Madden NFL 26

EA Sports Madden NFL 26

Released

Release Date: August 14, 2025

Sports, American Football, For 2 Players, Splitscreen, Multiplayer, Singleplayer, Internet

A sports game dedicated to American football, representing a series developed by Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. Madden NFL 26 offers a bunch of novelties, including an improved system of player movements and more realistic decisions made by the coaches.

7.9

OpenCritic

4.5

Steam

Rate It!

Ratings

 Videos: 1 

Images: 5 

Gameplay
Game modes

The roots of the Madden NFL series date back to 1988, when the game John Madden Football debuted. It started the entire series and the EA Tiburon studio took over it in the mid-1990s. From that point on, this team was behind every production under this brand, including the Madden NFL 26 described here.

Gameplay

Madden NFL 26 offers an official NFL license, which means that real athletes, as well as teams and stadiums, appear in the game. Compared to the previous part of the series, the title stands out due to a number of innovations that affect the course of matches, which are the pillar of the gameplay.

QB DNA and Coach DNA

The first of them is QB DNA, thanks to which every quarterback has been equipped with realistic, individual behaviors, based on the analysis of real plays and situations from the last 10 years. Players stand out in terms of how they move behind the defensive line, characteristic movements during the throw, or their style of escaping from defenders.

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Coach DNA, on the other hand, is the result of analyzing NFL data from the last decade. Thanks to it, coaches make realistic decisions in line with their actual philosophies.

Weather and improved player moves

Madden NFL 26 also brings "extreme" weather phenomena, such as heavy snow or fog, or a wet field surface. They influence the speed, control over the ball, and endurance of the players, as well as visibility.

This edition also features improved player movement system, which takes into account moves like grabbing, pushing with the hand (so-called stiff-arm) or breaking through opponents.

Game modes

Madden NFL 26 can be played play alone or in multiplayer mode (via the Internet or on a shared screen). Among the available modes, the leading ones are:

Superstar - it allows us to become the titular star of American football, as part of a career filled with various storylines, goals and challenges. The Sphere of Influence system plays an important role here, allowing to manage player's relationships off the field.
Ultimate Team - a gameplay variant in which we create a team based on players drawn from card packs, and then put it up to fight against other players.
Franchise - we can manage our team throughout the entire season.

Of course, there are also standalone matches played against other people or AI.

Platforms:

PC Windows

PlayStation 5

Xbox Series X/S

Switch 2

Early Access:August 11, 2025

Developer: EA Tiburon

Publisher: EA Sports

Similar Games:

Madden NFL 25

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Game Series

33GAMES

Madden NFL Game Series

A series of sports games providing an advanced simulation of American soccer games. Madden NFL brand is considered one of the most important in EA Sport's publishing portfolio, with EA Canada studio overseeing its development.

Madden NFL Game Series

Features

News

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video games

Hubert Sledziewski

September 30, 2025

Electronic Arts to be bought out for $55 billion

System Requirements

System Requirements for Madden NFL 26 Video Game:

PC / Windows

Minimum System Requirements:
Intel Core i7-6700K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600, 10 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / Radeon RX 570, 65 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit.

Recommended System Requirements:
Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, 12 GB RAM, graphic card 8 GB GeForce RTX 3060 / Radeon RX 6600 XT, 65 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit.

Ratings

Game Ratings for Madden NFL 26 Video Game.

7.9

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 75% of Critics. There are 46 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

Pure Nintendo: 7 / 10 by Kirk Hiner

It's been so long since a Madden game has been playable on a Nintendo device that pretty much anything would've satisfied NFL fans. Thankfully, Madden NFL 26 happens to be a good game that offers a massive playbook of depth and content. Just be prepared to spend time on the practice squad while you get up to speed.

Full Review

GamingBolt: 8 / 10 by Matthew Carmosino

EA hasn't reinvented the wheel, but their latest NFL outing still managed to impress me. Every mode, except Ultimate Team, has been enhanced with more engaging systems and streamlined features. The presentation feels livelier and more dynamic, with a welcome dose of college football DNA. Unfortunately, sluggish load times and a few poor interface choices continue to plague the yearly series.

Full Review

But Why Tho?: 7.5 / 10 by Kyle Foley

There is enough depth to Madden 26 that makes it an experience worth the update. It still is not as strong as the CFB franchise, but it is making strides in the right direction.

Full Review

45%

STEAM Score

All Reviews: Mixed (2,577)

STEAM

User Reviews Summary generated by AI

The main pros of the game

Graphics and Visuals: Many users praised the game for its decent graphics and visual fidelity, with some commenting on the realistic animations and overall presentation.
Franchise Mode: A portion of players found enjoyment in the franchise mode, appreciating the ability to manage a team and the updates to franchise features.
Gameplay Mechanics: Some players noted improvements in gameplay mechanics, including the ability to run the ball effectively and a more realistic feel to certain plays.
Soundtrack: The in-game soundtrack received positive feedback, being described as one of the best in recent sports games.

The main cons of the game

Bugs and Crashes: A significant number of players reported frequent crashes, bugs, and performance issues, especially on PC. Many found the game unplayable due to constant freezing and crashing.
AI Issues: Users frequently criticized the AI for poor decision-making, particularly on defense, with complaints about missed tackles and unrealistic player behavior.
Gameplay Mechanics: Despite some improvements, many players felt the gameplay was still flawed, with issues like poor offensive line performance and unrealistic animations detracting from the experience.
Microtransactions and Ultimate Team: Players expressed frustration with the heavy emphasis on microtransactions, particularly in the Ultimate Team mode, which they felt detracted from the overall gaming experience.

The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users

Franchise Mode Enhancements: While some enjoyed the franchise mode, many users felt it lacked significant updates or new features compared to previous iterations. Suggestions included better scouting systems and more engaging off-season activities.
Customization Options: Users lamented the absence of features like a stadium or uniform editor, as well as a lack of variety in player faces and customization options for created players.
Improved AI and Gameplay Mechanics: Players desired a more realistic AI that could make smarter decisions and better gameplay mechanics that do not rely heavily on animations over physics.
Stability and Optimization: Many players noted that the game was poorly optimized for PC, leading to performance issues even on high-end hardware, which they felt should have been addressed after years of development.

Summary

Overall, while there are elements of Madden NFL 26 that some players enjoyed, the overwhelming consensus is that the game suffers from numerous technical issues and a lack of substantial innovation, leading to disappointment among long-time fans of the franchise.

Summary generated on: October 9, 2025

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