In our Madden 21 review, we confirmed what EA Sports has been hinting at for some time: Franchise mode has not been improved and is not impressive. There are a myriad of ever-changing hashtags on Twitter from fans outraged by publishers' inability to change the mode. In response, Electronic Arts begins to detail when and what to expect from updates that will hopefully revitalize the mode in this latest installment.
What to expect in these updates
The mega-publisher said this summer that Franchise Mode changes will be made shortly in the life of Madden 22 - which appears to be at the heart of the improvements. You can take that as good news, but this year's game will only receive the smallest impactful changes. One of their most recent press releases indicates that the following will be seen soon:
- Customization of X-Factor / Superstar abilities: The biggest expected change is the ability to change the X-Factor of each footballer. This is a wacky feature, as running backs will now be able to gain QBs or defensive skills, but it's a good thing nonetheless.
- Player Card Statistics UI: Like all other sports games today, Madden 21 will soon feature baseball-like stat sheets for each player. This will include statistics and weekly results, as well as the teams each player has played for each year.
- Adjusting the regression of developmental traits: With many drafted players getting X-Factors so quickly, EA has promised to give "a good balance between Superstar and X-Factor players as they progress over multiple years."
- Playoff support: This one is a major shock. Expected in the first update on launch day, the mode will eventually get a visual showing when and which teams will make the playoffs.
Keep in mind that the developers said in early August that gamers will also see fixes to trade logic, Super Bowl presentation, and AI personnel management. As they haven't been addressed since, these promised improvements will likely not be visible until after the first major update.
Updates will come mid-season
Even though fans expect these features to be near launch, the wait will have to continue for a bit longer. Electronic Arts' September Gridiron notes say the first of three updates is expected to be released in November. It's highly likely that the playoff support function will come into play in this first round of fixes, as the NFL playoffs typically start from late December through early January.
For those who wish to start a franchise without these updates, rest assured that any new features added will be automatically implemented into all ongoing franchise backups.
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