Few things are more synonymous with the NFL than the Madden video game franchise.
For decades, EA Sports’ video game has been the go-to option for football fans wanting to immerse themselves further in their favorite sport. Even the cover of each year’s game is a coveted honor (though it may come with concern for fans of the cover athlete).
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is on the cover of Madden 26, re-creating his iconic hurdle from the 2024 regular season. He’s the second consecutive running back to grace the cover following San Francisco‘s Christian McCaffrey last year.
Early trailers for the new video game teased what EA Sports is calling the game’s “cutting-edge features powered by advanced physics and AI-powered machine learning systems.”
Now, there’s more to look forward to for fans of the game’s franchise mode.
EA Sports announced July 2 that Madden 26 will have “the biggest Franchise Mode update we’ve made in over a decade.” The latest trailer details indicate that things will be different this year for franchise mode enthusiasts.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect in Madden 26’s franchise mode:
How is Madden 26 Franchise Mode different?
Madden 26 adds layers of detail to coaching, drafting, broadcasts and even in-game weather. Coaching makes up a significant portion of the changes this year, as players can be more specific in how they want to manage their franchise of choice.
One key detail: EA Sports says loading screens were the top priority for franchise mode.
“We want screens to load quicker, and we definitely know you want them to load quicker,” the company said in the franchise mode announcement. “We spent a lot of time early in our development cycle focusing on how quickly our screens load.”
With that out of the way, here’s a closer look at each area of change.
Madden 26 Franchise Mode: Coaching
When taking over a franchise and creating a coach, players will now have three archetypes to choose from: offensive guru, defensive genius and development wizard. All current NFL coaches have been categorized into these three designations.
Each archetype has new abilities split up between game day and season-long. This also comes with more tailored weekly strategies that players can use to customize their approach. Players can build out new “playsheets” that expand on the base playbook and progress like coach abilities over the course of a season.
These three archetypes also make coordinator hires more important. For an offensive guru in the mold of Sean McVay or Andy Reid, players will need to hire a standout defensive coordinator. Those coordinators also possess specific traits and abilities.
EA Sports states Madden’s AI for this season will mean opposing coaches have the same traits, progressions, planning and playsheet buildup as players do.
Madden 26 Franchise Mode: Drafting
After reviewing trends from the past two drafts, EA Sports states they’ve made changes to how the NFL Draft works in franchise mode.
There’s a new emphasis on offensive and defensive linemen, as well as teams doubling down on positions throughout the draft. They say the prospects themselves are unique, with more specifically selected traits and a wider range of players in the draft in the first place.
Madden 26 Franchise Mode: Broadcasts
EA Sports announced that Madden 26 will have specific broadcast packages for primetime games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights with its own commentary teams for each night.
Halftime reports will now be included during games with a new wrinkle. In online franchise modes, highlights from other users’ games will be included in the halftime report.
Madden 26 Franchise Mode: Weather
The weather will be a bigger factor than before in Madden 26’s franchise mode. EA Sports states they’ve fine-tuned the weather in every city.
“Whether it’s a sunny day in LA or a snowstorm in Green Bay, the weather will feel authentic to each location,” EA Sports stated.
This will also affect teams playing in unfamiliar elements.
“Teams used to cold weather such as Buffalo, Chicago, Green Bay, Cleveland, and Philadelphia will perform better in the snow, experiencing fewer penalties to movement and traction,” EA Sports announced. “In contrast, warm-weather teams like Miami, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and San Francisco will have a tougher time in icy conditions. But when it’s scorching hot, those same cold-weather teams will fatigue more quickly, while heat-acclimated squads maintain their stamina longer.”
Madden 26 release date
Madden 26 will be released on Aug. 14, 2025. Pre-orders are available now and players can get the game three days early by pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition of the video game.
