‘Madden 26’ Franchise Deep Dive Is Showing Me Exactly What I Want To See

The time for Electronic Arts to prove how serious they are about Madden this year has come. The Franchise mode deep dive is the one I’ve been waiting for. The mode has been mostly neglected in years past, and with EA pushing for some level of seriousness due to the exclusive deal coming up, I wondered how they would do. And I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised and cautiously optimistic.

Franchise mode in ‘madden’ has to be the number one option, not a role player

Franchise is the mode people want to sink their time into. Not Ultimate Team, not Superstar. We want to virtually prove that we can run a team better than our GMs (not me, I have Howie, I’m good). Calling it the “most meaningful update in a decade,” the deep dive first focuses on building up the ideal coach. Upgrades and expanded strategizing are highlighted with the reveal that AI coaches will be much better at countering you and game planning.

Coordinators are also going to matter more this year. I can’t tell you how pointless it’s felt in years past to hire a coordinator after a Super Bowl run. I just let the CPU do it when it’s needed. But this time around, abilities should actually impact your team. This, hopefully, will allow you to build the squad and coaching staff that fits how you want to play.

Madden 26 also introduces an approval rating system for your coach that is based on “how well you manage key groups: the GM, Coaching Staff, Players, Fans, and the Media.” At the end of every season, you are judged based on that rating. Keep it high enough and keep your job. Let it drop, and you could find yourself on the way out. Honestly, that just sounds more like a way to give you visual feedback on the game’s hiring and firing system. Which is still nice. Having something to go off of to track progress is always good.

Presentation is finally getting a MUCH-NEEDED overhaul

Presentation-wise, there’s the introduction of narration from Rich Eisen about your career as a coach, which is solid. But I’m excited about the brand-new broadcast packages for the three primetime games. Thursday, Sunday, and Monday Night games should feel like their real-life counterparts with specific score bugs for each package, as well as “custom broadcast graphics for pre-games, drive starters, and touchdowns. There’s also package-specific wipes for players and teams.”

There’s also a new halftime report hosted by the man I’ve taken to calling the RedZone Gawd, Scott Hanson. You’ll get to see highlights from other games in the league (I know, NFL 2K did it 20 years ago, let it go). And in multi-user online leagues, your friend’s highlights will also appear. It’s a cool touch, I’ll probably check it out a few times. But Scott will be in danger of becoming the football version of David Aldridge in my house. Sorry.

What will remain to be seen is how well Madden 26 handles going into the tenth or fifteenth year in a franchise. Are we going to get recorded names and storylines for those characters? Or are we going to be bombarded with things like “Number 84 takes it in for six”?

BUt wait, there’s more

Madden 26 is also placing a significant emphasis on the on-field presentation. Accurate field art is coming. So now, rocking the Kelly Greens at the Linc will finally have the full retro-painted endzone and old-school (superior) Eagles logo at midfield. So, you Tampa Bay fans who would rather relive the creamsicle era can now do so in full. Those are 100 percent better than the current uniforms — and especially the alarm clock unis.

They’ve also included the motion graphics found at 26 of the 32 stadiums. The remaining will come in a title update. But that’s going to be a pretty cool touch instead of the generic graphics you see in every game. Having finally gone to my first Eagles game at the Linc this past year (shoutout to EROCK), I’m excited to see the stadium experience replicated in Madden 26.

Overall, if the actual gameplay is going to be what EA says it is, this really could be the best Madden in years. Hopefully, all of the changes aren’t just cosmetic. I’m looking forward to taking the field this August.