Celebrating 25 years of excellence, Madden NFL 25 delivers the most realistic sim football experience you can find while incorporating some brand new game-changing features.
Connected Franchise
In the new Connected Franchise mode, you can now choose to play as the owner of a franchise and control every area of the team's performance, in addition to becoming a coach or player. You're in charge of answering media questions, keeping your fan base happy, and winning games.
New Offensive/ Defensive Line Interactions
Highlighted by pass block double teams, 300 new pass rush animations, and the ID the Mike system, Madden NFL 25 has overhauled the way the offensive and defensive lines interact.
CoachGlass
CoachGlass is a second screen experience that truly enhances the way you call your defensive plays. Real-time data helps you see how your opponent is attacking you, while suggested plays based on community feedback provide insight as you decide how best to stop them.
Precision Modified Moves
Precision Modified Moves overhauls the way the ball carrier runs in Madden NFL 25. How the player's foot is planted and their forward momentum matter when it comes to how the player moves, giving you a massive amount of control over the running game.
Head to Head Seasons
Head to Head Seasons is a new addition to Madden Ultimate Team. This mode has you playing through a 10-game season. If you win often enough, you earn a spot in the playoffs. When you reach the playoffs, you'll need to string four wins in a row to take home the Lombardi Trophy.
Madden Share
Share custom rosters, gameplay sliders, and custom playbooks with the all-new Madden Share feature. Upload your files for others to enjoy or download and rate files from other users.
Skills Trainer
Skills Trainer can turn you from a Madden NFL newbie into a pro. Take part in goal-oriented training sessions and view instructional videos to improve your skill.
Position Specific Hot Routes
Increase the control you have over your playcalling by utilizing hot routes that are specific to a position. Depending on the position, you may have access to new hot routes when calling plays.
Audible by Set
Madden NFL 25 takes the next step in authenticity by revamping the audible system. Rather than having five preset audibles, you can now choose audibles for each formation. Plus, you’ll only be able to audible from the same personnel grouping and will have the option to preselect these audibles by creating a custom playbook. No more shifting from five WRs down into goal line!
Play Calling
GameFlow
GameFlow allows players to pick plays like a true NFL coach. By matching plays to situational game plans, plays can be tailor-picked automatically for each down. In the game settings screen you can choose a playcall style: GameFlow or Conventional.
You can even change your GameFlow to be heavy on run plays, heavy on pass plays, or balanced between the two. On defense, you can be conservative, aggressive, or balanced.
Conventional
You may also choose to call plays in the traditional Madden NFL manner, or switch back and forth between the two playcalling styles.
Offense
Pre-play Offense
| Motion player | |
| Snap ball | |
| Switch player | |
| Flip play | + |
| Call audible | |
| Fake snap | |
| Show play art | |
| Pre-play menu | |
| Switch direction of run play | / | Quiet crowd |
| Hot route | / |
| Offensive line shift | |
| Timeout |
The Passer
| Throw the ball | / / / / (tap button for lob pass/hold button for a bullet) |
| Total Control Passing | in any direction + / / / / |
| Pump fake | |
| Pump fake to specific receiver |
+ / / / / |
| Play-action abort | |
| Throw ball away | |
| QB scramble (behind the line of scrimmage) |
+ |
| QB avoidance (when in the pocket) |
The Receiver
| Switch to receiver | |
| Catch ball | (hold) |
| Dive for ball | (hold) |
| Make sharp cuts | |
| Fair catch (receiving a kick only) |
The Ball Carrier
| Stiff arm | |
| Spin | |
| Showboat | (hold when running inside the opponent's 10 yard line on a breakaway touchdown) |
| Jump/hurdle | |
| Dive/QB slide | (tap to slide/hold to dive) |
| Protect ball | |
| Pitch ball | |
| Juke | / |
| Truck | |
| Fake pitch | |
| Sprint |
Defense
Against the Ball Carrier
| Defensive assist | |
| Switch player | |
| Dive | |
| Strip ball | |
| Strafe | |
| Hit stick |
Against the Receiver
| Defensive assist | (hold before the snap and throughout the play) |
| Switch player | |
| Attempt Interception | |
| Swat | + |
Rushing the Passer
| Finesse move | / |
| Bull rush | |
| Hands up/bat ball |
Pre-play Defense
| Choose a player to control | (tap to change players one by one or move ) |
| Defensive adjustments | |
| Show play art | |
| Show/hide pre-play menu | |
| Pump up crowd | |
| Line shifts | / |
| Linebacker shifts | / |
| Hot Route | |
| Coverage audible | / |
ID the Mike
Protect your quarterback from his biggest threats with the new ID the Mike feature. This pass block targeting system works both pre-snap and post-snap, so your offensive line knows who to block.
Pre-Snap
Let the AI identify the biggest threats to your QB before the snap and find the Mike, or middle linebacker. Then, your offensive line can better determine who to block and how to block them. Depending on the situation, you might plan your footwork around the defenders, decide how deep to pass set, or select to double team players.
Post-Snap
Once the ball is snapped, ID the Mike’s targeting system updates on the fly. Trust the protection to pick up the pressure while you concentrate on making reads down the field.
Pass blockers can now make up to 60 calculations per second, so they’ll dynamically shift targets and work together as a unit to double team and sort defenders. The result is each lineman knowing which spot in the pocket he must protect.
Depending on the depth of your QB dropback (three-step, five-step, or seven-step), ID the Mike forms an authentic passing pocket around you and protects for that space.
Be prepared to put new skills into action with the new pocket! As the pocket starts to collapse and degrade around the QB, the QB has to use his protection and step up into the pocket to make a throw, rather than running backwards to avoid the rush.
Pre-Play Adjustments
ID the Mike brings new functionality to blocking pre-play adjustments. Slide Protection, Pinch, and Aggressive each result in specific targeting of the offensive line.
NOTE: These pre-snap adjustments only work on dropback passes and draw plays, but you can use them on any play to bluff your opponent.
Slide
Sliding right or left re-targets the offensive line from the Mike to either the Sam or the Will, based on defensive alignment. This redirects members of the offensive line who were previously targeting the Mike, while the rest of the line keeps their original pre-snap targets.
Pinch
Block the five innermost defenders in the tackle box by directing your line to Pinch. Though you risk pressure from the outside, your linemen are skilled enough to adjust on the fly if they’re targeting defenders who don’t rush.
Aggressive
Setting your offensive line to Aggressive changes their initial footwork off the snap. The three-step pass depth set is known as Quick Protection, so blockers take shorter steps and engage their targets more aggressively. The payoff is getting to the rushers sooner and making them lose momentum out of the passing lanes. This also gives your tackles a higher chance of cut blocking the defensive ends. If you make this adjustment on a deeper pass, be prepared for shorter corners around the edge for the defense—you may not have as much time in the pocket as usual.
Purple Routes
Updated blocking logic for running backs makes ID the Mike even more authentic. While Block and Release players on the line of scrimmage use the legacy blue routes, the new purple routes are exclusive to Check and Release players aligned in the backfield. Watch the purple routes to see the RB’s target for pass protection.
If a defender rushes, your RB should stay to block him. If the defender drops into coverage, the RB can move to stay in his route. The RB may also leak into the target’s route even after the target rushes and beats the RB’s block.
Offensive/Defensive Line Interaction
Interaction between the offensive and defensive lines is more gripping than ever in Madden NFL. Open-field targeting in the running game and draw game have been upgraded, and over 300 new pass rush animations help build pockets and put pressure on QBs. Dynamic AI improves offensive line footwork, pass sets, and pass blocks.
Blocking is also better than ever, with 200 new moving and impact blocks. With Seal Blocks exclusive to the running game, blockers can now turn defenders to shield them from running lanes. This allows the ball carrier to clearly see the lanes and burst through them. Offensive linemen also get all-new pass block locomotion.
Bluffing Play Art
To bluff your playcalling during multiplayer games, press and hold the button that corresponds to the play you wish to select. This secretly selects the appropriate play. Continue holding the button while scrolling to other plays in order to bluff your opponent and then exit the playcalling screen by releasing the button.
Faded Receiver Icons
Your receiver's icon may be faded for the first few moments of the route before becoming more solid. This indicates your receiver's awareness. Your receiver won't be looking to catch the ball within the first five yards of a long streak pattern. A fully lit icon means that your receiver is ready for a pass, but make sure he's open before throwing the ball.
Mastering Pre-Play Adjustments
If you're looking to become a pro at making pre-play adjustments, visit the Skills Trainer. Skills Trainer gives you a chance to take part in drills designed to make pre-play adjustments second nature for seasoned players.
A large fundamental change has been made to the rules of audibles in Madden NFL 25. No longer do you select five random plays that you have preset as audibles and can call at any time. Now, each formation has its own set of four audibles, and these can be changed to whatever you like with a custom playbook (or within a game).
Not only that, but now you can also change your formation to any other formation available in your playbook as long as it has the same personnel grouping that is currently on the field. For example, if you’re in a Normal I-Formation, the personnel grouping consists of two running backs, one tight end, and two wide receivers. At the line of scrimmage, you can now shift to any other formation that contains this grouping. So formations like Strong-I Normal, Weak-I Normal, Pro-Set, would all be eligible to shift to, each having its own four audibles to select from.
Madden NFL 25 allows you to “run free” by utilizing the Precision Modified Moves. By pulling and holding and pressing a corresponding button, you feel ball carrier controls like you’ve never felt before in Madden NFL. Some of these Precision Modified Moves produce an entirely new animation (like Precision Spin and Hurdle), and all of these moves boost the ball carrier’s chance of faking out the defender.
Combo Moves
It doesn’t always take the press of a button to get past a defender in the open field. You now have the ability to pull off some serious moves with . For example, moving , 
, will perform a Juke Left, Spin Right Combo Move. Pulling and holding while performing these moves will add an even greater chance of faking out the defender.
Heat Seeker
Heat Seeker is a more accurate way to target a ball carrier and bring him down. You activate Heat Seeker by holding and continuing to steer toward the runner by moving . This also works with dive tackles and the Hit Stick; just continue to steer toward the ball carrier by moving . Seeker may be a more sure-fire way to tackle, but you do leave yourself open to being exposed by Precision Modified Moves.
CoachGlass
CoachGlass is a second screen experience that displays Personnel, Tendencies, Play History stats, and defensive suggestions. This authentic data has never before been available in Madden NFL. It displays the current offense so both users can see the same information.
NOTE: The SmartGlass app is required to use CoachGlass. It is available through the Windows 8 Store, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store.
View the Personnel page before the offense picks a play. Here, you can see the Personnel groups and the most effective defense. This lets the offense make sure they’re picking diverse personnel groups, while suggesting what defense should call.
Once the offense picks a play, you can see the run/pass percentage for that personnel, along with three suggested plays for defense. You’ll be able to select these suggested plays directly from your device, with no need to change a setting or your playcalling style.
View the Tendencies page to see the run/pass percentage for the current offense. This includes a nine-section diagram of the field displaying where the ball has been thrown, as well as a three-section diagram of the field showing where the ball has been run. Tap a section to see the selectable suggestions, based on the plays the offense has called.
Visit the Play History page to see the plays run by the current offense. This log displays up to 64 plays, along with defense-called plays and the yards gained or lost. You can filter the Play History page to the Current Offensive Personnel or the Current Down. This can help you see patterns in your opponent’s gameplan, so you know how best to take them down.
All of the suggestions are based on stats from the Madden NFL community. Every play that a Madden NFL 25 player runs is recorded into this system, so the Madden NFL 25 team can look for the most effective plays. You can see and select crowd-sourced plays through CoachGlass, with updated suggestions throughout the season.
Kinect
Use your Kinect to give voice commands to your team at the line of scrimmage. You can say "Audible" to call audibles, speak the name of a receiver to select them, say "Line" to see line protection options, and more. Use this complete list of Kinect commands in Madden NFL 25 as a reference.
| Offense - General | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hike | Quiet Down | Flip Play |
| Hurry Up | Show Play | Timeout |
| Challenge | Spike | Fake Spike |
| Cancel | ||
| Offense - Audibles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flip Play | Quick Pass | Run |
| PA Pass | Deep Pass | Custom |
| Timeout | ||
| Offense - Receivers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Smart Route | Streak | Out Left |
| Out Right | Curl | Fade |
| Drag | Slant Left | Slant Right |
| Slant | Zig Route | Out |
| In | Block Right | Block Left |
| Motion Left | Motion Right | Hike |
| Timeout | Cancel | |
| Offense - Protections | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aggressive | Pinch | Block Left |
| Block Right | Reset | Hike |
| Timeout | Cancel | |
Defense
| Defense - General | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flip Play | Timeout | Let's Go |
| Show Play | Challenge | Cancel |
| Defense - Audible | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audible | Man | Blitz Play |
| Cover 2 | Cover 3 | Custom |
| Custom Play Name | Timeout | Cancel |
| Defense - D-Line Shifts | ||
|---|---|---|
| D-Line | D-Line Spread | D-Line Pinch |
| D-Line Shift Left | D-Line Shift Right | D-Line Edge Rush |
| D-Line Crash Middle | D-Line Crash Left | D-Line Crash Right |
| Timeout | Cancel | |
| Defense - Linebacker Shifts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Linebackers | LB Pinch | LB Shift Spread |
| LB Shift Right | LB Shift Left | Zones |
| Blitz | Blitz Right | Blitz Left |
| Timeout | Cancel | |
| Defense - Coverage Audibles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Zones to Left | Zones to Right |
| Zones to Sideline | Zones to Middle | Fake Blitz |
| Base | Press | Back Off |
| Individual | Timeout | Cancel |
| Defense - Individual Coverage | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shade Left | Shade Right | Back Off |
| Spotlight | Timeout | Cancel |
| Defense - Keys | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run | Run Left | Run Right |
| Pass | Shift Left | Shift Right |
| Pinch | Spread | |
| Defense - Hot Routes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hot Routes | Hook Zone | Deep Zone |
| Blitz | Man | QB Contain |
| Flat Zone | Curl to Flats | QB Spy |
| Timeout | Cancel | |
| Defense - Select Players | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free Safety | Strong Safety | Cornerback |
| Middle Linebacker | Left Linebacker | Right Linebacker |
| Tackle | Left End | Right End |
|
|
Pause Menu
Resume
Picks up where you last paused the game.
Instant Replay
Check out the previous play from various replay angles.
| Game Options | |
|---|---|
| Settings | Change a number of game settings including difficulty, gameplay sliders, and volume control. |
| Custom Audibles | Set specific audibles for each formation in your playbook. |
| Call Timeout | Stops the gameclock and gives your team time to rest. |
| Depth Chart | Gives you the ability to manage your roster and move any player to the starting role. |
| Medical Center | View all the injuries that have occurred during the game. |
| Manual | Opens up the in-game manual where you can quickly find answers to any questions about Madden NFL 25. |
| Controls | |
|---|---|
| Basic Controls | Quick links you to the Basic Controls section of the in-game manual. |
| Complete Controls | Quick links you to the Complete Controls section of the in-game manual. |
| Controller Select | Gives you the option to bring another player into the game and switch what team you’re controlling. |
| Recap | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | View all statistics that have accumulated in the game to that point. |
Quit Game
You can opt to quit out of the game. All progress will be lost.
Main Menu
Home Panel
Select to jump right into a game, watch the latest On Demand videos, keep up with challenges, and access your Fantasy Football.
Play Panel
Access Connected Franchise, Online Head-to-Head, Madden Ultimate Team, Skills Trainer, Play Now, and More Modes, which includes Practice, Team Play, and Never Say Never Moments.
Play Panel
Connected Franchise
What Is Connected Franchise?
Connected Franchise builds on the foundation that Connected Careers laid down last year. Now, not only can you choose to play as a player or coach, but you can also play as an owner. Create your personal legacy or relive an all-time legend’s as you build the ultimate franchise.
What’s New in Connected Franchise?
In addition to Owner mode, Madden NFL 25 now allows for offline fantasy drafts, import draft class, offseason position changes, the ability to control 32 different characters in an offline Connected Franchise mode, and a transaction log of all the moves made in the league.
Offline Fantasy Draft
Last year introduced the ability to hold a fantasy draft but it was only available online. This year you can access the same functionality offline. Fantasy drafts put every NFL player in a pool and teams pick a roster from scratch.
32-Player Control (Offline)
In an offline Connect Franchise mode, you can control one character from each of the 32 franchises. For example, you can be the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, and the starting QB for the St. Louis Rams. Switching between characters couldn’t be easier. Simply press and highlight who you want to control.
Transaction Log
It’s no longer a guessing game when it comes to finding out all the roster movement in the league. The transaction log records every free agent signing, trade, injury, and contract extension.
Owner Mode
Playing as an owner in Connected Franchise provides the highest level of control possible. Not only do you have complete ownership in the roster-building process such as signing free agents, trades, and the NFL Draft, but you also make decisions that affect the bottom line such as ticket, concession, and merchandise pricing.
Owner Backstories
Select a backstory if you choose to start as a created owner. Backstories provide an identity to your character and also have an in-game impact. The three backstories for an owner are:
| Former Player | Gives you an advantage when it comes to team popularity. You start with $5 million in available funds. |
| Lifelong Fan | Gives you an advantage with fan happiness. You start with $5 million in available funds. |
| Financial Mogul | Gives you an advantage financially as you start with $10 million in funds, but you start with no legacy score and player happiness will be low. |
Revenue
Who doesn't want to be the owner making the most money in the league?
Having a successful team that performs on game day while making all the right business decisions will help propel you up the revenue leaderboard.
Advisors
It's easy to become overwhelmed as an owner, but that's why you have help. An advisor from every aspect of Owner mode will be there to help you out and keep you updated on everything that's going down.
Price Setting
Owners have the power to set the prices of tickets, concessions, and merchandise. Are you in a situation where you aren't selling out your home games? You might have to lower your tickets and lure the customer back through the doors. Or perhaps your stadium is at maximum capacity and you have the urge to hike up concessions. The options are endless, but you can be sure that your fans will let you know how you're treating them. You can begin altering prices by going to the Owner tab and navigating to the Finances advisor.
Team Value
Team Value is determined by how you rank in eight different categories. Having the highest Team Value is a distinction that every owner in the NFL would love to boast. The eight categories that affect your overall Team Value are Fan Happiness, Team Success, Popularity, Staff, Stadium, Concession, Merchandise, and Tickets. The owner who ranks first in Team Value needs to be well rounded in every facet of the game. It’s also important to note that the signing bonus you allocate to free agents or players from your own team you re-sign is pulled from the funds that help make up your Team Value.
Team Popularity
Team Popularity is a key component when it comes to understanding how you’re earning revenue. There are three different levels of popularity: National, Regional, and Local. The four factors that play the biggest role in determining your Team Popularity are Team Success, Fan Happiness, Primetime Wins, and Market Size. Having success on Monday or Sunday night as well as in the playoffs will pay huge rewards in your National popularity. Having a high National popularity equates to more jersey sales and you can start accumulating the extra dollars it takes to bring in that key free agent or renovate your stadium.
Staff Hiring
Having a solid staff not only benefits your team’s success but also affects your fan happiness. A great staff starts with a head coach. Should you happen to need a new head coach, look to make a big splash by signing one with a high coaching level. A high coaching level translates to more scouting points, which come in handy when it comes to scouting more thoroughly than the rest of the league. Next, you need a scout. One way to value different scouts is by utilizing their specialty. If you’re an owner that loves to find out a wide receiver’s speed, find a scout that specializes in WR Speed and you’ll be able to scout that attribute at a discount. And the last piece in a great staff is the trainer. The trainer can really help slow down regression and build players back up after coming off an injury.
Fan Happiness
Staying up to date with your fan base is crucial for your overall success as an owner. They'll make their voices heard when things are going well and be even more vocal if something isn't meeting their standards. You can quickly gauge your fan base by going to the Owner tab and meeting with the Fan Happiness advisor.
Marketing
Knowing how popular your team and players are is a vital tool when it comes to earning more revenue. Checking in with the Marketing advisor will inform you on where your team stands compared to the rest of the league and even whose jersey is selling the most. Jersey sales are determined by a player’s personality rating, age, overall and position.
Media Statements
Throughout the season, you are going to answer questions from the media. Your answers will set the tone for the entire fan base. If you guarantee a Super Bowl and miss the playoffs, your fans will be calling for your job! You’ll be notified when it’s time to address the media in the Actions tab.
Stadium Upgrades
Keeping your stadium up to date with the latest and greatest technology will keep your fans dying to come back to the stadium and pay top dollar. You can choose to renovate or upgrade various parts of the stadium. If things are really bad, you can even choose to rebuild the stadium from the ground up.
Relocate
In case things just aren't working out or you feel the grass is greener on the other side, you can opt to relocate your entire franchise to a different city. There are a certain number of cities to choose from, and some might even help pay for you to pack up the moving trucks.
Choose City
Relocating the franchise is a four-step process. Where you’ll be moving to is the first important decision. The 17 eligible cities to relocate to are:
| London, England | Chicago, Illinois |
| Los Angeles, California | Sacramento, California |
| Mexico City, Mexico | Columbus, Ohio |
| Toronto, Canada | Portland, Oregon |
| San Antonio, Texas | Austin, Texas |
| Orlando, Florida | Dublin, Ireland |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | Houston, Texas |
| Brooklyn, New York | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Memphis, Tennessee |
Choose Name
The next week you’ll have to decide on a team name and logo. You’ll have the option to retain the current team name of the franchise you’re moving or pick from a list of three new names that cater to the city that you’re moving to. Be sure to take into account the Fan Interest of each name.
Choose Uniform
Next, choose what to wear from a Classic, Modern, or Traditional style uniform. Again, it’s important to also consider what the popular choice is as it will affect how excited your new fan base will be.
Choose Stadium
Finally, it’s time to select a stadium that you can call home. There are 16 stadiums ranging in both style and cost. You might be able to pay off the Basic Canopy Stadium the quickest, but you run the risk of not attracting as many fans to the field if you disregard the more luxurious options.
Roster Building: Scouting Players
During each week of the regular season, you have the ability to take a look at the upcoming draft class and begin to target who might be a good fit on your team. Each week, you earn Scouting Points that can be used to unlock ratings, traits, and even the player type of anyone in the draft.
Points are limited so it's important to have a good plan and know what position you are weak in or what player is in the final year of his contract. Having a firm grasp on the state of your team both in the present and future will steer you in the right direction when it comes to scouting.
Another reason why it is so important to scout during the season is that if you don’t, you’ll have no knowledge of any player once the draft comes along. Trying to blindly select a player will come back to bite you more than ever in Madden NFL 25. For example, if your team runs a 3-4 defensive scheme but you end up drafting a 4-3 defensive end, your team will strongly downgrade that defensive.
Branching Storylines
Each year, there are a handful of players whose paths to the draft may take several twists and turns. If you don’t keep up with the storylines, you may run the risk of banking on the can’t-miss running back only to find out later that he’s switched positions or even pulled out of the draft altogether.
Ratings
Six ratings are an integral part of Connected Franchise and play a big role in how you shape your team. These ratings give each team an authentic identity to who they are and how they construct their football team. It is important to understand what these ratings do and how they are calculated. These ratings do not affect your player on the field but instead are used to help shape the personality of each NFL organization.
| Personality Rating | Helps determine how marketable the player is. The more marketable the player, the better chance he’ll have of becoming a top-10 selling jersey in the NFL, which of course means more money for the owner. |
| Physical Rating | Calculated from a player’s physical ratings, player type and position. For example, a WR’s physical rating would weigh heavier on speed, agility, jumping, and catching, whereas an offensive lineman is weighed on run, pass, and impact blocking. |
| Intangible Rating | Calculated off of a player’s intangible ratings. Player type and position are also taken into consideration. For example, a QB’s intangible rating would be weighed heavier on short, medium, and deep accuracy while a defensive end is weighed on block shed-ding, power, and finesse moves. |
| Size Rating | Calculated from the height and weight of a player while also factoring in the position and player type of that individual. For example, a Power RB who is 6’0”, 247lbs, would have a 99 size rating. But if he were a Speed HB, his size grade would be considerably lower. |
| Production Rating | Calculated from the player’s season and career stats, position and age. It is important to understand that a rookie will enter with a production rating of zero. That will increase as he begins to produce on the field. |
| Durability Rating | Calculated from a player’s durability rating. Injury, stamina, and toughness are all factored in when determining the durability rating. The age and position of a player are taken into consideration as well. |
Player Types & Schemes
It is important to understand the scheme your team runs and what player type they look for at a specific position.
Since each NFL team evaluates players differently, it's essential to know what piques their interest and in turn, makes them value you even higher. For example, if you’re a receiving back looking to crack into the Arizona Cardinals starting lineup, you may find yourself buried on the depth chart. The Cardinals are a Power Run offense, looking for a Power HB. Your overall rating will be lower in that system than it will be in Philadelphia, who is looking for a Receiving HB.
Off Season
| Re-Signing Players | During the regular season, you’ll notice pending free agents want to start negotiations on a new deal. If you decide against negotiating in the middle of the season, you’ll have one last opportunity to re-sign your own free agents to-be at this stage of the offseason. But before you choose to re-sign a player, remember that during the offseason it’s important to understand how much money your team has available to spend because you’ll have to choose if it’s best to re-sign a player, use the franchise tag, or opt to replenish the roster in free agency or the draft. If you do decide to enter into negotiations with one of your players at this stage, make sure it’s an offer that suits both you and the player. If the player declines to sign the deal, he’ll be off to test the open free agent market so make your first offer count! |
| Free Agency Bidding | After having a chance to re-sign your own free agents, you’ll then have your pick of the litter in free agency. This free-agency period is a time when teams can beef up their roster in a hurry, assuming your team has plenty of salary cap space and the right free agents are on the market. You’ll first notice that each player has a current market value, which is essentially telling you what you can expect to pay for the services of that player. You’ll also notice the logos from other teams in the NFL. These are all the teams that have an interest in that player. |
| Contract Offers | After offering your initial contract to the free agents that you’ve targeted, you’ll have to advance the week to get an update on the player. Go back into the free agency screen and sort by My Negotiations for a quick view of all the players you are attempting to sign. At this point, you’ll see whether or not the player has decided to sign with you, accepted another team’s offer, or not made a decision just yet. If the player has not made a decision, you have the option to increase your offer, pull your offer, or keep it as is. Free agency lasts four weeks so make sure you keep an eye on everything. |
| Draft | After the free agency period has ended, it’s off to the NFL Draft! From this hub you’ll see the draft order plus a list of actions you can take. While another team is on the clock, you have the option to offer a trade to that team and move up in the draft order, take a look at the overall draft board, or advance the draft. Sticking around and watching the action unfold has never felt as alive as it does in Madden NFL 25. You’ll see messages start flying in as sports personalities react to the most recent selection. Also, certain players have branching storylines and their paths to the draft will be told by the voices of Trey Wingo and Adam Schefter once that player has been selected. However, if you are looking to speed the process up, you can advance to the next user pick to bypass all draft selections by the AI. |
| Signing Rookies | Madden NFL 25 no longer includes the option for you to negotiate with the rookies you have drafted. This task is automatically completed for you as a way to replicate the new way rookie contracts are constructed in the NFL. |
Playing as a Coach
Coach Progression
Each coach in Madden NFL 25 has a Coach Level. It begins at Level 1 and can reach up to Level 30. If you create a coach, you’ll enter the league as a Level 1. This gives you easier team goals, but you’ll be paying full price for packages. As you begin to have success, you start to level up. A Level 30 coach will have extremely high team goals, but can purchase packages at a discounted price.
Spending XP
Spending XP as a coach is much different than spending it as a player. As a coach, you’ll have the option to spend your XP on packages that decrease the odds of a player retiring, make it easier for you to re-sign a player, boost the amount of XP a particular position earns, or even increase the amount of Scouting Points you earn every week.
Progressing Players
As a coach, not only can you accrue XP and Scouting Points to use for yourself, but your players will also be earning XP based on their in-game performance and own set of personal goals. You can choose to apply that XP yourself or allow the AI to do it for you.
The benefits of applying XP on your own is that you can start to shape your players based on how you want them to fit into your system. If you want the smartest team in the league, use all of your XP on Awareness and Play Recognition. However, if you just want to beef up the weaknesses of players on your squad to make them well-rounded contributors, you can go that route as well. The choice is yours to make.
Of course, applying XP to every player on your roster can be time consuming. So maybe after you get through spending the XP of key players, you can back out and delegate the AI to apply everyone else’s XP. This will not only save time, but also ensure that everyone is using the XP they have earned.
Playing as a Player
Creating Player
You have the option to play as an active player or NFL Legend, or to create a new character altogether. New in Madden NFL 25 is the ability to see where you’ll place on the depth chart of each team as you are choosing which franchise to be a part of.
Back Story
The three options for a player backstory are: Early Draft Pick, Late Round Pick, and Undrafted. Playing as an early draft pick will give you the highest possible ratings for a rookie, but you’ll also have much higher on-field expectations than an undrafted rookie.
Goals
Season, Weekly, and Milestone are the three types of goals you have as a player. Reaching your goals will earn you XP, which you use to improve your player attributes.
Practice
During the season, you’ll have the opportunity to practice as your player or with the team. You’ll have the option to select from various scenarios based on difficulty. Utilize this time to rack up some much-needed XP and secure your spot on the depth chart!
Spending XP
You begin to accumulate XP throughout the season based on your on-field performance. Once you have enough XP, buy packages that will boost any of the player’s ratings.
Retirement
At any point, you have the option to retire your player. By doing this, you’ll also have the option to select a new player, coach, or owner and pick up at the same exact point in the season or year in which you left.
Legacy Score
All awards from MVP to Super Bowl championships count toward your legacy score. The legacy score is ultimately how you’re judged against the greats that have ever played the game. You need a high enough legacy score in order to end up in the Hall of Fame.
What Is Madden Ultimate Team?
Create your dream Ultimate Team from NFL players of today and legends of the past. Collect players, playbooks, uniforms, stadiums, and other collectibles. Define your play style by choosing the right chemistry to make your team ultimate!
You can play Solo Challenge games against the CPU or play Head to Head Seasons of games against other Madden Ultimate Team players. Manage your lineup or let the CPU pick the players for your best lineup. Earn coins with each game to buy packs to improve your team.
Scroll left and right on the Home panel to see the other panels listed at the top, including Play, Store, Team, and Auction. The tiles on the Home panel include Head to Head Seasons, Unopened Packs, Refer a Friend, and Help & Settings.
Complete a Skills Trainer drill and earn a Gold Medal reward, and you'll also receive a bonus Madden Ultimate Team player!
What Is Team Chemistry?
Decide what kind of team you're going to build by using Team Chemistry. Each one of the eight different chemistry choices helps to provide a boost for your players. If you're going to have the best of the best, you'll need to select chemistry that fits your play style and build your lineup to make the most of your choices.
There are four offensive and four defensive Team Chemistry choices. The offensive choices are Ground and Pound, Speed Run, Short Pass, and Long Pass. The defensive choices are Run Stuff, Pass Rush, Man Defense, and Zone Defense.
Your team captain's chemistry was chosen for your starting lineup. Only starting players who have chemistry that matches your Team Chemistry will provide a boost. For example, a Speed Run halfback doesn't add to your Team Chemistry if you've chosen Ground and Pound.
Examine your Team Chemistry on the Starting Lineup panel. When your team achieves the specified overall rating, you'll unlock a second Team Chemistry. Choose an offense and a defense, or double up on one side of the ball. Define your style.
You can create additional lineups and assign different chemistry choices to them. Your active lineup's Team Chemistry choices are shown on the Team panel on the Starting Lineup tile.
When you're opening packs or browsing trades or auctions look for items that have chemistry that matches your team choices. Increasing your Team Chemistry rating gives your players bigger boosts. Some items even provide more than one chemistry option!
Single Player Solo Challenges
Select the PLAY panel to find two great ways to play Madden Ultimate Team. Solo Challenge games are played against the CPU, and you can earn rewards and coins to improve your team.
Play Solo Challenge Games to test your team against other Madden Ultimate Teams played by the CPU. Solo Challenges provide rewards such as coins or exclusive rewards. Many Solo Challenges have specific requirements to unlock them, such as completing a collection, a team overall rating, a particular Team Chemistry, or winning Head to Head Seasons games.
Play A Head To Head Seasons Game
Select the PLAY panel to find two great ways to play Madden Ultimate Team. Seasons games are played head-to-head against another Madden Ultimate Team player, and you'll enjoy the thrill of climbing the division ladder and winning the championship!
Play a Head to Head Seasons Game to begin your championship career. Match up in a head-to-head game with another Madden Ultimate Team player at random. Each game you play during the season schedule has specific goals and rewards. Keep winning to advance to a higher bracket, make the playoffs, and win the championship!
As you progress, you can earn coins along the way. You can also view your season’s History (including postseason appearances and championships won) and see a Level Breakdown to see how far you have to go. The Lineup tile allows direct access to changes for your starting team between games.
Starting Lineup
Found in the Team panel, the Starting Lineup tile helps you choose your starters and manage your depth chart. Scroll through Run Offense, Pass Offense, Defensive Front, Defensive Secondary, Specialist, and Team Items. Each view shows your starting players in their proper positions. Select BEST LINEUP and the CPU will choose the highest rated players from your current roster (but not from your reserves). Select an individual player to see your other active players who can substitute. Red numbers are lower, and green numbers are higher.
If you choose a player who's already starting in another position, you'll get a warning. You can zoom in and flip the item to see the stats. Your Team Skill is used to unlock certain solo challenges. Team Items include your Coach, Stadium, Uniforms, and Playbooks. Your Team Chemistry defines your play style.
Contracts limit how many games a player can play, and you can examine this limit when you flip his item. Add Contracts finds your players who are close to the deadline, and select to use Contract Extensions to increase these numbers. Use the Injury Recovery item on Injured Players to get them back in action, and access the Depth Chart to organize your bench players by position.
Current Roster
To access Current Roster, enter the Team panel. This feature helps you manage all your items, including sending them to trades, auctions, quick-sell, or reserves. At the top are your totals for Active Players, Active Other Items and Total Items (Active and Reserves), which include everything you own. The default shows all your items, but you can filter by player or any other type of item. Select an item to view its possible actions, including Send to Reserves, Quick-sell/Discard for coins, Send to Auction Block, Send to Trade Block, or Send to Pending Collections.
Reserves
The Reserves tile helps you manage the items you own that aren't on your current roster. Since there's a limit to the number of items in your current roster, the Reserves hold all the rest. Found in the Team panel, the Reserves tile is a good place to keep extra items you'll need to complete collections. You can search by Type, Tier, Position, NFL Team, or Chemistry. Any item can be selected to view its possible actions, including Send to Current Roster or Quick-sell/Discard for coins.
Collections
Make the most of your extra items by using them to complete Collections, found in the Team panel, to earn coins and exclusive rewards. Each collection shows what to look for and tracks your progress. Be sure to scroll through all the available collections and check Ultimate Team often to see when new ones become available. Complete a collection to receive its reward.
From your Current Roster panel, select an item to move it to your Pending Collections. When you're in Collections, view your Pending Collections to see what items you have ready to use. As you inspect the items required for a collection, the ones you can use will be highlighted. Fill in all the blanks to complete the collection and claim your reward.
On the Collections panel, you'll see a notification of how many unopened packs you have. Select a pack to open it, and you'll see a panel of the items in that pack. Select one to view its possible actions, including Send to Current Roster, Send to Reserves, or Quick-sell/Discard for coins. There's also a quick link to the Store to purchase new packs.
Store
Select the Store panel to buy single items and packs you can use to improve your Madden Ultimate Team. There are many different kinds of packs available. Watch for new arrivals and special discounts when you buy packs in bundles.
Choose STORE and you'll find different kinds of packs to purchase. Check here often for new additions and special offers. There are also bundles of packs that provide discounts for buying larger quantities. They're the best value!
The Singles list has single items you may need to keep your team at the ultimate level, such as Players, Game Extensions, or Injury Recovery.
When you purchase new single items or open a new pack, they'll display in the New Items panel. Select an item to view its possible actions, including Send to Active, Send to Reserve, Send to Auction Block, Send to Trade Block, or Quick-sell/Discard for coins.
Auction
The Auction panel allows players to search active auctions and trades to find items to bid on, buy now, or trade for. You can also check items that you've posted for Auctions, Bids, and Trades. You decide what you want when you send an item from your Current Roster to the Auction Block or Trade Block. Auctions and trades are great ways to earn extra coins or get new items to build your team!
Send one of your items to the Auction Block from your Current Roster by selecting SEND TO AUCTION BLOCK. Choose a Duration, Starting Price, and Buy It Now Price. Search Active Auctions for similar items to find a few current prices. Auctions are a great way to earn extra coins!
Choose SEARCH AUCTIONS to find an item to bid on or buy. A search panel allows you to find items by Type, Tier, Position, Chemistry, NFL Team, and Player Rating, or you can limit your search to Friends Only. Your search results can be sorted by any column, such as Overall, Required Bid, or Buy Now Price. When you've found an item, you can flip it, compare it to your current similar item, place a bid, or pay the Buy Now price. Once you've made your purchase, the item is placed in your Current Roster, so make sure you have room for the new item.
Send one of your items to the Trade Block from your Current Roster by selecting SEND TO TRADE BLOCK. Describe what you're looking for with Duration, Type, Tier, Position, Team, Chemistry, or Rating. Once an offer is made, you decide whether to accept it and complete the trade or to decline the offer. To find items other players have posted for trade, select SEARCH TRADES.
The Auction panel also provides tiles to check what's happening with your own items in My Auctions, My Bids, My Trade Block, and My Trade Offers.
Online Head to Head
Take your gaming experience online and test your skills against the fellow gamers from around the world. You can participate in both ranked and unranked games. Unranked games allow you to alter the game settings, while ranked games have locked settings and count toward your overall online record. Improvements have been made to the matchmaking system to ensure you are playing against opponents of equal skill level.
Quick Match
Selecting Quick Match immediately begins the matchmaking process and searches for an opponent. If you are looking to customize your Quick Match settings, press to toggle a Ranked or Unranked game, Max DNF, Playcall Style, and Reputation.
Play a Friend
You are not allowed to play ranked games with a member on your friends list but you can play them in an unranked game. Using Play a Friend is the easiest way to invite your friend to an exhibition match.
Leaderboards
Want to see how your record stacks up against the rest of the online Madden Community? Check out the leaderboards and see who is dominating the online gridiron.
Online Depth Chart
No longer do you have to pause and update your depth chart at the beginning of each online game. Setting your online depth chart here saves you the time and effort. However, this will have to be readdressed after each roster update.
Skills Trainer
The Skills Trainer contains a variety of training sessions and instructional videos. If you're having trouble familiarizing yourself with certain maneuvers, or if you simply feel like you need a little more time practicing, visit the Skills Trainer menu for some focused training.
There are four areas that the Skills Trainer focuses on: Running, Passing, Defense, and Pre-Play. Mastering these four elements will go a long way to strengthening your overall skill in Madden NFL 25.
Running Drills
Acceleration Burst
Precision Modifier
The Option
Triple Option
Oklahoma Offense
Hard Cutting Tutorial (Video Only)
Stumble Recovery Tutorial (Video Only)
Avoidance Tutorial (Video Only)
Passing Drills
Pass Trajectories
Total Control Passing
User Catching
Defense Drills
Ball Hawk
Oklahoma Defense
Pre-Play Drills
Offensive Hot Routes
Defensive Adjustments
Offensive Audibles
Defensive Audibles
Play Now
Play Now starts an exhibition one-on-one game between you and a friend or the CPU. It's the traditional way of playing Madden NFL. You have the ability to change settings like quarter length, difficulty, and playcalling style.
More Modes
Practice
Practice provides an open field where you can work on mastering the three phases of football: offense, defense, and special teams. Practice is great for working on new plays and techniques before they count on gameday.
Team Play
Madden NFL 25’s three-on-three cooperative mode allows you to take on the competition through intense squad-based matches. Choose from the QB, RB, or WR squads on offense or DL, LB, or DB squads on defense. If you like to control the whole field, play ANY squad.
Share Panel
Madden Share
Madden Share allows you to upload or download custom playbooks, gameplay sliders, or custom rosters with the entire Madden NFL community. Once you’ve downloaded a piece of content from Madden Share, you have the ability to view more content from the creator and even rate their work.
Download Community Files
The Community Files screen is where you can see all the different types of files that have been shared by the entire Madden NFL community. You can select a file to download or visit that creator’s personal screen and see their other shared files. You can also filter your list to view only Custom Roster, Offensive Playbook, Defensive Playbook, or Custom Sliders.
Share My Files
When you feel like you’ve created the supreme custom playbook, roster, or sliders, come here to share it amongst the entire Madden NFL community.
My Downloads
Keep track of all the files you’ve downloaded and rate the content. This is how the Madden NFL community knows which piece of content or creator reigns supreme.
Customize Panel
Manage Rosters
A bevy of options are at your disposal inside Manage Rosters. Edit any team’s players or roster, whether it’s via trade, signing free agents, or actually editing an individual’s appearance, jersey number, or even ratings. Saving whatever changes you make to the roster is how you create custom rosters. You can always share these creations with the Madden NFL community via Madden Share or importing into your CFM.
Creation Center
Create new players and customize uniform options. If you’re always adjusting what pants, socks, or jersey your team is wearing by default, you can come here and customize until everything is the way you want it.
Coaching Options
Create custom playbooks and assign auto subs. To assign auto subs, go to each position and set the fatigue threshold at which you want the player to automatically come out.
Custom Playbooks
Have you ever wished your favorite offensive playbook had more formations or plays that you’ve seen on other teams? Creating a custom playbook solves that problem. First, pick a base playbook that you are already familiar with, and then add any other play that is available in the game. You can also create a defensive custom playbook. You can even customize your set audibles as you are creating your custom playbook. To find custom playbooks, navigate to the Customize tab on the main menu, and select COACH OPTIONS followed by CUSTOM PLAYBOOKS.
Gridiron Club
View your loyalty awards for playing past EA SPORTS titles. Playing previous titles earns you loyalty and is rewarded with Madden Ultimate Team coins.
Help/Settings
Settings is the main tile for this option. You can adjust any and all game play settings such as playcall style, difficulty level, sliders, and much more. You can also update your Origin account, check out the latest news, and look over a FAQ.
Manage Files
Here is where you can save, load, or delete any files in your possession.
Extras
Here is where you go to redeem any preorder bonus or promotion that may be associated with Madden NFL. You can also check out the credits.
Origin Accounts
At home and on the go, Origin is the gateway to your entire gaming universe. Use your Origin Account to log in to EA games, apps, and sites. Don’t have an Origin Account? Sign up now for free inMadden NFL 25.
NOTE: Unlinking your Xbox Live account from your Origin Account is available at https://account.origin.com/cp-ui/aboutme/index.
Troubleshooting
Network Disconnect
“You have lost your connection to the EA Servers. Please make sure your Ethernet cable is connected. You will be unable to access any online features until you sign in again.”
Resolution: Your Internet connection has been lost. Please check to make sure your Ethernet cable is connected properly. You won’t be able to access any online features until you sign back in.
Desync
“A desync has occurred. The scores, stats, and quit from this game will not be recorded.”
Resolution: A desync between you and your opponent has ended the game you were taking part in. No record of the game will show in your personal stats.
Peer Has Left Game
“The connection to your peer has been lost.”
Resolution: The connection to your opponent has ended. You’ll return back to the menu and can continue your gaming experience from there.
MUT Server Lost
“Your connection to the Madden Ultimate Team server has been lost. The result and coins from this game will not be recorded.”
Resolution: Your connection to your opponent has ended. You’ll return back to the main menu and can continue playing, but the result and any potential coins earned will not be recorded.
GMC Never Say Never Connection Lost
“Your connection to the GMC Never Say Never server has been lost. The score from this game may not be recorded.”
Resolution: The connection to the server was lost and the result of your game will not be recorded. You will have to replay the game in order to secure a score.
Save Data
“File saves successfully.”
Resolution: The file you just attempted to save was successfully saved and can be loaded at a later time as long as you don’t overwrite the data.
Corrupt Data
“[File Name] appears to be damaged and cannot be used.”
Resolution: The file you attempted to load has been corrupted and cannot be used.
Profile Sign-Out
“You have signed out of Xbox Live and thus you have lost your connection to the EA Servers. You will be unable to access any online features until you sign in to Xbox Live and the EA Servers again.”
Resolution: You have signed out of Xbox Live and will need to sign back in before you are able to access any online features again.
Sign-Out/Switch Profile in CFM
“You’ve changed your career profile. All progress may be lost. You have been returned to the main menu.”
Resolution: You have signed out of Xbox Live and will need to sign back in to resume playing. Any unsaved data that you had prior to signing out has been deleted.
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