Madden 21’s newest update includes several changes to Franchise mode
Its path to redemption becomes considerably shorter.
Ryan Willcox 
Image via EA
Despite stating that major changes wouldn’t come to Franchise until the next installment, EA Sports’s latest patch for current and next-gen Madden 21 provides numerous new features and settings to the series’s oldest mode. Better yet, the publisher has also revealed one last Franchise-centric update will come in March.
In terms of these changes, EA Sports’s newest Gridiron Notes post states that all users will firstly spot increased draft logic, ultimately ensuring quarterbacks are not always taken by CPU-controlled teams that don’t need one. As requested for years, another major change is that Assist options like Heat Seeker, Ball Hawk, and Switch can now be turned off or on at any point in the mode.
On top of these, the patch injects a handful of new settings that will allow league creators to restrict what X-Factors can be used, along with how many times users can call a specific play in one game. They will also be given the power to block any one free agent signing during the offseason.
Furthermore, the sports sim publisher dropped the curtain on another patch for the mode slated for early March. In it, the final update will supply a rebalanced player trading system, and introduce a “Franchise League History” page, which will let players check Super Bowl and individual award winners in each year of their franchise.
Looking back, this is certainly the most attention a Madden Franchise has received by post-launch updates. Although the changes are welcomed, the cult classic mode could still make use of a few more particular features in the future.
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