors how real-life recovery works and adds another layer of realism to your Franchise experience. The system keeps you engaged all season long, helping you plan better as you gain clearer information week by week.

Injuries also now behave more realistically, with statuses that evolve over time based on various factors. A player’s condition might improve—or get worse—week to week. This change builds on the existing Weekly Strategy and Training system, adding a new layer of unpredictability to player availability.

Wear and Tear directly affects our new weekly player statuses —Out, Doubtful, or Questionable. Before simulating training for the week, you’ll see each player’s current status. Players who are Questionable or Doubtful have a chance of being ruled ‘OUT’ after training if you don’t let them rest.

Now you can rest players individually instead of only adjusting training by position group. This allows more strategic decisions—whether to sit a star or keep them in full pads. After training, you’ll immediately see updated statuses and XP gains. You’ll also see a player’s status update and you’ll get the final word on whether they can go this week or not. 

Don’t worry—we’re giving you more tools and support to help manage Wear and Tear. Your Trainer plays a key role in keeping your team healthy through . These abilities can boost how much players recover each week, lower the chance of in-game injuries, and improve the odds that injured players will be cleared to play. Just like Coach Abilities, you’ll choose which trainer abilities to activate each week in Weekly Strategy. Whether it’s during practice or on game day, your trainer helps you make smarter choices to protect your roster.

You’ll now have more control than ever over player health. Decisions like how hard you train and when to give players rest days will have lasting effects. Having the right Trainer on staff can be the difference between a healthy lineup or a team battling injuries all season long. 

Our new Wear and Tear injury and health management system adds real consequences to every decision, bringing more realism, immersion, and depth to Franchise mode. Every game, practice, and rest day counts—and the choices you make will impact not just your season, but your entire organization for years to come.

We’re thrilled to finally give our players the experience of three primetime broadcast packages in addition to our new Madden package. 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 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. For example, you’ll immediately notice the score bug as one of many visual elements with a distinct look for each package.

We’ve also included custom broadcast graphics for pregames, drive starters, and touchdowns. There’s also package-specific wipes for players and teams.

One of our favorite things we created for each broadcast package is an NFL bumper that precedes a game. The stunning visuals and authentic music are complemented by the Super Bowl’s annual PA announcer, Al Roach.

When you hear Al say, “EA SPORTS welcomes you to the following presentation of the National Football League,” you know it’s almost gametime!

Last year, we introduced 3 commentary teams. This year, we assigned each one to a primetime package:

As you make your way through a season, what you hear about a QB taking the field from Greg Olsen’s perspective will be different from the games assigned to Brock Huard or Charles Davis.

For non-primetime games, the commentary team will be chosen at random. One of the most memorable and distinct elements of our primetime packages are the theme songs. We composed a specific version for each one of them. Our custom audio elements are also delivered in the details, like the specific sound designs you’ll hear for the various banners and wipes.

We think you’ll agree our broadcast packages are worthy additions to the NFL lexicon of sights and sounds.

The wait for highlights from other games… It’s almost over!

You’ll see highlights from across the league in the Halftime Report, bringing the world around you to life in Franchise mode. It doesn’t end with CPU highlights. For the first time in any NFL video game, you’ll also see your friends’ highlights appear at halftime in a multi-user online league. When a friend’s highlight is chosen for the show, their customized Player Card will appear on-screen. If it’s a highlight from a game with two other players in your online league, you’ll see each of their player cards.

One of the most exciting elements of our Halftime Report is the host, Scott Hanson. Who could be better to speak about games around the league than the beloved host?!

Scott’s energy and enthusiasm for football elevate the experience as he brings context to matchups throughout the season. A personal favorite is when he calls out National Tight Ends Day in Week 8 when a touchdown is scored by , you guessed it, a tight end.

Additionally, our broadcast package theme songs serve as the foundation throughout the halftime show, giving the experience an epic feel.

We extended our ability to show CPU highlights in the Halftime Report to our Weekly Recap. This new feature is available on-demand in the Franchise hub as a way to experience highlights from across the league.

Just like the Halftime Report, the Weekly Recap will also include highlights from other players in your multi-user online league. You’ll also get to see your own highlights as well. It’s our way of bringing sights to the stats. Scott Hanson also hosts the Weekly Recap, sharing insights from matchups across the league.

Early in the season, you’ll hear details mentioned such as a first-year head coach notching the first win of his NFL career. Midway through a season, Scott will call out the teams that are extending win streaks, identify the squads trying to bounce back, and call attention to the matchups with playoff implications. As the calendar reaches December, you’ll hear about the teams clinching spots in the postseason and the others already looking ahead to next year.

You’ll see the Weekly Recap become available in the Franchise hub after you complete your first game of the regular season.

NFL weather is a legendary part of NFL mythology. It can completely change the game adding variety, unpredictability, and challenge every single week.

In Franchise mode, we’ve fine-tuned the weather in every city, from Buffalo to Miami to Seattle, so you’ll experience the kinds of conditions you’d expect in real life. Whether it’s a sunny day in LA or a snowstorm in Green Bay, the weather will feel authentic to each location.

We’ve reworked everything from average temperatures to precipitation rates. If you’re heading to Buffalo in January, it’ll feel just as tough as it does in real life.

This year, weather isn’t just a visual feature, it’s deeply woven into gameplay. We’ve completely overhauled how the weather looks and how it plays. Every existing weather condition has been enhanced, and we’ve added brand-new dynamic environments like heavy snow with fog or intense rain with fog.

When the weather shifts, your strategy needs to as well. Dense fog will reduce visibility, making it tougher to read the field and execute passes—just like it would challenge a real NFL quarterback. Slippery conditions impact every player: receivers might stumble off the line, linemen and defenders can lose footing during explosive moves, and quick cuts might not land cleanly. All of this is tied directly to a player’s Change of Direction (COD) rating and the strength of the precipitation.

Weather isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a game changer. Prepare for an experience that will test your skills and ability to adapt your strategy to conquer the unpredictable elements. Rain, snow, and wind will test your skills like never before. Watch as Speed (SPD), Acceleration (ACC), and Change of Direction (COD) are put to the test, just like real-life athletes facing tough weather. Kicking and throwing become high-stakes, with power and accuracy potentially compromised by the conditions.. You'll witness more dramatic moments when catching or running the ball including fumbles, broken tackles, and sliding hits—all influenced by player ratings and how well a team can adapt to that kind of climate. Get ready for some wild and unpredictable action!

That’s right, climate familiarity now plays a role. Teams used to cold weather such as Buffalo, Chicago, Green Bay, Cleveland, and Philadelphia will perform better in the snow, experiencing fewer penalties to movement and traction. In contrast, warm-weather teams like Miami, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and San Francisco will have a tougher time in icy conditions. But when it’s scorching hot, those same cold-weather teams will fatigue more quickly, while heat-acclimated squads maintain their stamina longer.

All of this is powered by a major upgrade to our weather simulation engine. Precipitation is now dynamic and can vary throughout the game. Wind patterns behave more realistically, adding another layer of depth to your kicking and passing decisions. Every game with weather will feel different, with its own unique challenges.

In Madden NFL 26, Franchise weather is no longer just part of the scenery, it’s a real opponent. You’ll need to be ready for it and find ways to overcome it.

Let’s dive into the updates we’ve made to . This year, we spent a lot of time analyzing real NFL Draft trends from the past two years. Our goal was to identify patterns we could replicate to make the draft in Madden feel more realistic than ever.

One of the biggest trends we noticed is how much NFL teams are investing in the trenches, especially on the interior defensive line. You’ll see more offensive and defensive linemen being drafted across the board, just like we’ve seen in recent real-life drafts.

Another clear pattern was how some teams chose to double down at certain positions. Instead of just taking one cornerback or wide receiver, they would draft multiple players at the same spot. It’s a strategic move to increase the odds of landing a true difference-maker and now, that logic is reflected in Franchise. Teams that need a CB or WR won’t hesitate to grab two or three if they’re looking to build depth and find a star. Obviously we don’t want teams to do this with positions like QB but for positions where they need a lot of depth to handle wear and tear, they can and will take multiple players at the same position.

We also saw a shift in how teams are valuing running backs. After years of avoiding them in the early rounds, the last couple of drafts have shown a renewed appreciation for the position. In Madden, you’ll now see teams more willing to take a running back earlier than they did in Madden 25. It’s a subtle but important change that better reflects today’s NFL.

Beyond that, we’ve adjusted the value of other key positions as well. From Sam and Will linebackers to safeties, cornerbacks, and edge rushers—we’ve tuned their importance in the draft process to better mirror how modern NFL teams build their rosters.

Overall, these updates bring a deeper layer of realism and strategy to the draft. You’ll notice smarter decisions, better roster building, and more authentic team behavior throughout Franchise mode.

One of the biggest improvements we’ve made to the this year is the way we’ve assigned traits to new players. Every draft prospect now comes with carefully selected traits, making each one feel truly unique. This adds more variety and personality to the rookies you draft, and we can’t wait to see how they perform on the field in your franchise.

We also know how much our fans look forward to the unique draft generators each year—so for Madden NFL 26, we’ve added even more.

Without giving too much away, you’ll notice new types of players entering the draft pool. That includes exciting gadget players, dedicated long snappers, specialized SAM and WILL linebackers, and some rare, one-of-a-kind tight ends, running backs and safeties that are sure to stand out. And that’s not all—we’ve added other rare and unique player types too, but we’ll leave those for you to discover.

Let us know when you start spotting these new hidden gems—we’re looking forward to seeing who becomes your next franchise star.

When tuning this year, we focused on three main goals.

First, we wanted to prevent star players—like Derrick Henry—from retiring too early. In past versions, players like him could walk away after just one season, even if they were still performing at a high level in their early 30s. That didn’t feel right. In reality, Henry just signed a new deal with the Ravens and clearly isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Second, we found that the old retirement system put too much emphasis on a player’s percentile ranking at their position, rather than their actual overall rating. That led to some really good players being forced into retirement too early just because they weren’t in the absolute top tier at their position. We’ve adjusted this so that high-performing veterans have a better shot at sticking around if they’re still producing on the field.

And finally, we noticed a rare edge case where a very small percentage of players could slip through the cracks of our retirement logic. These players could stick around longer than intended, even if they were past typical retirement age or no longer playing at a high level. This happened because the logic allowed them to bypass the normal retirement checks based on a combination of age and percentile standing.

With these updates, retirement decisions in Madden NFL 26 will feel more realistic, better reflect real-world player careers, and keep your Franchise experience grounded in authentic NFL logic season after season.

now follows real-life aging curves more closely, with decline rates based on actual NFL data by position. For example, wide receivers will now stay in their prime longer than running backs—just like in real life. The timing of decline now better matches how different positions age over time in the NFL.

One big change is to . In the past, a player could drop multiple tiers in one offseason—like falling from X-Factor all the way to Normal (Bronze). That won’t happen anymore. Now, players can only drop one tier per season, making regression feel more natural and realistic.

We’ve also removed the random element that previously influenced development trait changes. Before, some trait regression was based on chance in order to keep the distribution balanced. Going forward, it’s all about performance. A player’s development trait will now be determined by how they compare statistically to others at their position.

To support this new performance-based system, we’ve raised the standards for keeping a development trait. Players must hit higher statistical benchmarks within their position group to maintain their current tier. This rewards consistent on-field success and helps prevent traits from sticking without merit.

We’ve also updated how ability progression buckets work, making player archetypes feel more distinct. When you spend skill points, the attribute boosts now better match your chosen archetype. For example, upgrading a Scrambler QB will boost different stats than upgrading a Field General. This strengthens each archetype’s unique identity and play style.

Together, these updates make player progression and regression more realistic, more satisfying, and more directly tied to performance—just like in the real NFL.

One of the biggest pieces of feedback we’ve heard from you is that franchise simulation stats are too closely tied to team playbooks. We’re always focused on making the simulation stats reflect real-life NFL seasons and that includes addressing your feedback within our sim system. This year, we have reduced the overall impact of playbooks within the sim engine and we’re confident that sim stats for Madden NFL 26 will be better than ever before. We said it earlier, but our team is full of longtime Franchise mode fans - we understand how important it is that our engine is delivering exciting, but realistic results in every Franchise. Keep sharing your feedback on this one, we read it all!

We thought it would be interesting to “pop the hood” to walk those of you who are interested in learning more about our sim engine and talk shop on how we have approached it this year. Our sim engine is very robust and calculates a ton of factors on a per play basis. We track where each player lines up, which routes receivers are running, who the primary receiver is, who’s covering each receiver in man or zone as each play unfolds, and much more. Since our sim engine is this detailed, even a small change in how we tune stats can have a big ripple effect. One minor tweak can suddenly lead to strange results, like tight ends only catching 20 passes in an entire season - so tweaking a system like this always comes with great care.

One area we have been looking at is how the game decides which receiver a quarterback targets on a pass play. That decision depends on many factors, as listed above, including who’s covering the receiver and how skilled that defender is. For example, if the playbook makes Travis Kelce the primary receiver on a given play, and he has a favorable matchup against the defender covering him, the QB is more likely to throw to him. This makes sense on the surface, but it can lead to overly-repetitive or unrealistic stat outcomes. It also results in the Chiefs always favoring tight ends on pass plays even after Kelce has retired in your Franchise. We found that playbook logic was playing too large of a role in the sim calculation, so we took a different approach.

We started to experiment with shifting the logic to rely more on matchups and less on playbook assignments. However, when we completely remove the primary receiver factor from the playbook data, the results become too extreme. For instance, Ja'Marr Chase might end up with 250 catches and 35 touchdowns in a single season, while another top-tier tight end like Brock Bowers might barely register in the stat sheet. In those cases, QBs like Joe Burrow throw 60 touchdowns just by repeatedly targeting Chase and Tee Higgins every play. That’s not the experience we want to deliver and doesn’t align with our design goals.

On the other hand, when we reduce the influence of playbooks rather than removing it entirely, we are seeing much more realistic results. The sim stats stay within an acceptable range, and while there are still occasional outliers (like a star QB finishing with 40 TDs and only 2-3 INTs), those moments are rare, leaving them to be more memorable. We’re constantly experimenting in the backend of our engine to refine and improve it. We’re seeing clear improvements when focusing more on matchups and are fully committed to always improving this system with your feedback.

We’ve improved how works for certain players in your Franchise.

Now, younger players or those with lower overall ratings will see bigger morale boosts after a breakout game. This change is meant to reward under-the-radar players who get a chance to step up—often because a regular starter is sidelined with Wear and Tear. If they perform well, their morale goes up, giving them a better chance to stay hot the following week. It’s designed to support long-term progression and keep players motivated, even if they’re on a losing team. They can still stand out, even when the wins aren’t coming.

This also benefits players battling to hold onto a starting job. A boost in Player Morale could mean a small ratings increase, which might give them an edge over a backup with a similar overall rating. Think about the Saints QB situation this year. If someone steps up and performs, they deserve a reward—and we’ll do that by raising their morale.

We saw this play out during a Franchise playthrough with the Steelers. Rookie Kaleb Johnson started after Jaylen Warren went down for two weeks. Johnson rushed for 130 yards and scored twice in his debut. That gave him a solid morale boost. The next week, he followed it up with 115 yards and got another bump. Thanks to that momentum, he progressed faster, and when Warren returned, Johnson kept the job—not just because of performance, but because his overall rating had climbed slightly higher.

Player Tag Logic has also been completely revamped for every tag. You’ll see a more realistic application of tags now for every team in Franchise.

The tag has new logic that only assigns this tag to players you’d expect would receive it in real life. In Madden 25, you’d see any young QB get assigned that tag, regardless of their overall rating. Since this has an impact on starters in the depth chart and progression, we want to be careful that we’re applying this to the right players.

The tag has new logic that only assigns this tag to players who are drafted in the first couple of rounds during that year’s Draft AND have an overall rating that is expected of someone who should start. Again, in the past, we’d assign this tag to players who were a 60 overall rating, and that didn’t help that player or their team much.

The tag is now applied to non-QBs who have been in the league 4 years or less, are not currently starting for their team but were drafted in the 1st or 2nd round and have an overall rating that projects to being able to start for their team in the near future.

The tag has new logic that only assigns this tag to older players who have the ‘Leader’ personality type. 

The tag has new logic, too. Let's talk about veteran Trade Target players first. The logic now looks at how a player’s team is performing and whether that team is in rebuilding mode or not. If it makes sense for teams like that to move a veteran for a draft pick or two, they will assign this tag to the player and place the player on the trade block. We’ve seen some really interesting trades around the trade deadline between teams that are out of playoff contention and teams trying to find that one missing piece to make a playoff run. 

For younger players, the tag is applied very rarely now and only really for players who are buried on the depth chart on winning teams. They may not be good enough to start for their team and aren’t players that their team wants to build around. In that case, those players will receive the Trade Target tag and will be placed on the trade block in the hopes that another team in a rebuilding phase will have a spot that will give them a chance to get on the field. 

The tag is now applied to non-QB starters with an overall rating less than 80, who are also at least 27 years old. That type of player in the NFL can and will be replaced by a younger, less expensive option in future drafts, so we want the team to take that account when tagging players who fit this criteria. 

The tag was also applied too much in the past so this year, we’re tuned the logic to be more focused. In order to have the Bridge QB tag applied, a player has to be a starter, has to have been in the league for 4 years or more and has to be one of the bottom 10 starting QBs in the league in terms of their overall rating. 

And as always, we’ve improved our news stories so they focus on delivering the most important stories every week.

Last year, we introduced the Top Stories area of Franchise Central, which brought the stories that mattered to your attention as soon as you completed a game, advanced the week or loaded your franchise. We’re continuing to add more stories to that area of Franchise Central and our focus is on making those stories visual and interesting each week. 

One of our favorite new stories is the Top Story. You’ll now be alerted entering the week whether there is rain, snow, heavy rain or heavy snow in the forecast for the week. You’ll also see forecasts for other games around the league. If you’re coaching the 49ers, but there’s snow in the forecast for the Buffalo/Miami game this week, you’ll know about it. 

We’ve also given a major upgrade. Now, throughout the season, you’ll see stories clearly labeled as , , and more. No more confusing or cryptic social media-style posts that mention a random kick returner—you won’t be left wondering what team they’re on or if they’re even a Draft Prospect. From now on, it’ll be obvious which stories are focused on Draft Scouting. Even better, you’ll actually understand what each story is communicating. These updates are tied directly to Draft Prospect projection changes, so you can track how players in your league rise or fall throughout the season.

We couldn’t be more excited for you to get your hands on everything we’ve added to Franchise Mode this year. This has been a true labor of love for our development team, who are die-hard Franchise players themselves. From the reimagined coaching abilities metagame and deep coach personalization, to enhanced weekly strategy, weather impact, revamped AI, and the most immersive game planning tools we’ve ever built, this is Franchise Mode’s biggest leap forward in over a decade. We can’t wait to see the incredible stories you’ll create and we’ll be right there with you continuing to listen, learn, and push the mode forward in the seasons to come. Thank you for your continuous feedback and support, see you on the sticks! 

Pre-order* the EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition by July 24 and receive:

• Super Star Legendary XP Boost 
• Player Card Exclusive Item 

Pre-order* EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 26 today and receive:

• MUT Cover Athlete Elite Player Item
• Franchise Coach Ability Points
• Super Star Legendary XP Boost

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Madden NFL 26 launches worldwide on August 14, 2025. Pre-order the Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition and play early. Conditions and restrictions apply. See disclaimers for details. Stay in the conversation by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Answers HQ.