The Newest ‘Madden 26’ Deep Dive Is Proof That Competition Matters, Even When It Comes From Inside the House

Electronic Arts just released a four-minute trailer and a blog detailing some of the newest gameplay additions to Madden 26. The trailer is focused on the efforts of the dev team to bring a different level of realism to the game based on what you see in real life. And I have to be honest — at least in animation and movement — the first real look is pretty good.

‘Madden 26’ makes kyler murray actually run like a three-year-old who took something

One of the big features EA is pushing for in Madden 26 is “QB DNA”. This allows the quarterbacks in the game to look more like their real-world counterparts. This includes not just throwing animations, but also scrambling, too. You can see Josh Allen’s quick flick of the wrist on the run and Mahomes’ side-arm motion on quick screens. And in that video, yes, you can see Kyler Murray’s patented “Bad Toddler Run”. The overhaul to animations should allow for a more realistic look overall. On top of that is a change I’ve been looking forward to for some time:

“To give players more control and responsiveness, we’ve smoothed out the animation transitions starting with the first transition that happens from the in-pocket idle to scramble locomotion and then from scramble loco to ‘set feet’ so that as soon as you provide an input on the sticks, you’ll see and feel the appropriate football work and movement by the quarterback you’re controlling.“

Given that my favorite team — the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles — has Jalen Hurts, I find myself taking advantage of scrambling to make time for receivers to get open. Making that animation between pocket to scramble to set feet smoother is going to change everything about the way I play Madden 26.

Kneecap biting and flowers blooming

Coach DNA will also be a key factor in Madden 26‘s gameplay. With real-life coaching data used to tune the AI coaching tendencies. All I want is to feel a little stress when I play against the Lions. If I get a 3rd and short stop on my 40-to-45-yard line, I shouldn’t be able to relax on 4th down. And hopefully, with this, I won’t be able to.

Beyond that, it looks like the “Ask Madden” function (Yes, I still call it that) is getting an overhaul that takes advantage of these changes in coaching AI by giving you suggestions based on the real-world tendencies of your coach. I won’t be using that, but it’s there for you if you need it. Apparently, there may even be a reference to Dan Campbell’s iconic “Biting Kneecaps” press conference.

YES, I’m looking forward to ‘madden’ this year

Obvious bias of being willing to buy this because there’s an Eagle on the cover aside, what I’m seeing so far makes me feel like I did in the Madden 04 to Madden 06 era. Whether EA wants to admit it or not, competition is good for the likes of Madden 26. They saw College Football 25 do crazy numbers, and that it was insanely popular with players. They took some aspects of that game and added them to Madden. Because it works and makes for a better game.

Listening to the fans and allowing for some level of competition for your product does nothing but make your game better. And EA’s willingness to hide from that over the last 20 years has been annoying at best. I’m sure they’ve got some more Madden 26 to show before the release in August. But at a minimum, from a visual standpoint, this is the most improvement I’ve seen from the franchise in years. If the return of a college football game can help force a better version of Madden, I’m all for it.