EA Is Already Talking About New Features For Madden NFL 22

EA Sports has published a new blog post about what's coming to Madden NFL 22. That is not a typo. Even before the release of Madden NFL 21, the developer has begun to discuss some its plans for next year's game as part of a new level of transparency at the studio.

Producer Seann Graddy said in the blog post that, while it's "still very early" for Madden NFL 22, the development team is already planning for areas they would like to focus on.

With the caveat that Madden NFL 22 is only in pre-production, Graddy outlined some of the areas that EA Sports may address, but isn't committing to definitively just yet.

These areas include:

• Coaching and staff management
• Scouting improvements
• New scenario engine enhancements
• New team chemistry system
• Commissioner Tools improvements
• MORE CONTENT - Examples: Relocation/Branding Assets for Franchise - New uniforms, names, and logos to relocation options for more variety and depth in deeper careers.

There will be "other key additions" for Madden NFL 22 that EA will announce later, Graddy said.

On the more immediate horizon, Graddy gave an overview for the post-launch support planned for Madden NFL 21, though again, he said these items are subject to change. The list includes things like basic player tuning, a refresh of the broadcast package for the Playoffs and Super Bowl, improved UI for career stats, and new commissioner tools that give players the ability to undo transactions and approve trades, among other things.

MADDEN NFL 21 - Post Launch Support

• TUNING - Improved progression and regression of players. Improve core player progression into the future such that X-Factors and other abilities for older players work well with incoming rookie classes.
• AI PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - The AI will make better team management decisions in the draft, free agency and trades.
• PLAYOFF and SUPER BOWL PRESENTATION - Improve and refresh.
• X-FACTOR / SUPERSTAR ABILITY CUSTOMIZATION - Introduce the ability to customize X-Factor and Abilities on all players, allowing you to customize your roster as you see fit.
• CAREERS STATS UI - Improved UI showing historical player performances. More immersion and depth on how players have progressed in your Franchise.
• TRADE LOGIC - More fidelity, depth, and authenticity.
• RETIREMENT UI - Better insight into retirements each season to allow players to react/manage.
• PLAYOFFS UPDATE - Add an authentic playoff bracket screen to see who’s in, who’s won and who’s up next.

Also in the blog post, Graddy addressed some of the concerns people have expressed regarding Madden NFL 21's Franchise mode being lacklustre. He said EA Sports will be "dedicating a higher percentage of team bandwidth" toward developing new Franchise features for Madden NFL 21 and Madden NFL 22.

"We are passionate Franchise fans, just like you, and we're placing some of our most-passionate Franchise voices to lead the creative path forward," Graddy said.

Finally, Graddy pointed out that EA treats the Madden NFL series like a "true live service" that grows and evolves over time with new content and features.

"The game you buy on launch day is only the beginning of the annual Madden NFL 21 journey," Graddy said. "Our commitment to you is to deliver meaningful change to the game throughout the year. In Madden NFL 21, we’ll expand our dedicated live service team to allow for more focused delivery of Franchise improvements based on your feedback, while continuing to evolve the broader game for our wide cross-section of Madden fans."

Currently, Graddy said EA is planning to launch "two or three" title updates for Madden NFL 21 over the coming months after launch.

In other news, EA Sports has confirmed that it's making a last-minute change to Madden NFL 21 to remove the Washington Redskins after the real-world sports team dropped the name that was widely criticized for being racist. The game will be updated with a generic Washington team and logo until the actual sports group decides on and announces a new name.

Madden NFL 21 is coming on August 28 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It will also be coming to the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X, with free upgrades for current-gen owners through EA's Dual Entitlement program. For more details, check out our Madden NFL 21 pre-order guide.