EA Sports is giving Franchise mode some much-needed attention in Madden 25, with several additions that aim to improve the immersion.
In recent years, offline modes in Madden titles have often been neglected in favor of the money-spinning Ultimate Team mode. That left players, like myself, who like to build their own NFL legacy in Franchise feeling short-changed. But now, that might be about to change.
In a Franchise and Presentation deep dive on July 31, EA Sports revealed some of the biggest alterations coming to Franchise mode—including various storylines that will play out over the course of your career.
Examples include players approaching you and asking how much of the ball they’ll see in your next match, with the outcome impacting their stats, and coaches highlighting potential weaknesses in your next opponent.
EA Sports said your choices in these storylines will “have a big impact” and “making the right decision could change the entire narrative of how your team performs.”
Revamped Breakout Storylines are also featured, which EA says have been rebuilt from the ground up, providing “more risk and reward” as you develop your roster of players—including those you add to your ranks in the NFL Draft.
That’s another area that has received attention in Madden 25 as the NFL Draft is now a much more authentic experience that includes everything from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on stage to your pick walking out, suited and booted, to grab a cap.
Navigating the NFL Draft will also be easier, with the ability to search for specific stats like speed, if you were looking for the fastest player, or by combine performances. The new prospect board should make drafting players “easier and more intuitive” than previous titles, too.
Finally, there’s also the addition of female coach models in Create a Coach for the first time, improved AI logic, and refined player progression. All this and more is coming to Madden 25 when it’s released next month on Aug. 16.
