Madden NFL 25: A make-or-break year for EA Sports, but developer looks game

Fans of the Madden NFL franchise continue to be disappointed by EA Sports’ effort, or lack thereof, when creating new installments of the legendary football video game. After years of frustration, could 2024 finally be the year fans get what they want?

2023, which brought gamers Madden NFL 24, was seen by many as a “make-or-break year” for EA Sports, especially with rumors of 2K making a return to the football gaming scene and potentially putting some pressure on their former rivals in the NFL space.

But, diehard followers of the game got what many believed to be the same old, same old: a watered-down version of the previous year’s game, only updating rosters and continuing to run into similar bugs as the year prior.

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Now, with EA Sports bringing back their NCAA franchise after a long hiatus, 2024 is a true must-win for the developer across two leagues as they look to make a major splash with football fans ahead of the 2024 NFL and NCAA seasons.

If new screenshots from Madden NFL 25, alongside information about updated features coming to this year’s game, are any indicator, EA Sports may finally be bringing the heat back to one of its most popular franchises.

One new feature is called “BOOM Tech,” which aims to improve the FieldSENSE animations that were introduced in Madden NFL 23 two years ago.

“In Madden NFL 23, the team introduced the FieldSENSE animation-branching system to deliver on control, rather than outcomes that feel more scripted or pre-determined,” the developers wrote. “This year in Madden NFL 25, that vision is being accelerated with the introduction of BOOM Tech, our next gameplay innovation that has been over two years in the making.”

This addition should allow for more realistic tackling defensively, and less reliance on video game-esque jukes offensively.

Along the same lines, EA Sports decided to add some weight back to its legendary Hit Stick, something that took the football gaming world by storm 20 years ago with Madden NFL 2005 .

“Bring power in every phase of the game with a timing-based mechanic that provides harder-hitting control determined by angle of impact, stick-skill, and accuracy for cut sticks, big hits, and trucks, with more realistic physical movements and results,” EA Sports wrote.

>>READ: Pick-Six: Top sports video games of all time

Along with other gameplay focuses like new playbooks, pre-snap and post-play animations, and a revamped Franchise mode, the gameplay overall is something that will garner loads of attention once August 2024 rolls around.

But, one of the cooler considerations for this year’s game comes along the lines of what EA Sports called “Immersion.”

Two new commentary teams, one of which features a star-studded duo of Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, will be added ot the game, along with a brand new look and feel to give gamers the sense that they’re really playing in the snow at Gillette Stadium or making a tackle on the turf at SoFi Stadium.

These announcements brought loads of excitement back to a community that felt like it had lost steam over the last few years. Now, it’s time to find out if the hype is real around Madden NFL 25, or if it’s just another instance of putting a shiny diamond on a patch of dirt.

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