Salem, OR — A brand new update has dropped today. This is the first major update from EA since the whole fiasco they had with their servers going down and it looks like they’re trying to make ammends with the Madden community. This update adds updates to playbooks, new X-Factor abilities and a feature that had been asked for, for a long time, 5th year options.
Find out what else they added by taking a look at the detailed breakdown below:
Key Highlights
- Mid-Season Playbook Update
- DEV NOTE:Β Weβve been focused on studying what NFL teams have been doing on the defensive side of the ball up to this point in the season. Todayβs update reflects the first wave of updates to defensive playbooks, with even more coming in the future. Details about these new defensive sets, such as Nickel Triple and Nickel 2-4-5 Odd, in addition to a number of offensive updates, can be found below in the βGameplayβ section of the notes. All new plays and formations are available within Custom Playbooks.
- New βFifth-Year Optionβ Contract Scenarios in Franchise
- New X-Factor Ability: βOmahaβ
- Inspired by Ultimate Team Legend QB Peyton Manning, this ability allows the QB to see defensive-back coverage play-art via pre-play coach cam when in the zone. This can be unlocked with 4 consecutive completions of 5+ air yards on Arcade & Simulation, and 6 consecutive completed passes of 5+ air yards on Competitive. Knockout conditions include 2 incomplete passes, or any INT, sack or fumble. Defenders can βhideβ their assignments from the QB by using the βBluff Blitzβ hot route.
- Franchise requirements: Available as a Zone ability for Field General QBβs
- Ultimate Team requirements: Currently only available on Peyton Manning
- Inspired by Ultimate Team Legend QB Peyton Manning, this ability allows the QB to see defensive-back coverage play-art via pre-play coach cam when in the zone. This can be unlocked with 4 consecutive completions of 5+ air yards on Arcade & Simulation, and 6 consecutive completed passes of 5+ air yards on Competitive. Knockout conditions include 2 incomplete passes, or any INT, sack or fumble. Defenders can βhideβ their assignments from the QB by using the βBluff Blitzβ hot route.
Global Updates
- General Connectivity & Stability improvements
- NFL Player likeness update for Panthers TE Greg Olsen
- Added black Captainβs patch to 49ers white alternate uniform
- Added white alternate pants for Saints
- New Equipment added:
- Added Xenith Shadow Helmet
- Added 35 new facemask options, highlighted by the Vintage 2 Bar QB Single, the 3-bar Nose, the Speedflex Bulldog and the F7 Robot RB2
- Added 3 new neckroll options: Butterfly, Cowboy Collar and Vintage Single
- DEV NOTE:Β All new equipment options are available in Create/Edit Player on both the Front End and inside of Franchise Mode and QB1
Franchise Updates
- Fifth Year Option: In Coach Mode, during the Free Agent Recap week, if the userβs team has qualifying personnel, the user-Coach will experience a scenario to decide whether or not to sign eligible players to a fifth-year option; corresponding news stories that reference the βFifth Yearβ contract will populate as well
- Fixed an issue causing the button hints in the Pause menu to get covered up by the game results bar
- Fixed an issue allowing league members to change league settings, such as Skill Level, in multi-user leagues where only the commissioner should have that ability
- Fixed an issue preventing a playerβs X-Factor ability from appearing on the field after the user successfully completed a break-out scenario with a player developing from Superstar to Superstar X-Factor
- Fixed an issue causing a user-controlled QB to have their Kicker/Punter show up as a mentor when injured
- Fixed various typos in text message conversations
- Fixed an issue causing the βMossedβ ability to display the βDouble Meβ icon on the field
- Fixed in issue causing the incorrect teamβs art to show up in a weekly news article
- Fixed some typos and grammar errors in Play Now Live match descriptions
- DEV NOTE:Β Franchise Server Update –Β Users who haveΒ Cloud-based Leagues created from some βPlay Now Liveβ Games in July and August were missing data and crashing the Servers once loading into their league. That data was recently fixed on the server and the corrected data is also in todayβs update.
Gameplay Updates
- Playbook Update:
- New βNickel Tripleβ defensive formation added to Bears, Giants, Redskins, Texans
- New Nickel 2-4-5 Odd defensive formation added to Bears, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Packers, Panthers, Ravens, Titans
- New Goal Line 6-2 defensive formation added to all team playbooks
- Added 3-4 Odd defensive formation to Panthers
- Added 3-4 Under and 3-4 Over ED defensive formations to Chargers
- Added 3-4 Bear defensive formation to Cardinals, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Lions, Packers, Patriots
- Added 4-3 Odd defensive formation to Jaguars, Saints, Vikings
- New Taysom Hill formations and packages added to Saints:
- βTaysom Hill QBβ Shotgun formation
- Unique package adjustments in βTaysom Hillβ formation that allows the QB3 to be subbed into multiple offensive skill positions (Taysom Hill HB, Taysom Hill TE, Taysom Hill WR)
- Singleback Wing Tight U, Singleback Wing Pair & Singleback Wing Tight with Taysom Hill at the TE3 position
- Changed Gun DBL Y Flex Wk to Gun Taysom Slot, with Taysom Hill in the slot receiver position
- Added I Form Wing offensive formation to Bills
- Added I Form H Slot offensive formation to Cowboys
- Added Gun Doubles βRPO Zone Peekβ and βRPO Read FL Screenβ to Bills
- Added Wildcat Patriot offensive formation to PatriotsΒ (This is the same as the β12 Gaugeβ formation from the Falcons playbook, reflecting the trade of WR Mohammed Sanu)
- New RPO play βGun Doubles Y Off RPO Zone Y Peekβ added to Chiefs, Colts, Eagles
- New RPO play βI Form Pro Bills RPO Alert Z Lookieβ added to Bills
- New RPO play βI Form Wing Power Alert Smoke to Lookieβ added to Cowboys, Raiders
- New play βGun Stack Y Off Red Zone HB Scissorsβ added to Packers playbookΒ (This is the play the Packers used on the first-quarter TD pass from Rodgers to A. Jones vs. the Raiders in Week 8)
- Fixed an issue preventing some plays from showing up correctly in the βOffensive Conceptsβ tab
- Fixed an issue causing some player icons in the formation play-art to be off the screen
- Fixed an issue with Gun Empty audibles in combination with Formation Subs that allowed receivers to get placed at running back
- Fixed an issue with some Jet Touch Pass plays counting as running plays rather than passing plays
- Updated βNasty Streakβ ability so that it will not activate when used by a player playing out of position
- Updated counter for βThreat Detectorβ ability – can be countered/hidden on defense by using the βbluff blitzβ hot route
- Added logic to contextually slow down AI-controlled zone-coverage defendersβ break on the throw when they are not facing the QB and/or moving at speeds too fast to quickly change direction
- DEV NOTE:Β In a previous title update, we globally increased the βbreak-on-ballβ speeds to improve zone coverage, based on playerβs feedback. With that change, we eluded to adding more context to the tuning in a future title update so we could be better at tuning break times more precisely. This is the follow-up to that tuning, and this should make zone defenders in plays like Cover 2 and Cover 3 less effective at quickly breaking on multiple routes in their zone.
- Fixed an issue allowing the offense to call a timeout after having already started the kick meter
- Tuning to increase the defensive reaction to running plays for deep zone safeties in Cover 4 plays
- Tuning to reduce release time on TE block-and-release mechanic
- Fixed an issue that caused AI-controlled ball carriers to rarely use special moves, like juke, spin, etc.
- Fixed an issue preventing specific sack animations that appeared to be a fumble from registering as a fumble
- Fixed multiple issues with the ball bouncing around in playersβ hands in various states
- Fixed multiple issues with the βSpecial Checkβ for Cover 4 Palms plays vs. hot-routed swing routes and Trips sets
- DEV NOTE:Β The βSpecial Checkβ converts the CB to the side of the trips to man-to-man coverage on the #1 receiver to his side, while the nickel, safety and 3-Rec Hook LB play basically Cover 2 on the two inside receivers. These fixes are specifically for the nickel and safety that would leave certain routes uncovered when facing an HB hot-routed to a swing route to the trips side.
- Fixed an issue preventing an additional defender from triggering a tackle correctly during a broken tackle
- Fixed a rare issue causing the ball warp to the ground when throwing on the run, near the sideline
- Fixed a rare issue causing the ball to warp to midfield when using the pump-fake mechanic while being sacked
- Fixed an issue allowing the offense to snap the ball before the QB was set when playing on Arcade game style
Hopefully this update doesnβt leave little bugs that theyβll have to fix on the next update
It’s a good update and all, but we’re always left wondering “What did they break with this update?” EA Sports, one step forward, three steps back!
it’s always Russian roulette with these patches haha
Lol can they fix jimmy GQ goddamnit!!
Hopefully my DBs will play better zone after this patch
MAAAAAAAAAAN how about EA fixes the snap count for undrafted rookies with the hidden development. PLEASE!!!
lol is that what happened to your guys? Damn bro, that sucks. Good old EA man, always something with those fools.
Yeah its a weird thing bro. Whats even more weird now is that one of them actually shows a snap count while the other doesn’t. Not sure if there is a minimum amount of snaps that triggers it to display.
After playing it last night, it felt better than after the last update. But, we’ll see.
Is it really better ? π€π€
Goal line 62? Gonna have to give it a look before preseason is over.