After being stale for the last three seasons and getting outshined by the return of EA Sports College Football last season, Madden NFL 26 is a must-get this season.
After seemingly not taking Madden consumers’ wants and complaints to heart in recent years, the EA Sports design team did a 180 this offseason, and it’s very apparent that they listened to fans and were in their bag.
As a result, EA Sports was able to make the best version of Madden since 2022.
What Stands Out About Madden NFL 26?
The opening screen and cover of the game grab your attention immediately, as they feature Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley’s “reverse hurdle” over Jacksonville Jaguars DB Jarrian Jones. Barkley is the Eagles’ second cover athlete, and the first since Donovan McNabb graced the Madden 06 cover.
Unlike most Madden fans, I’m not a fan of the Ultimate Team, so I skipped that part (although it’s pushed very hard). It’s easy to tell the folks at EA want fans to put their dream teams together rather easily so that they can compete online to see who has the best team.
For my taste, I’m all about the Franchise Mode and went straight to that screen, where I picked my hometown Dallas Cowboys. In Franchise Mode, two things were improved dramatically after lacking in recent seasons: the overall gameplay and the presentation of the game itself. These two improvements help take Madden NFL 26 to the next level while raising the bar for future versions of the game.
In the gameplay department, as crazy as it might sound, you must know the game of football to consistently win games. Gone are the days of rolling with three or four plays and running them on a loop and dominating your opponents, including the computer.
Here’s a few clips Madden 26 is actually fun ngl🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/EPjA1vSj4y
— Josephdagoat6 ✭ ✭ ✭ 0-0 2025 pay micah (@JosephGiaimo8) August 8, 2025
Players must have good situational awareness, be able to make adjustments on the fly, and know when to take shots down the field (and when not to). This year, Madden has added coach play sheets to produce and defend shot plays while allowing you to run the schemes teams run on Sundays.
While playing the actual game, it’s very easy to tell this is the smoothest and fastest version of Madden ever created, as the game is definitely tilted in the offense’s favor — just like real NFL football. Players who can scheme open their stars and consistently win one-on-one battles will be hard to deal with. As the great John Madden said in seasons past: “Speed kills.”
Last and certainly not least, the best improvement of the game — and something that has been needed for years by the Madden franchise — is major improvements to the presentation.
Using the graphics NBC uses for Sunday Night Football and giving the game a very similar presentation to the NFL RedZone, watching someone play Madden NFL 26 is no different than watching a live game on Sundays. Add in the fact that NFL RedZone host and legend Scott Hanson gives play-by-play while breaking down highlights from games across the league — just like he does in real life — and then does a weekly recap each week after the game, and it feels very real.
At the end of the day, Madden 26 is a must-get, as it will be the best football game on the market this fall, and I give it a nine out of 10.
