Growing up, John Madden was as much a part of Thanksgiving as long turkey-induced naps and angry uncles going on uncomfortable rants. A November 19 update to Madden 26 aims to recapture some of that magic.
The game will feature the reveal of an All-Madden Team, and we'll be able to play them in a Madden 26 rendering of the old Oakland Coliseum. Somewhere, I can hear John Facenda reminding us that the Autumn Wind is a Raider. The in-game event will include the Madden NFL 06 theme song and commentary from the coach himself. After the game, players will engage in a Turducken feast just like the old TV broadcasts. Here are some of the players who have achieved All-Madden status this year:
Legends: Peyton Manning, Deion Sanders, Rob Gronkowski, Jason Kelce, JJ Watt, LaDainian Tomlinson
Superstars: TJ Watt, Justin Jefferson, Maxx Crosby, Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley, Quentin Nelson
We're also getting offensive and defensive playbooks from the legendary coach's era, including plays from the original version of John Madden Football.
In Madden 26's Franchise Mode, you'll get to see if you can coach them up the way Madden used to. Can you bring another Super Bowl trophy home for the now Las Vegas Raiders? Master Motivator is a new coach archetype inspired by the man who made all this video game football possible for us. It features 7 new abilities, two unique playsheets, and the two new playbooks mentioned earlier.
And folks, check out these new abilities. I couldn't help but grin:
- Boom! Run It Right at ’Em
- Make ’Em Cover It All
- Win With Four
- Jam ’Em Up,
- Teach ’Em Up,
- All-Madden Effort
- Find the Right Guy
New PlaySheets
- Old-School Football
- Hit ’Em at the Line
Superstar Mode adds brand new storylines and a John Themed Team Pass. And, of course, you know Ultimate Team is getting some additions. There's a John Madden Champion player item for your offensive line, new items for All-Madden Legends and current NFL superstars, and challenges featuring key moments from Coach's career.
When players asked for more and better content after launch, this feels like the kind of stuff we were asking for.