Every year I go into Madden hoping for two things: that the gameplay will actually feel like football and that the rest of the game around it won’t make me want to pull my hair out (well, if I had any). Madden 26, for the most part, nails the first one better than it has in over a decade, but the second? Well, that’s still a work in progress.
Madden 26 Review
Let’s start with what works, because on the field, Madden 26 is one of the smoothest, most enjoyable Madden games since the Xbox 360/PS3 days.
Movement is fluid, pocket maneuverability feels fantastic, and the new Wear and Tear system adds real strategy to roster management within the game. You have to think twice about overusing a player, which is a welcomed layer of realism. I wish there were sliders for it like in College Football 26 which has them for Dynasty Mode, but it’s a great addition nonetheless.
The passing game hasn’t been this rewarding (or unforgiving) since Madden 06 introduced the vision cone. Quarterback (QB)-specific throwing animations make each QB feel unique, and you really have to adjust to their mechanics. No matter your play style, you can make it work. The ability to get out of the pocket under pressure with the QB playmaker controls just adds to that level of skill where when it works, it looks and feels fantastic.
The catching animations have also been improved, and it’s nice when you see your big-bodied receiver snag a pass out of the air as only they should.
Overall, there’s a nice speed that’s not quite as fast as College Football has been since its return but not as slow as Madden has been for the last handful of years. It feels like game speed is at a happy medium.
On the flipside, there are gameplay concerns.
On extended plays where you have to scramble to try and find an open man and get a throw off, some receivers will just stand still. They’ve reached the end of their route, and they just don’t exist until you force it to them blanketed by a defender or its time to, maybe, block. Speaking of blocking, there are far too many instances of offensive lineman standing around, instead of looking for a player to block. If a defensive player goes a certain way away from them, they’ll stand there in a blocking stance…for nothing.
One other major problem area involves the AI. When playing against the CPU, it feels like AI QBs have the greatest accuracy the sport has ever seen, making zone coverage and even man with the best defensive backs almost impossible. It’s not simply a case of “get good”. It feels like if you don’t decide to spend time fiddling with sliders, you’re experience will suffer because of it. That said, if you want to feel dominant, just hope your CPU opponent likes to run the ball because there seems to be an issue with running backs simply not knowing where to go.
A Fantastic Looking Game That’s Best On Mute
Visually, Madden 26 is gorgeous. I honestly think we’re at the point where you’re not going to see the massive year-over-year leaps in graphics like we did 20 years ago, but the animation work here is noticeably cleaner. Fewer clipping issues, smoother transitions, and some really nice broadcast packages make games look authentic.
The new addition of Scott Hanson and the highlight packages continues to bring TV-like presentation to the virtual world. The Weekly Recap is a feature that’s been requested for 20 years, and it’s a solid foundation. Immersion kind of ends when Hanson calls out the wrong name or it gets choppy, but I’ll hope those get solved in a (hopefully soon) post launch update.
Where the presentation fails is with the play-by-play, it’s year two with the new three-team option, and it’s just not going well. Calls sound too robotic for Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen and Kate Scott and Brock Huard just come across as too overzealous with everything being called. Even during your scouting combine drills in Superstar Mode, Scott is yelling at the top of her lungs about your 40-yard dash. It’s just too much and is better off on mute.
At least with the commentary muted, you can listen more to what might just be the best soundtrack in Madden history.
The game’s menus are a bit faster that prior years, though opening player cards takes far too long and there are regular hiccups and unresponsiveness when trying to do things like edit a player’s equipment.
Jersey selection is pretty limited like not being able to put a retro helmet with current uniform. For Example, the Buffalo Bills are wearing their classic red helmet with their current jerseys this year. In Madden 26, you can’t do that. You can’t wear classic helmets with current uniforms or vice versa.
Madden 26’s Hit or Miss Modes
The modes in Madden 26 are hit or miss.
The Skills Trainer is easily the most in-depth tutorial system Madden has ever had, with over 100 drills covering everything from stunts to advanced passing concepts. If you’re new, rusty, or just want to fine-tune, it’s an incredible resource.
Franchise mode does get some much-needed love with weekly prep that is deeper than ever thanks to playsheets that allow you to fine tune your strategy for each opponent better than ever, player statuses and non-determinant injury time, and training to keep your star players fresh and maybe get the fourth stringers some more reps to improve. The scouting improvements like Scout’s Honor ability add layers to roster building, and it feels with all the updates, coaching genuinely matters this year, which is something I never thought I’d say about Madden. With the Wear & Tear system,
But you better like coaching the most, because it’s the only option in Franchise mode you have. After stripping away the ability to play as a player in Franchise mode, this year sees the removal of being a team owner. All you have is the ability to a coach. Now, you can still act as a GM with signing players and making trades, and whatnot, but there are features that are no longer there. You can no longer update facilities in your stadium, you can’t set ticket pricing, and there’s no merchandise control. Little things to some, but enough to be a bothersome removal for something that’s been around for years.
Sticking with problems in Franchise, issues persist with drafting as you’re unable to view your draft class mid-draft and in-season free agent signings remain locked at 1 year deals with no negotiations on years or money. Custom coaches are stuck with templates for faces, physiques are generic, and you can only pick a team’s base playbook. Also, relocation is exactly the same as it’s been for years, with no custom stadiums or integration with Team Builder. And even if you decide to just give your team a new stadium, it’s the same five generic stadiums that have been available for years.
The Life Of An NFL Superstar
Superstar Mode gets some added RPG flavor with the Sphere of Influence system. How you interact with your agent, coach, or even random celebrity dancers changes what perks and abilities you unlock. It may be a little odd to some, but it works, and the chapter structure makes the mode feel more like an actual journey.
There are quests to complete that unlock influence points, leading to new abilities and XP. When it comes to your coach, the higher the influence you have with him, the more playing time you can earn, more plays that you can call, and you can even earn the ability to audible.
The scouting combine drills remain fantastic and it makes me wish you could watch a combine in some way in franchise. I just wish that, after being drafted, I could decide to be like Shemar Stewart and hold out for something better, which may or may not happen. Though, I have a feeling the NFL is the reason that doesn’t exist.
You can still only pick one of five positions—QB, RB, WR, LB, CB—and, no matter where you’re drafted, you call the plays in game. I really would like to see that be something you have to earn. And, as mentioned earlier, the player editor loads at a snail’s pace. That’s something that, hopefully, can be fixed with a title update.
Lastly on the modes, Ultimate Team is exactly what you’d expect. Though, I will say, there are plenty of options for solo/offline players. However, the menus in the mode are sluggish, player cards take long to load, and can we finally get something to completely skip pack opening animations?
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs
Another problem I have, and this is a gaming industry problem in general, are the number of bugs that launch despite asking players to spend $100, or more, for early access to the game. With Madden 26, some are smaller than others, but, as a whole, they’re hard to ignore:
- Travis Hunter covering… Travis Hunter in Jaguar drills
- Team helmets changing color at halftime
- False starts triggered by certain player motions
- Draft Board has no background in-draft, causing it to be tough to read.
- Defensive players lining up on offense. QBs lining up at receiver
- Playbooks disappearing mid-game or being inaccessible unless a timeout is used
- Superstar Mode crashing in the player editor
- Deluxe Edition rewards not showing up for Ultimate Team players. And, if you go directly to EA support for help, they will tell you that “we don’t deal with codes” and that they can’t do anything to assist.
These aren’t just small immersion breakers, they’re the kind of things that remind you Madden struggles with stability. At least most of these concerns should be addressed with an update.
Madden 26 Review Verdict
To be perfectly honest, I wavered back and forth on whether Madden 26 was a good game or a disappointing one.
What Madden 26 gets right, it really gets right. On the field, I’m generally having more fun than I have since, maybe, Madden 15 or 16. From the updates to how QBs play to the addition of stunts, there are moments where I can clearly see the vision for the game, and it looks fantastic. The game can feel so fluid and strategic that you’ll sit there wondering where this has been all these years.
Within Franchise mode, I never thought I’d spend as much time game planning and taking care of my players as I do, which just makes it more fun. And Superstar mode is just enough for me to enjoy it without it getting too overwhelming with options and what you do off the field.
However, there’s a lot here that stops it from being what I believe it should be. Franchise omissions and removals, gameplay questions that have been there for years, and the number of bugs are head-scratching.
With all of that said, I still lean towards Madden 26 being a good game with some (very) disappointing elements. Many of my issues I expect to be adjusted with updates. So, while I can’t tell you to fully write the game off, I’d maybe wait for the first title update to see what changes, even if I do think that, at it’s core, Madden 26 is a good game.
Verdict: 3 – Good
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NOTE: A copy of Madden 26 on PS5 was provided to Insider Gaming for the purposes of this review. (Read our review policy)
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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So far what I’m seeing wrong with the game is the catching we are dropping more open balls than ever before which makes it tough to build with a player like Travis Hunter or some of the other rookies