Seven things we want to see in Madden 24

What new features can we hope to see in Madden 24? Madden 23 came with a lot of fanfare, but slowly fell off the map like a deflated balloon over the new year. Although Madden 23 Ultimate Team had a strong season and came baring a slew of studded new programs, it was game modes like Franchise and Face of the Franchise that suffered the most, catering experiences that were rife with glitchy issues and lacked creativity that was off putting for the community.

With their backs against the wall, Madden 24 is facing a ton of pressure to deliver one of its best games in the series’ history. Fans have had enough, and the slide in reputation for Madden has placed EA Sports in a tight spot, facing what some think is a make-it-or-break-it year. But as the developers at EA Sports continue to work away and fine tune the last few changes before they launch their Beta, we here at VideoGamer decided to put together a list of seven things we want to see in Madden 24, based on our expertise and what the community has raged about.

Top 7 things we’d like to see in Madden 24

When it comes to reviewing a sports game, particularly after a full season of playing it, everyone will have their own experiences, preferences, and critiques about it that will be uniquely their own. But throughout the community, you will notice responses and reencounters that have set some issues apart from the rest because of how common or extensive they were.

With that all in mind, these Top 7 requests we have listed are not only reflective of what the fans have clamoured about all season, but also what we’ve picked up along the way that would make Madden 24 quite a special edition in the series’ history. So without further ado, here’s the Top 7 things we want to see in Madden 24 this year:

1. Face of the Franchise overhaul

It has to happen. Face of the Franchise has really suffered over the last three years in Madden, and that really became a glaring issue once more in Madden 23. Single player modes are supposed to be engaging while taking you through a simulated journey as a player looking to become a star in the league. And once again, EA Sports put minimal effort to bring that to life in Madden 23.

A great blueprint that Madden can emulate, is that from NBA 2K’s MyCAREER mode. From the storylines, to the fun and engaging neighborhood experiences, to the endless ways you can customize your player, NBA 2K has arguably one of the best single player experiences in the sports video game industry, and Madden could really improve Face of the Franchise by taking away some of the key themes and components they incorporate.

For example, maybe Madden 24 can have a celebrity football player or two in their next Face of the Franchise mode. Something as small as that would go a really long way.

2. Franchise Mode reboot

What happened with Franchise mode players in Madden 23 has to go down as one of the worst setbacks in sports video game history. Madden fans love their Online and Connected Franchise Mode leagues, and following a major storage data error that led to 60% of users saved content to be lost permanently, it placed a major dent into a community that already grew discontent with previous shortcomings from EA Sports.

Because of this mishap, the very least EA Sports can do is to recreate a fluid, smooth running Franchise Mode experience that comes with a redesigned saving system that will guarantee such an error won’t happen again. Whether EA opts for a stronger engine or improves their servers, something has to change to ensure that fans don’t come across something like that moving forward.

But this alone won’t bring back all the Franchise mode fans that Madden potentially lost for good. Should they plan on regaining the trust of all of impacted Franchise mode fans, it’s in EA’s best interest to tap in to their creativity and reinvent the meaning of their tainted game mode with new features and details fans can enjoy and appreciate.

3. NFL Backyard Mode (3v3 or 5v5)

One aspect that’s made Madden such a hit or miss over the years, has been the lack of fun game modes in the menu outside of the generic few. Should any sports video game player load into at NBA 2K23, or MLB The Show23, FIFA 23, or other sports games, each has a diverse set of game modes and things to do, while Madden 23 has well under 10 solid game modes to pick from.

This is why a backyard or blacktop style 3v3 or 5v5 game mode would be a great addition for Madden 24. Similarly to FIFA’s Volta Mode, Madden 24 could do something similar but with actual NFL players you can choose to play with. Though a regular NFL game requires a handful of different positions, Madden 24 could incorporate a simplistic, arcade-style set of rules that caters a special experience that allows for fans to play with any teams of three or five in a fun backyard showdown.

How that would work exactly is something EA would have to play around with. But it could be a fun alternative to add into the mix of the staple modes fans have grown tired of.

4. Improved Server Connection & Gaming Fluidity

As far as server performance and stability, Madden 24 has to be much, much better on that front, especially for current generation players on Xbox One and PS4. The slow load times and lags in Madden 23 really make the user experience a cumbersome one, and Madden 24 has to prioritize providing a gaming experience that is smooth and fluid. EA Sports has the means to provide a great football experience in their next Madden edition.

But to achieve that, it all starts with how well the game can run, whether you’re playing it or perusing through the menus and modes. This was not only reflected in game modes such as Face of the Franchise and Franchise mode, but also in Ultimate Team which was prone to random crashes.

5. Introduce Crossplay

Seeing that FIFA 23, NHL 23, and MLB The Show 23 all have some form of crossplay, it makes no sense why Madden has yet to introduce it. Though the complexities to make this happen are by no means easy to sort out, Madden 24 has to prioritize adding crossplay this year, particularly since the reputation of the football series is at stake. Whether it’s simply next-gen players being able to play against each other only, or EA happens to allow everyone to play against each other, adding crossplay in Madden 24 would be big, and could easily revive the game’s potential to be one of the best this year.

6. Double XP Periods

It’s a bit of a marvel why Madden hasn’t included Double XP periods or Weekends in its games, is a change that would work wonders for the community. Whether this applies only to Madden 23 Ultimate Team or the game as a whole is something EA Sports would have to sort out. But whether it’s for one or the other, fans would relish the opportunities to get their hands on more XP, and as a result, have greater chances of completing these stacked Field Passes in MUT.

Not every sports video game has Double XP periods or Weekends, so Madden isn’t alone here. But some do, such as MLB The Show 23. And when these periods are live, MLB The Show 23 tends to receive a fair amount of uptick in playing time and investment seeing how much quicker it is to power through the reward path with more XP to claim. To top it off, Madden tends to boast some large Field Passes that require tons of XP, and if they want more fans to unlock and enjoy their quality rewards, they might as well begin integrating Double XP periods in Madden 24, even if it’s just one or two per season.

7. 95 Overall Rated MUT Player Items on Day 1

Considering the status of Madden and the pressure it faces with its next edition, it’s time for EA to pull out all the stops and take a page out of MLB The Show’s book by incorporating some 95 overall rated items on Day 1. Yes, it’s a bold idea. But doing so would cater a much better Ultimate Team experience that will keep fans invested from start to finish. Having to grind for 99 overall players you won’t even get until the end of the season, is already a downside to begin with. So Madden 24 might as well make some of their lower 90+ overall rated players available earlier so fans can use them to improve their lineups moving forward.

Whether all seven of these things will actually happen or be featured in Madden 24 has yet to be determined or confirmed. But should EA Sports be keen on pulling off a major comeback with Madden 24, implementing all seven of these aspects could deliver just that for the struggling football video game series.

Wondering when Madden 24’s Beta period start date is, look no further than our guide here where we cover the details. Or if you’re curious when the new game will even launch this year, feel free to check out the Madden 24 release date here.

Image Credit: EA Sports Madden 24

No products found.