Madden 25 reveals new Franchise Mode & customization changes

Madden 25 Franchise Mode will feature several notable changes per the developers, including a streamlined screen to handle prospects and the commissioner himself, Roger Goodell.

With two weeks before the start of early access, it’s been somewhat quiet on the Madden 25 front. However, that has begun to change.

EA Sports started to unveil player ratings this week. And on July 31, the Madden developers detailed what’s to come in Franchise Mode.

Those changes include a slew of customization options, a streamlined hub, and new storylines.

Draft Night and organization among Franchise changes

In the aforementioned developer deep dive, Franchise Mode lead designer Josh Looman went over the immersion and customization changes coming to Madden 25. As far as the customization options are concerned, players will be able to choose from more than 80 coach and player likenesses and more than 25 create-a-player head updates. Additionally, Team Builder, a College Football 25 feature, will be coming to Madden.

Franchise Mode players can upload logos, create stadiums and uniforms, and build rosters. Up to 32 teams can be created with this function.

Now for the hard features, players will notice a new hub called Franchise Central. Here, players will have “all the key information at your fingertips.” It provides easy access to standings and matchups, as well as a personal message system. Here, individuals in the organization will make suggestions to the user, like whether to put a certain rostered player on the trade block.

The prospect hub has been re-designed per EA. Rather than going into the player card to see athletic grades, all this data will now be sorted into a spreadsheet. Now, Franchise players can sort through 40-man dash numbers and ratings among the entire prospect pool.

The Madden team also stated immersion was a priority during development. Dynamic storylines will mean players must manage characters, and managers must watch what’s promised. Hitting the right notes and managing personalities can lead to rewards and boosts.

EA Sports

There are also breakout storyline changes in Madden 25. The developers have reworked the system to add more variety and a risk-reward element. The paths can range from talking to coordinators to better handling a breakout player or choosing the difficulty level of a challenge.

Also, the developers wanted to give individuals the chance to re-create how Isiah Pacheco and Puka Nacua broke out. Thus, there will be extended storylines that require sustained success to keep it going. Do so, and those breakout players can become X-Factors.

Among other changes included a revamped NFL Draft night experience. A new draft board that will update in real-time and Roger Goodell are among the new features added there. Additionally, tuned contract re-signing logic and “less prophetic” mock drafts will also be in Franchise Mode.

Madden 25 will be released on August 16, 2024, with early access beginning on August 13.