Madden NFL 26 Review - The Push the Franchise Needed

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It is always curious what competition can do to a brand that’s been sitting unbothered on its throne for years. Last year, College Football 25 swooped in and stole the crown as the most outstanding football experience of the year, showing that Madden finally had some in-house competitors. In a way, I thought this year would be the same, but it was the complete opposite. After many yearly releases that often miss the mark on giving something that feels entirely fresh, Madden NFL 26 does the opposite and delivers the best football entry of 2025, but most importantly, shows that the franchise is willing to change for the better.

Competition Has Brought Better Things

As I’ve said countless times, there’s nothing better for a product than some healthy competition. Often, well-established sports gaming franchises without any external or internal challenges tend to stick to what works every year. Yes, there are a few tweaks here and there that justify another full-price purchase, but it is never groundbreaking. Yet, Madden NFL 26 has proven that with the right push, it can raise the bar and, hopefully, maintain that level for its upcoming annual releases.

I spent most of my time in Franchise mode, which was a blast this time around. There’s also the team-builder Ultimate Mode that some love and others dread, and Superstar Mode, which was one of the biggest disappointments of this year. Still, Franchise Mode was enough to carry this experience due to how customizable and impactful it feels.

As soon as you fire up Madden NFL 26, you can see how EA Sports opted for creating a more approachable entry. You can tailor your experience to a T, from pass types to playbooks. Pretty much everything can be tweaked until you find that perfect play style for your team. The customization doesn’t stop there, as there are also plenty of options to manage your team, but they also come with some hindrances.

After reviewing Madden and College Football for two years in a row, I’m convinced EA Sports is allergic to working on a good UI and fast loading times. Opening one sub-menu in Franchise Mode takes an unnecessarily long time. And once you reach that menu you wanted to access, guess what? You need to go through two or three more screens with the exact loading times. One example is how you upgrade your team. Most members get skill points after a game, and while upgrading should be a fun and engaging matter for the player, it isn’t. I ended up using the auto-upgrade function, forgoing my choices in upgrades because navigating through Madden NFL 26‘s menus is worse than your Quarterback getting a dislocated shoulder before a season starts.

With the bad out of the way, at least for now, let’s return to Franchise Mode. Here, you can create your coach and make them focus on different regimes. You can either go for offense, defense, player development, or a combination of these. Some small events happen throughout the season where players ask for your advice, which adds to the immersion of being in charge of a professional football team.

The highlight of Franchise Mode is how it brings RPG elements to Madden NFL 26 in an unexpected yet surprising way. There are a lot of skills you can equip your coach with, which will dictate how specific team roles gain experience and even affect the game in some ways. It offers an extra layer of depth for your coaching experience, and one I enjoyed more than I could. That is, after going through the egregious loading times to move through menus.

Unfortunately, my most anticipated mode of Madden 26, Superstar, fell short just as hard as Road to Glory in College Football 26. Since the latter left me with a sour taste, I was hoping Madden 26 would do it justice, but no. If the two games had to copy each other, why did it have to be on making an iconic mode so uninspiring?

When it comes to off-field scenarios, they feel the same as last year’s, albeit with new camera angles and sharper visuals, which was my complaint with Road to Glory in College Football. Superstar Mode should let you live the fantasy of rising through the ranks of the league, but if it’s the same thing year after year, what’s the point? Credit where it’s due, though. The Sphere of Influence system is an excellent addition that lets you complete specific tasks for some characters, both within and outside the field. It isn’t the most groundbreaking thing, but having something to guide you through your journey is always welcome.

Smoother and More Realistic Moves

For the hands-on mechanics, Madden NFL 26 shines in many ways. With now two football entries every year, I always thought College Football had a more arcade feel to its games. Everything felt faster to execute, with minimal buttons to press and a smooth layout when it comes to previewing plays. While that is perfectly fine, I also love how Madden NFL 26 embraces a more strategic feel with different playstyles that suit every player.

For example, for passes, you can select different modes that range from pressing just one button to pass and catch, and another that lets you control the pass more precisely. For executing moves, it is quite easy to figure out where your players are and where the ball will go. And of course, the playbook is as large as ever, providing you with countless options. My only gripe is that the new suggestion system doesn’t work at times. Often, it shows you some of your “play tendencies,” but some of them don’t even make sense in some situations, so I was almost always picking the plays I was comfortable with and ignoring this system.

When it comes to tackling and movement, Madden NFL 26 feels more rigid, but not in a bad way. I always prefer when a football game aims for a more realistic feel in terms of gameplay, and that should be the standard for any sports game. Here, the tackling mechanics and even character collisions felt smooth. It’s not without faults, as I encountered a few bugs, such as floating balls that followed players around and some character parts disappearing, but they didn’t happen that often, so they weren’t as distracting as in previous entries.

Stylish With Some Rough Edges

One of the things that enthralled me in College Football 25, not so much in this year’s release, was the fanfare, the pageantry, and the whole college vibe that had the stadium chanting for their team. This was absent from almost every Madden game until now. Fortunately, Madden 26 brought one of the most stylish football experiences as well, eclipsing its college counterpart.

For starters, the commentators are some of the best we’ve had in the series. Their conversations and comments feel much more realistic while providing accurate information and even delivering an excellent half-time segment in every match. There’s even a weekly recap, which feels great as it cuts down the time you spend on going through menus to see how other teams did.

On top of that, the presentation has vastly improved from previous entries, even if it’s only thanks to minor changes. When playing on the field, you can see more dynamic camera angles for certain plays and moments. Weather effects also look much better, providing an epic atmosphere to all games. All in all, it is great to see a Madden game that finally feels “next-gen” in a way. There are still some issues, such as the ones I mentioned above, but it is a good start.

Time To Keep the Momentum Going

I never thought I’d say this, but Madden NFL 26 has finally scored a proper touchdown with this year’s release. Was it the smoothest play with no ball fumbles? No. But it is a start, and a sign that the series is going in the right direction. Ironically, all it needed was a bit of a push from the inside. It still has a long way to go to become the best football experience of the year, but we’re now living in exciting times where two franchises are inspiring each other to improve, and I’m eager to see how everything unfolds.

With a strong Franchise mode, better visuals, and an immersive atmosphere, Madden NFL 26 easily takes the crown as this year’s best football game. However, it isn’t a complete win, as there are still many underlying issues that hinder the experience after a few hours. Menus need a lot of work, and loading times need to be shortened because they are highly distracting. Other than that, it is a highly enjoyable experience, and one that many Madden fans will enjoy.

Madden NFL 26 (PS5 Reviewed)

8.5 Great!

Madden NFL 26 is the best Madden entry we've had in years. While it suffers from some lackluster modes and long loading times when navigating menus, it also offers an immersive and engaging football experience, and one that surpasses its college counterpart.