Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
Gamers will be soon able to play football on the new generation of consoles for the first time. Madden NFL 22 is set to be released Aug. 20 (with preorder access available on Aug. 17), marking the debut of the series on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
As the game moves forward into the next generation, there are some notable changes coming to the series. Many of these are improvements or additions that should only make this year’s Madden better.
Even though the game won’t be released until later this month, plenty of information has already been released. So we have an idea of what to expect when hopping on to the virtual gridiron this year.
Here’s some of the latest information regarding Madden NFL 22, which will feature both Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the cover.
Player Ratings
EA Sports has already revealed the ratings for every player in this year’s game, which can be found on its online database. So there won’t be any surprises when you load up Madden NFL 22 for the first time.
Each year, the best players in the game get 99 overall ratings. In Madden NFL 22, there are only five players in the exclusive 99 Club to begin the year: Mahomes, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
That means four of the five 99 overall players are on either the Chiefs or Rams. Kansas City also has one of the four players with a 98 rating, which is wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
One of the most exciting parts of a new Madden game is seeing how the incoming rookies are rated. This year, the rookie with the best rating is Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, who came in at an 81. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 pick, is close behind at a 78.
After Pitts and Lawrence, there are five rookies who are rated at a 76: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris, Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II and Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr.
The initial ratings aren’t permanent for any player as updates will be released throughout the year, meaning players’ ratings could go up or down based on performance.
New Features
Finally, there are some noticeable improvements coming to franchise mode. Gamers have been clamoring for EA Sports to provide upgrades for several years, and the company has listened and implemented some for Madden NFL 22.
There will be staff management so that coordinators can be hired and fired underneath your team’s head coach, along with skill points and talent trees for upgrades. Scouting and weekly strategies have been greatly improved, as well as the season engine and cinematics. Plus, the franchise hub has been redesigned for a fresh look.
A full look at all the improvements to franchise mode can be found at EA.com.
Face of the Franchise, the story-driven career mode featured in recent years, will also have some substantial improvements. Now, your player can be either a quarterback, running back, wide receiver or linebacker. And again, college flashbacks and NFL draft events will be implemented into the mode.
The Yard and Superstar KO will also have some new features. The Yard will have new locations and a ranked mode, while Superstar KO is introducing a co-op eliminator mode.
Ultimate Team
Every year, Madden Ultimate Team is one of the modes where gamers dedicate a ton of their time. That will again be the case for Madden NFL 22.
Not a ton has been announced about this year’s edition of Ultimate Team, but gamers know what to expect. There will be challenges and competitions as players try to collect the best cards and assemble the best possible team to take into games, both online and offline.
Promotions held throughout the year will release better cards into the game. But at launch, the best cards won’t be rated too highly.
EA Sports recently revealed the top 10 cards to start, with Adams coming in with the best one at an 88:
The cards will get better from there, and later in the year, gamers will be fielding teams with all 99 rated players. But a lot of work (or money spent) will have to be put into the game during the season to get to that point.
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