Madden NFL 26’s Best Feature Is Something It Learned From College Football 25

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Upon the release of Madden NFL 26 in August, it will incorporate a significant feature from College Football 25: its rapid pace. If you’ve played both of EA’s American football games over the past year, you’ll likely confirm that College Football plays faster – and many may even express a preference for its speedier gameplay compared to Madden’s deliberately slower style. It’s worth noting that, at the time, College Football was rediscovering its original characteristics, as it was the first in EA’s series in 11 years. Previous versions of the game tended to play faster and more freely than Madden, too.

In contrast to the NFL simulator, the deliberate slow pace was intended to set it apart from College Football and reflect the reality that professional players are more evenly matched compared to their college counterparts, where there’s a noticeable gap between top-tier pros and average student-athletes. However, the Madden team has taken on board a lot of feedback from the community and plans to speed up Madden 26, making it more akin to the feel of the College Football series.

Isaac Etheridge, formerly known as “Spade” from EA Tiburon, shared insights about upcoming changes in the game, emphasizing points based on player feedback. He started by addressing game speed, indicating that this was an aspect the team recognized required attention. As he put it, “The NFL houses the fastest and most explosive players worldwide, correct? So we knew something needed to be adjusted. We began validating this idea, both within our team and externally,” Etheridge explained, detailing how they tested a preliminary version of a faster Madden with players to gauge its appeal.

Instead of the original build, we distributed a unique version of Madden 25 (which featured altered locomotion) and posed straightforward queries such as, “Does this give you greater control? Is it more enjoyable?” We confirmed the feedback, discovering that players desired increased control, faster speeds, and more explosive moments. Consequently, enhancing these aspects was an intuitive choice to make.

Etheridge clarified that Madden 26 doesn’t directly transfer College Football 25’s specific movement mechanics. Instead, it combines “the finest adjustments” from both the Madden and College Football 25 movement systems. The aim is to prevent players from switching between games and thinking, ‘This feels fast in this game, but why is it slower in the other? They have the same player ratings.’ To achieve this balance, they’ve created a new movement system that they believe suits both types of games best.

After Etheridge finished speaking, I had my first experience with Madden 26. It wasn’t just like College Football 25, which still seems more loose and swift, but Madden 26 definitely felt more similar. To me, Madden 25 was the first “slow” Madden since Madden 22, with Madden 21, 23, and 24 all feeling quicker in recent times. If you don’t already know, the speed issue in Madden games has been a persistent annoyance. Some games felt right, others didn’t, but finding consistency was tough. The feel of Madden changed too quickly, making it hard to get accustomed. However, it appears that the Madden team is responding positively to player feedback, favoring a faster-paced football game, and this style seems likely to continue in the future.

I’m optimistic that the return of College Football each year will serve as an inspiration for the Madden development team, leading them towards wiser choices such as this one. A swift Madden game equals a superior Madden game. As Etheridge put it to me and about 50 other sports enthusiasts, “a 4.2 [40-yard dash time] should feel like a genuine 4.2.” This sentiment applies at all levels, and it’s reassuring to observe that the Madden team seems to have finally grasped this concept effectively.

Madden 26 is speedier, but I’m no longer concerned that its fast pace might only be a temporary improvement before it slows down again in Madden 27 or 28. As long as college football keeps making more money, getting better reviews, and being played for longer periods than Madden, it will probably influence or at least strongly hint at the future direction of Madden in significant ways. Although Madden still has numerous ways to stand out from its counterpart, it makes sense to follow trends in this aspect.

To discover more about this season’s NFL action, don’t miss out on experiencing Madden 26 on Nintendo Switch 2 and learning about the significant improvements made to accommodate a unique gaming experience tailored just for you!

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2025-06-04 18:39