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Madden 26 has arrived, and in this review, we want to see if all the new gameplay improvements like “Coach” or “QB DNA” really elevate this series to the next level. Overall, this year's Madden title adds a new Coach and QB DNA system, more impactful weather, and other gameplay improvements. However, do they justify the game's price tag? Without further ado, let's see if Madden 26 is really worth your time and money.
Madden 26 Review – What is Madden NFL 26?
Madden 26 is the newest entry in EA Sports' annual NFL video game series. Overall, it features real NFL teams, players, stadiums, personnel, etc. The series originally began in 1988, named after legendary Head Coach John Madden. Thanks to an exclusive licensing agreement between the NFL and EA Sports, the latter is the only company that can make these kinds of games.
Madden 26 was developed by EA Tiburon and released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, EA App, and Luna.
Gameplay – Madden 26 Review
If you've read any of my previous Madden reviews, you'll know right off the bat that I despise Frostbite Engine in sports video games. It makes the player movement feel awkward, and it looks like they're running with a stick up their rear.
However, just because it runs on Frostbite doesn't make it bad. After all, I do enjoy the EA College Football games because players feel faster. And to be fair, player movement does feel faster now. But there are other issues in which player movement feels plain wrong.
On the offensive side of the ball, receivers still drop catches way too often. Even if slightly contested, someone as good as Tee Higgins or Devonta Smith may drop an easy pass. The slightest amount of contact seemingly always causes a drop.
When you do finally catch a ball, the abilities at your disposal only seem to work when certain animations are triggered. Spins feel slow and only work when a defender is at a certain angle. It all feels awkward, just for the sake of seeing a “cool” animation.
Keep that in mind as we move forward with this review. Since I began replaying the series with Madden 24, I've noticed that everything feels “animation-based”. While it tries to look more accurate to the real NFL experience, the problem is that these animations seemingly dictate gameplay. The spin example I mentioned above is just one of many.
This also applies to the defensive side of the ball. Tackling still feels awkward, and every action requires an animation. Pressing Square (PS)/X (Xbox) essentially takes your defender out of the play. And since Hit Sticks are designed to be harder to land, you're relegated to using Wrap tackles most of the time.
But even standard tackles feel weird, making it hard to take down receivers at times. Speaking of coverage, I tend to notice that DBs lock up sometimes and can't change direction during the play. This has, on occasion, allowed the opposing receiver a better chance to catch the ball.
A lot of these problems aren't new. If you've been playing the series every year, you already know about some of these issues, plus a few others that I haven't mentioned.
For example, some penalties still don't make sense. AI QBs are never called for intentional grounding, while running into the kicker seems to happen on nearly every punt. So if all these issues still remain, then what has EA been doing?
Instead of fixing core issues that have plagued the series for years, EA Tiburon instead added even more gimmicks and features that either:
- Don't really do anything new OR
- Feel unnecessary
A big feature this year was the new Coach & QB DNA mechanics. I've got to be honest, I still don't know how either of them really impacted gameplay. While the premise is that gameplay should feel more accurate to real-life player and coach decisions, the reality is that it still feels the same.
Play-calling still works like it used to, but now you'll see Dan Campbell on the corner of your screen. It's not even his voice, just text on why he recommends a certain play.
Yeah, EA, I get it, Dan Campbell said “biting kneecaps”. Real funny. Now, can you please make a good game?
Jokes aside, who has time to read a coach's suggestion? Furthermore, who's going to? Who at EA thought, “Yeah, the kids are going to love reading Nick Sirianni's words on the TV screen”? Forget the play-clock, you need to read about why Todd Bowles wants you to use Cover 2.
QB DNA, at least, has a little bit more to it. There are 50 QB traits in the game that dictates how a player behaves on the field. Back in Madden 24, EA implemented something similar, making QBs play like they do in real life.
For example, a QB like Josh Allen will throw more risky passes downfield. However, someone like Bo Nix or Kirk Cousins may rely on checkdowns more often. Overall, it's not a bad system, and I can see where EA was going with it.
But honestly, I really don't see how this affected gameplay. QBs still seemingly play as they used to. And personally, I don't know if it should even exist in the first place.
I don't think QBs should be limited to Traits. They should play with the intention of winning games, rather than what their Traits suggest. Additionally, QB play styles can change based on a variety of factors. A new coordinator, new receivers, and a new offense in general also influences how a QB plays.
The next big gameplay feature includes a more impactful weather system. Overall, the idea here is that the weather should play a bigger role in affecting gameplay. So I tried out one game in each weather condition.
The final verdict? It mostly feels the same. The only difference is that teams in colder areas just have a better advantage throughout the season. Players still slip, rain can cause pass drops, and snow can limit your vision.
While I like how weather conditions impact gameplay, it really doesn't feel particularly different. If anything, it just gives an unfair advantage to teams in colder areas. Since the season always ends in February, teams in colder areas technically have better odds of not facing the same challenges.
Additionally, Madden 26 added a lot of defensive improvements, though the only major one I actually liked was the Custom Defensive Zones. It helps you give your defenders an exact spot to cover. But while this feature is nice, it's plagued by the gameplay issues mentioned before.
My favorite Madden game of all time was Madden 16, but I also appreciate older titles like Madden NFL 06 and ESPN NFL 2K5. As a fan of the series, I always wished for something that:
- Had a gameplay experience similar to Madden games from the 2010s
- And a high level of presentational quality seen in Football titles from the PS2 era
That may sound like a lot to ask for, but I also think a lot of fans of the series may agree with me. And I won't pretend to be the all-knowledge source, but I know when I'm having fun, and when I'm
Instead, EA Sports again added meaningless features that only complicate the experience for casual players.
For example, let's talk about Superstar mode. The player career mode is back, and more complicated than it should be.
My first issue is with the new “Sphere of Influence” system. Essentially, it allows you to keep track of your relationships with coaches, players, your agent, and others outside of the team. Overall, I really thought this system made no sense and wasn't even necessary to begin with.
I like the Coach Trust system in College Football 26 because it works directly between the player and his coach. It's not perfect, but I do like the idea of gaining more control after building up enough trust.
But the Sphere of Influence unnecessarily adds all these people who you might connect with by accident on your first playthrough. For some reason, I have a tattoo artist, a hacker, and a celebrity as friends. As the great Patrick Star once said – “Who are you people?”
I don't even like how this system works with your teammates. You're telling me that Drake London won't be a better receiver unless I build up better chemistry with him? That makes no sense. A great receiver like London should automatically be playing at 100%, regardless of who's throwing the ball.
The way it works with coaches is even worse. You can't even use certain plays in the playbook unless you've reached a certain influence level with your coach. What sense does that make?
Imagine losing the Super Bowl because your trust level wasn't high enough to use a certain play at a crucial moment. Did Jayden Daniels lose the NFC Championship game this year because of his trust level? Can you start to understand how ridiculous this is?
Regardless of the position you play, you'll make all of these connections, and all they do is make the experience more complicated and restrictive.
Speaking of positions, you can't create more than one Superstar for one position in Madden 26. So if you wanted to have two QB careers at once, tough luck! And once again, you can only play as the same five positions offered in many recent titles.
Want to play as a safety, tight end, defensive end, or heck, even a kicker? Too bad. You're once again limited to just five positions. I don't understand why this is the case, as it seems like there's no real difference in Superstar career, with the exception of archetypes.
Personally, I would much rather do without archetypes and x-factors in exchange for something I have more control over.
And speaking of control, the settings in Superstar The League are limited! You can't adjust the impacts of Wear & Tear, which results in a lot of injuries. In just two snaps into my career with the Falcons, I lost Bijan Robinson for seven weeks.
I know this stuff happens, but at least give the players the option to adjust the injury rules. At default settings, players get injured way too often, which takes the fun out of your season.
I love how the developers brought in Scott Hanson for the Weekly Recaps. I don't love how they conveniently didn't mention the removal of the Superstar Show with Ryan Clark. The game touted its new presentational features while secretly removing a presentational feature.
That superstar weekly show wasn't perfect, but darn was it nice to have. Furthermore, EA should actually focus on adding more personalities instead of removing them. Why don't we have a weekly radio show with someone like Tony Bruno? Why not have a virtual Scott Hanson at his desk, instead of just his voice? But I digress.
Lastly, I hate the new upgrade system in Superstar. Archetypes prevent you from reaching a 99 stat with all attributes, forcing you to commit to just one play style. Personally, I do not like this system, as you should be able to reach a 99 with every stat because, why not?
It makes me miss the progression system in Madden 16, where you just use XP to improve your player. It's simple, but it simply gives you more control over how you develop your player. You could focus solely on your development first, or start spending points on your passing accuracy.
Overall, Superstar Mode has actually been downgraded this year. It's actually somehow worse than last year, and I really can't recommend playing it this time around. Unless you like a restrictive class and upgrade system, an unnecessary friendship system, and limited settings, stay far away from Superstar.
So, what about Franchise? After all, this is the mode where you can actually control your team. How does that compare?
Franchise definitely got more love this year, with a new Weekly Strategy system, a new weekly recap show, and other “improvements” intended to make the experience more fun.
Instead, Franchise just feels too complicated now. For one, I very much dislike the Storylines system. Essentially, these are challenges you put on players that they need to complete if they want a boost. But the problem is that this system is so broken and does not accurately represent how the game works.
For example, I had an event where I needed to give Jalen Carter a challenge. He needed to earn a certain number of sacks in a game. Well, despite getting a sack, a fumble returned for a touchdown, and six more tackles, Carter didn't earn any bonus. Instead, my coach scolded him.
Why? Because he was supposed to get a second sack. This system forces you to get specific stats, instead of just seeing your player play well.
I'd be okay with this system if they made adjustments to it. Instead of getting specific stats, why not just use a player grading system, similar to the one in Superstar? If my guy does well, he should be rewarded, and shouldn't be forced to reach specific stats to do so.
Certain goals are fine. For example, if getting 1,000 yards with a rusher earns them a bonus, that's okay. That system at least doesn't involve getting mad at your players, and incentivizes you to reach that goal.
Franchise tries to be this experience where you need to balance and leverage a lot, but it all just boils down to a complicated mess. Meanwhile, the core gameplay issues plague the experience, forcing you to adjust the game sliders until you find what's right.
I've also never been a big fan of the new scouting system in recent Madden games. Honestly, the whole scouting by region thing feels complicated, and only having one three-star scout makes no sense. You'd think rich NFL teams would pay top-dollar to acquire the nation's most recognized and professional scouts.
Sure, some people start young. But if you're in the NFL, it means you've obviously done enough to prove why you belong. Personally, I miss the old Madden scouting system, where you just spent scouting points on players. It allows you more control over which players you want to look out for.
Franchise also changed the weekly strategy, and honestly, it's okay. You have a weekly loadout with available abilities based on your coach and your staff. The better you improve these abilities, the more impactful they are on gameday.
Out of all the features, this one wasn't too bad. I appreciate earning more XP every week for certain players. Secondly, Franchise actually lets you adjust the Wear & Tear Sliders, preventing an injury from happening every week.
There are also things you need to keep in mind for certain players. A defending champ like Cooper DeJean may want to play for a contender. So if you can't win games, he may not want to re-sign with you.
Team Builder is back, and once again restricted to just online play. Lord forbid we try to make a created team and use it in an offline version of Franchise. Therefore, once the EA servers shut down for this game, you'll never be able to use those teams in this game again.
Overall, Franchise is definitely the lesser of two evils, but the changes don't feel impactful. So while they've stripped Superstar of any life, they also didn't do too much with their other big mode. Not much to say here, other than it's probably the only mode I'd recommend.
During my time with the game, I barely touched Ultimate Team. Overall, it's still the same mode. No “quality of life” improvements or mechanics can change my mind about it. It's the worst mode in the game, encouraging players to spend real money just for in-game items that can't be brought into future titles.
While I like the concept of building an “ultimate team” consisting of current and former players/coaches, the fact of the matter is that no EA game really does this right.
Sure, you can get a lot of good player items for free throughout the year. But what the game really wants is for you to spend money. I won't waste any more time on this, but just know that Ultimate Team is still the same predatory mode it's always been.
Graphics – Madden 26 Review
Perhaps the best thing about these new Madden Games is the graphical quality. And with new stadium entrances, EA Sports can flaunt its impressive visuals in a number of ways.
All of the pre-game ceremonies with every team look impressive, with special shoutouts to different aspects of the city. For example, the Philadelphia Eagles will play Lil Uzi Vert's “I Just Wanna Rock” before prime-time games. For the Patriots, I got to see former TE Rob Gronkowski ring the bells before the game began.
But there are times when Madden does look awkward. Player collisions still look weird, with people phasing in and out of each other's bodies at times. Since the game is animation-based, these animations can actually cause the visual problems to become gameplay problems.
Furthermore, while I appreciate the increased player speed, I also do not like how players look when they run. Additionally, some catches can look awkward, despite the developers' intention to make this game look realistic.
Overall, Madden 26 does look good visually, especially off the field. However, that doesn't always translate to the gameplay, making things look awkward.
But perhaps the best visual change is the improvements to Lighting. As you play through a game, you'll see the light change along with the time. So if you play a 4 PM game, you may see it get darker by the end. To my knowledge, this isn't the first game in the series to do something like this. However, it looks a lot better in Madden 26.
In the end, Madden 26 looks good. If it played as good, we'd be giving it a higher score.
Audio – Madden 26 Review
Madden 26 features the same commentary teams from last year's title.
Charles Davis and Brandin Gaudin aren't anything new for anyone who's been playing the series for a while. Overall, not much to say other than that they're a pretty solid crew. While not among the best Madden commentary crews, I can definitely tolerate hearing them say the same things over and over again.
Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen return, and continue to be my favorite team amongst all three in the game. Tirico's wisdom and Olsen's football experience make the duo a great pair to listen to. Overall, not much to say here, but I do like hearing them to mix things up.
But the same can't be said for Kate Scott and Brock Huard. I won't sugarcoat it, Scott is simply too loud and too extra. It's annoying enough to make me mute the commentary volume whenever she's on. Since I can't choose who commentates on games in Franchise, I'm stuck with her too.
Brock Huard is okay, though he really doesn't really excite me. And to be honest, I really can't hear him too, since I need to mute the TV when Scott talks.
But at the end of the day, I do like two out of three of these commentary teams. And of course, I'd be remiss not to mention Scott Hanson in the Weekly Recaps. Hanson is awesome, and Redzone fans everywhere will feel goosebumps when he comes on.
In terms of music, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the soundtrack. Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth? Whoever chose that song deserves a raise. There's actually a better variety of music this year, with more songs that actually fit the theme of the sport.
Overall, Madden 26 does a fairly good job when it comes to both sights and sounds. With the exception of Kate Scott, I'd say they did everything just about right this time around.
Verdict: Is Madden 26 Worth Your Time & Money?
At launch, Madden 26 does not feel like a worthy successor to a franchise that's seen many great releases. The lack of real improvements, along with awkward gameplay and unnecessary gimmicks, makes this a disappointing entry in the series.
The only instance in which I can really recommend the game is if you have friends who play Online Franchise. But at this point, most of us know that it's only the time we spend with friends that actually makes it fun, and not the game.
But for everybody else, I just recommend taking a break this year. Nowadays, it only feels worthwhile to purchase a Madden game every couple of years or so. Even then, I'd still only recommend picking it up at a discounted price.
The game advertised it's Coach & QB DNA Mechanics. Well I'm here to say this game lacks any DNA at all, and stands among the more bland titles in the franchise.
It doesn't make me happy to write these things, either. I would rather just enjoy a Madden game worthy of the name of the man whom the series is named. But instead, I once again must write how displeased I am with the series.
A common phrase in sports is that “there's always next year”. But at this point, I don't know how confident I can be in that statement. While there's things that Madden 26 does right, it just does too much wrong, or too much in general.
Overall, that wraps it up for our Madden 26 Review. I know there's a lot more that can be mentioned, but I hope you get the point by now. If you do get the game, then I hope you enjoy your experience with it.
Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received PS5 review copies to allow us to cover this game. These copies did not, in any way, affect this Madden NFL 26 Review’s final score and verdict.
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