PS5

Published on August 17th, 2025 | by Paul Stuart

Madden 26 Review (PS5)

Let’s call it what it is. Madden 25 was mainly a slightly prettier rehash of Madden 24, and paled in comparison to the spectacular EA Sports College Football titles of the last two years.

Prepare to be surprised. Madden 26 is a  spectacular upgrade over 25 in every way. Also, as imitation the most sincere form of flattery, Madden 26 lifts some of the best parts of College Football 26, but gives them a National Football League look and feel fans will love.

I offer these sentiments with a huge disclaimer. I’m a primarily offline player, mainly interested in single games (based on schedule) or hooking up with my son for couch coop. Franchise Mode and Ultimate Team aren’t really my thing. But these too received major shots in the arm, and will be addressed below.

To begin, Madden 26 is a sizable graphical upgrade over 25. Players look picture perfect,  stadiums stunning, field dynamic exceptional, crowds more diverse (and age logically older than the ones in College Football 26’s stands). In-game augmented reality, menus, and overlays are massively improved, all intuitively presented and less staccato than the previous year. There’s no graphical clipping anymore, and – on a PS5 Pro- Madden 26 runs smooth as silk.

Audio is wonderful. Game sounds are 100% authentic, in play music more appropriate based on game circumstance and bursting with licensed song clips, public address announcer (PA)’s mirror College Football 26 in sounding like a proper PA. I wish Madden 26 would’ve borrowed from College Football atmosphere meters (hardest places to play) in impacting execution, but you can’t have everything.

Minor quibbles. Madden 26 possesses better stadium intros, mascots, choice of songs and overall home team panache over 25. As a Saints fan, I was thrilled at how well Madden 26 featured the Superdome and all things N’Awlins football. Les Bon Ton Roulet! There’s likewise three(!) unique broadcast groups all based on program format and day of play.

Where Madden 26 kicks tail is where it matters most: execution. Physics and animations are so much better than 25, it’s not even fair to compare the two. Sure, player specific (notably QB) animations are beyond amazing, but the real wins are the little things. Line battles are fantastic, ball handler versus tackling physics stellar, and weather impacts are heavily featured.

Literally on my first drive in Madden 26, throwing into double coverage produced a realistic tip, bobble and secure from the second defender…nowhere to be seen in Madden 25. The same can be said about the amazing opposing wide receiver jostle for the ball, which ended up with him similarly tipping it ahead to himself 10 yards up the field…a missed grab tackle…and a resulting touchdown. In decades of playing Madden, I’ve never seen this occur. I was immediately exported back to the famous LSU Bluegrass Miracle in how it was executed.

These were no anomalies. Madden 26 eliminated all the stupid interceptions by default, defensive plays on balls when not even facing the QB, or over-empowered defensive ends with no business beating double teams. Madden 26 introduces College Football 26’s terrific protection schemes and fatigue mechanics, which go a long way in audible strategy and playcalling nuance.

Another major win in Madden 26 is the genius use of AI playcalling on the CPU side. Crossing patterns are no longer OP, and coaching strategies on recommended plays will literally be spelled out with likelihood of success in pre-play selection. These strategies are prominently featured across all Madden modes to include Franchise, with AI adjustments a critical factor in playcalling success/failure. Related, I loathed the awful playbooks of Madden 25, now expanded and matched to every coach plus with hundreds more plays. Goodbye fly patterns to no end.

My one true criticism of College Football 26 was the awful late game playcalling, and this was fixed in Madden 26. Perhaps buoyed by the new AI, QB kneels, defensive schemes and delayed blitzes all make sense. Ditto timeouts and use of clocks as they should. Ibid kicks out of bounds or fair catches based on field position. Well done, guys. I also absolutely love the somehow improved use of already great on-the-run QB throws, done well in College Football 26 but perfected in Madden 26 via better animations and match to a specific QB’s preferences, animations and ratings. Wide receivers will find open spots where they can, adapting to QB’s on the move.

Also dramatically improved is the running game, making Madden 26 the best to date in how blockers create holes and also running back collision physics. Aided by lineman fatigue, patient runners will find ideal openings, with physics playing a major role in bouncing off a tackle or plowing for a few extra yards. The same can be said about wide receiver sudden cuts, with turbo spamming gone in lieu of timed speed adjustments. Unlike College Football 26, coverage sacks are to be expected, as there’s but one Lamar Jackson to break them. It could be me, but kicking just feels more realistic.

Likewise improved is the outcome of matching star players against each other. These no longer feel nerfed rather wholly contingent on strategy and in-game situations. Madden 26 offers even more pre-play adjustments, which go a long way in creating slight timing but sizable execution advantages. Good luck spin spamming your all pro defensive end against 85+ rated multiple offensive linemen.

A sneaky great addition lies in Madden 26’s tutorial area, one which now includes a slew of addictive minigames based on play situation and tiered scoring. They are a blast to play, especially to try out rookie or veterans in new places. Personally, I loved the two-minute drill minigame to test playcalling and receiver decisionmaking. There are countless hours of fun here alone. To explain, everything that was canned is no longer. Everything feels and executes smoothly, and CPU playcalling and adjustments now based on AI versus canned logic trees.

While Franchise mode isn’t my thing, AI is alive and well here based on coach archetypes, on-the-fly substitutions, aforementioned wear and tear, and more. Playbooks can be updated through progression, as well. Superstar mode likewise received some boosts with off field variables more prominently featured.

Madden 26 claims AI learns player tendencies…but I didn’t see too many adjustments in my games outside of subtle playcalling tendencies, also double team and blitz preference on defense. On offense, more play-action, motion, and better use of tight ends in multiple formations. Patches will come, so TBD.

There’s legitimately so little to critique about Madden 26 as it’s now the best NFL game on modern consoles and goes toe to toe with the wonderful College Football 26. EA Sports admitted the development teams in a friendly competitive/collaborative arrangement, and it shows. Note Madden 26 does not play like College Football 26. Pro athletes perform better and faster than collegiate ones, and this is evident in on the field execution. Pace is quicker, room for error smaller, and presentation couldn’t be any more different. If you own and love College Football 26, Madden 26 is anything but a clone. Both are stellar in their own way.

Final Thoughts

Madden 26 may literally be the best Madden game ever, and a must purchase for fans of the pro game. I haven’t loved a Madden game this much since Sega Genesis. EA Sports rightly plucked from the best aspects of College Football 25 and 26, and created a world class professional gridiron offering. Don’t skip this one.

About the Author

Paul Stuart A gamer for over 30 years with 400+ reviews across four sites literally spanning the globe, Paul Stuart has an unhealthy obsession with Assassins Creed, God of War, and all things WETA.

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