Madden NFL 18

Contents

1. WHAT’S NEW IN MADDEN NFL 18
2. COMPLETE CONTROLS
3. NEW GAMEPLAY
4. PLAYING THE GAME
5. GAME MODES
6. SOCIAL FEATURES

Teamwork, competition, and big plays—it’s all here in Madden NFL 18. This authentic football experience is more accessible than ever, for both new players and those who want to brush up on their skills, featuring four difficulty settings and three ways to play. Engage with our all-new story mode, or jump directly onto the field with our new competitive features. The gridiron is yours to claim in Madden NFL 18.

LONGSHOT

Madden NFL 18 features a brand-new story mode: Longshot. Step into the shoes of Devin Wade, a young man who deferred his dreams of making it big in NFL after the loss of his father. He now has one last chance to make it to the league—follow his path and learn complex football strategies along the way. Direct the course of Devin’s personality and career with dialogue choices governing how you’ll interact with the media, teammates, and rivals. Do you have what it takes to become the ultimate longshot and be drafted into the NFL?

MUT SQUADS

In MUT Squads, compete in three-on-three matches as the head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator. Watch over your team and lead them to victory—with each player taking on a different role, you’ll have to work together to lead your team to a win. Find it under Ultimate Team!

MUT CHAMPIONS

If you’re the competitive type, jump into a knockout tournament in MUT Champions. Each week features a brand-new tournament, so check back often!

MUT LEVELS

This year we’re introducing MUT Levels, which measures your progress in Ultimate Team. As you increase your MUT Level you’ll unlock new ways to play, exclusive offers, and additional challenges!

EXPERIENCE LEVELS

Now you can adjust your Madden experience to your background. There are four levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. These levels will adjust difficulty level, and the settings of Assists, Ball Hawk, Coach Tips, Game Speed, Visual Feedback, etc. Change your settings at any time in the Game Options menu to experience Madden at the level you’re most comfortable with.

NEW PLAY STYLES

 For the first time in Madden, choose from three gameplay styles:

• Arcade:  Big plays, lots of scoring, and minimal penalties make every game a thrilling spectacle.
• Simulation:  Play an authentic NFL experience based on the latest team ratings, with NFL rules in play.
• Competitive:  User stick skills are king in this experience, the Madden NFL 18 online ranked Head-to-Head default.

PLAY NOW LIVE

Play real NFL matchups every week of the season, with up-to-date and authentic stats, rosters, and commentary. Take control of your favorite teams and lead them to the championships.

UPDATED BROADCAST PRESENTATION AND COMMENTARY

Experience the best live commentary to date, based on current NFL lineups!

IMPROVED VISUALS

Featuring detailed player depictions and stadium lighting, live and breathe every match of Madden NFL 18 with improved visuals powered by the Frostbite engine.

PLAY CALLING

Adjust play call settings at any time by visiting SETTINGS > VISUAL FEEDBACK > PLAY CALL STYLE, or set it in the options that appear before each game:

• Quick: Shows you one play from Coach Suggestions—press the pad-down button to cycle through more options. Press the dpad-left and dpad-right buttons to cycle to Strategy Suggestions, Community Suggestions, and Frequently Run Plays. You can also back out of this option and return to the full playbook
• Enhanced: Gives you three suggestions at a time from a full range of options, including Coach Suggestions, Formation, Concept, Play Type, Personnel, and Recent Plays.
• Slim: This option has all the same choices as Enhanced while showcasing the beautiful broadcast presentation of Madden NFL 18.

Change the Tempo setting to fine-tune how you compete against the clock:

• Normal: The default option.
• No Huddle: Your offense automatically goes into the No Huddle offense when it gets tackled in bounds while the clock is running.
• Chew Clock: This runs the play clock down to 10 seconds—a great option late in the game when you’re looking to deplete the game clock!

GAME CONTROLS

PRE-PLAY OFFENSE

• Snap ball (Hurry to Line): A
• Switch player: B
• Motion player: B + left stick Left-stick move left or Left-stick move right
• Hot route: Y
• Pass protection: LB + right stick
• Fake snap: RB
• Show Play Art: RT
• Player Lock: left-stick tap (double tap)
• Show or Hide Pre-Play menu: right-stick tap
• Zoom in gameplay camera: dpad up
• Zoom out gameplay camera: dpad down

PASSING

• High pass to specific receiver: LB+ A or B or Y or X or RB
• Low pass to specific receiver: LT + A or B or Y or X or RB
• Throw to receiver (1): X
• Lob to receiver (1): X(tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (1): X(double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (1): X(hold)
• Throw to receiver (2): A
• Lob to receiver (2): A (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (2): A (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (2) : A (hold)
• Throw to receiver (3): B
• Lob to receiver (3): B (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (3): B (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (3) : B (hold)
• Throw to receiver (4): Y
• Lob to receiver (4): Y (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (4): Y (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (4): Y (hold)
• Throw to receiver (5): RB
• Lob to receiver (5): RB (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (5): RB (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (5): RB (hold)
• Pump fake: left-stick tap, outside pocket right stick + direction
• Check out of play action or scramble: RT
• Roll Out Loco: RT (tap), then left stick+ direction
• Throw ball away: right-stick tap
• Total control passing: left stick + direction when throwing
• Activate Target Passing: LT (hold)
• Move Target Passing Indicator: LT (hold) + left stick + direction
• Throw Target Pass to Selected Receiver: LT (hold) + receiver button
• Playmaker Closest Receiver: right stick (flick directional)

BALL CARRIER

• High pass to specific receiver: LB+ A or B or Y or X or RB
• Low pass to specific receiver: LT + A or B or Y or X or RB
• Throw to receiver (1): X
• Lob to receiver (1): X(tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (1): X(double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (1): X(hold)
• Throw to receiver (2): A
• Lob to receiver (2): A (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (2): A (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (2) : A (hold)
• Throw to receiver (3): B
• Lob to receiver (3): B (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (3): B (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (3): B (hold)
• Throw to receiver (4): Y
• Lob to receiver (4): Y (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (4): Y (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (4): Y (hold)
• Throw to receiver (5): RB
• Lob to receiver (5): RB (tap)
• Touch pass to receiver (5): RB (double tap)
• Bullet pass to receiver (5): RB (hold)
• Pump fake: left-stick tap, outside pocket right stick + direction
• Check out of play action or scramble: RT
• Roll Out Loco: RT (tap), then left stick+ direction
• Throw ball away: right-stick tap
• Total control passing: left stick + direction when throwing
• Activate Target Passing: LT (hold)
• Move Target Passing Indicator: LT (hold) + left stick + direction
• Throw Target Pass to Selected Receiver: LT (hold) + receiver button
• Playmaker Closest Receiver: right stick (flick directional)
• Ball Carrier
• Stiff arm punch: A +RT
• Precision Stiff Arm: A +LT
• Stiff arm hold (near defender): A (hold)
• Celebrate (in open field): LT (hold)+RT (hold) + A (hold)
• Sprint Spin: B + RT (hold up to ½ sec.)
• Standard Spin: B or right stick (half circle)
• Precision Spin: B + LT
• Dive low: X+RT
• Dive for yards: X
• Dive over the line: X+LT
• Ball Carrier Give-Up(QB Slide): LT+RT + right-stick tap
• Sprint Hurdle: Y + RT (hold up to ½ sec.)
• Hurdle: Y + RT
• Precision Hurdle: Y + LT
• Pitch ball: LB
• Switch ball hand: RB (tap)
• Protect ball: RB (hold)
• Precision modifier (decelerate): LT
• Stutter step: LT (tap)
• Precision spin: LT + B or LT + right stick (half circle)
• Precision dive: LT + X
• Precision high dive (behind blocker): LT + X
• Precision hurdle: LT + Y
• Acceleration burst: RT
• Juke: right stick move right or right stick move left
• Precision juke: LT + dpad left or dpad right
• Precision jump cut (behind line of scrimmage): LT+ dpad left or dpad right
• Get skinny (behind blocker): RB (hold)
• Back juke: LT (hold) + right stick down
• Truck: right stick up
• Precision truck: LT+right stick right stick up
• Lunge for yards: right stick up, with stumble recovery icon active
• Stumble recovery: right stick down
• Truck spin combo: right stick half circle, start up, move left, then down
• Precision truck spin combo: LT + right stick half circle, start up, move left, then down
• Juke left, spin left combo: right stick half circle, start left, then up then right
• Precision juke left, spin left combo: LT + right stick half circle, start left, then up, then right
• Juke left, spin right combo: right stick half circle, start left, then down, then right
• Precision juke left, spin right combo: LT + right stick half circle, start left, then down, then right
• Juke right, spin left combo: right stick right, then right stick half circle start left, then up, then right
• Precision juke right, spin left combo: LT+ right stick right, then right stick half circle start left, then up, then right
• Juke right, spin right combo: right stick right, then half circle start, then up, then right
• Precision juke right, spin right combo: LT + right stick right, then half circle start, then up, then right
• Back juke, spin left combo: right stick half circle, start down, then leftthen up
• Precision back juke, spin left combo: LT + right stick half circle, start down, then left, then up
• Back juke, spin right combo: right stick half circle, start down, then right, then up
• Precision back juke, spin right combo: LT+ right stick half circle, start down, then right, then up
• Juke left, juke right combo: right stick left, right stick right
• Precision juke left, juke right combo: LT + right stick left, right stick right
• Juke right, juke left combo: right stick right, right stick left
• Precision juke right, juke left combo: LT + right stick right, right stick left
• Note on jukes - pretty much they are all half circles, with optionally first holding down LT, or pressing the stick in the opposite direction of the half-circles starting point first

BALL IN AIR/LOOSE BALL

• Auto play or Defensive assist: LB
• Switch player: B
• Conservative Catch: A (press or hold)
• Play Receiver (on defense): A (hold)
• RAC Catch: X (press or hold)
• Dive (loose ball): X (hold)
• Aggressive Catch: Y (press or hold)
• Play Ball (on defense): Y (hold)
• Swat: X (hold)
• Strafe: LT
• Acceleration burst: RT

DEFENSE

PRE-PLAY DEFENSE

• Individual adjustment: A
• Switch player: B
• Select player: B (hold) + left stick
• Audible menu: X
• Coverage audible: Y
• Defensive line audible: LB
• Linebacker audible: RB
• Defensive keys: LT
• Off the line: RT (tap)
• Show Play Art: RT (hold)
• Show strong or weak side gap assignment: RT + A + B
• Zoom in gameplay camera: dpad up
• Zoom out gameplay camera: dpad down
• Defensive player lock camera: dpad left
• Defensive Camera: dpad right
• Show or Hide Pre-Play menu: right-stick tap
• Pump up crowd: right stick up

DEFENSIVE (ENGAGED)

• Pass rush finesse move: A (vs. Pass)
• Shed Block: A (vs. Run)
• Block Sheds: left stick + A
• Switch player: B
• Pass rush power move: X (vs. Pass)
• Hands up or Bat ball: Y
• Auto-Assist (non-engaged): LB (hold)
• Reach Tackle Left: LB
• Reach Tackle Right: RB

DEFENSIVE (PURSUIT)

• Conservative tackle: A
• Precision breakdown tackle: LT+A
• Switch player: B
• Aggressive tackle (close) or Dive tackle (far): X
• Auto play or Defensive assist: LB (hold)
• Strip ball: RB
• Strafe: LT
• Acceleration burst: RT
• Hit stick vs. Ball Carrier or Blocker: right stick up (flick)
• Cut Stick vs. Ball Carrier or Blocker: right stick down (flick)

SPECIAL TEAMS DEFENSE

• Conservative tackle: A
• Switch player: B
• Audible: X
• Jumping block attempt: Y
• Diving block attempt: X + RT
• Show play art or Jump the snap: RT

PLAYER LOCKED RECEIVER

• Switch players (pre-play): B
• Player lock (pre-play): left-stick tap
• Conservative change-up: A
• Conservative change-up release (avoid press): A + left stick + directional at snap
• Go in motion: right stick left or right
• Aggressive footfire (in place for a ½ sec): X
• Aggressive footfire release (avoid press): X + left stick + directional at snap
• Just-Go release (speed boost): RT+ left stick + directional at snap
• Cut out of press: right-stick tap (flick when pressed)
• Cut moves while route-running: RB + right stick (flick)
• Route-running or Move player: left stick
• Alternate cut-moves while route-running: RB (hold) + left-stick tap (hold), then release RB

DEFENSIVE COVERAGE MECHANICS

• Switch players (pre-play): B
• Player lock (pre-play): left-stick tap
• Press or Hold receiver: right stick + directional at snap
• Player movement: left stick
• Carry, deliver, and follow receiver out of press: right stick + directional roll during press
• BLOCKING MECHANICS
• Switch players (pre-play): B
• Player lock (pre-play): left-stick tap
• Player movement or block on collision: right stick + directional at snap
• Conservative enegage defender: left stick
• Aggressive impact block: right stick + directional roll during press
• Aggressive cut block: right stick down

TARGET PASSING

Target and throw to holes in pass coverage. With Target Passing you can throw to precise spots on the field, untethered from the receiver’s route.

DEFENSIVE LINE MECHANICS

In addition to an arsenal of pass rush moves, defensive linemen can now attempt a reach tackle while engaged. Look for the button indicator above your user-controlled lineman to attempt one of these new tackle types.

NEW STRATEGY AND PLAYBOOKS

Show off your strategy skills. We’ve added some new ways to plan your game, with Coach Adjustments, DB-WR Match-ups, Position-Specific Defensive Hot-Routes, and Wide Receiver Alignments. Shading has been tweaked and improved as well.

GAME SCREEN

An image with arrows that points out where each of the following is located (posted here for completeness):

• 1. Away team 2. Home team 3. Possession 4. Score 5. Timeouts remaining 6. Play Art 7. Quarter 8. Time Remaining 9. Down and distance 10. Starting line 11. Play clock 12. Receiver icons

MAIN MENU

Home Panel

Jump into your last game mode or choose something new.

Play Panel

Choose which game mode you want to play today. Whether you want to immerse yourself in the story of Longshot, manage a Franchise, create your Ultimate Team, or head to Open Practice for a little training, all the main Madden NFL 18 modes are here.

Customize Panel

Customize your rosters, playbooks, settings, and more in the Customize panel.

LONGSHOT 

In Longshot, you will take on Devin Wade’s journey to be drafted to the NFL, a dream cut short following the death of his father. Devin now has one last chance to join the NFL, and you’ll need to rely on your skills on and off the field to make it happen. Learn more advanced game techniques as Devin impresses the scouts, but also get ready to navigate dialogue choices that can drastically alter his career. Experience the thrill of chasing the dream—and what it takes to get to the NFL. 

PLAY NOW LIVE 

Looking for a more authentic Franchise experience? Play Now Live lets you jump into any week in a team’s season using their up-to-date stats and rosters. You can also take this live matchup team into Franchise mode, and continue their journey with their up-to-date stats. Or, create a Cloud Franchise of any previous real-life week by selecting Real-Life Roster in Cloud league.

FRANCHISE 

Franchise is where gridiron legends are made. Take control of an active NFL Player, Coach, or Owner, or create your own character as you aim for the Hall of Fame. All the excitement and drama of the NFL can be found—and lived— through Franchise.

Starting Your Franchise

Choose Online (Cloud) or Offline, and then select and customize your team. You’ll start in the regular season by default, but you can easily switch to PRESEASON from the Starting Point.

Play the Moment & Other Ways to Play

Before loading into your weekly game, choose one of four ways to play. Play the Moment mode lets you jump in at the most crucial parts of a game, so you can help lead your team to victory in the most efficient way possible. You can also play Offense Only or Defense Only if you prefer to stick to one side of the ball—and play the game twice as fast!

Jump in and out of any of these modes of play at any time—just select the Custom Play options from the Supersim options menu. You can also adjust the speed of the game in Supersim. Use fast mode to jump through the game, or choose slow mode for a true Sunday experience.

Setting Your Season Goal

When you reach the regular season, the first Big Decision you’ll make is your Season Goal. As coach, you can set how many wins you anticipate for the season. The more wins you set, the more risk you take: if you miss your goal, you could be fired. As a player, you choose between various stats based on your position.

Goals 

As you load a game, notice the goals for your character and other players on your team. Completing these goals during the game will give you additional XP and/or Confidence that will make your players perform better on the field.

At the beginning of some drives, you’ll see a Drive Goal that you can complete for bonus XP and/or Confidence. Specific goals will be tailored based on events in the current game, giving you a unique challenge every time you play.

At the end of the play, look at the XP and Confidence updates appearing next to your player, as well as updates on your completed goals. The ticker at the bottom of the screen tracks your goal progress. Weekly Goals are assigned based on completion of previous weekly goals.

Hub

Your roster is right at your fingertips on the Team Panel, which is visible right next to your Things To Do. Select any player on your team to see a quick overview of his attributes, view his goals and stats, or even purchase upgrades with his XP.

If you’re playing in a Cloud Franchise, you can also quickly interact with your league members on the new Members panels. Check their game status and whether they’re online. As a commissioner, you can also toggle Auto Pilot, clear cap penalties, or remove them from the league.

Improving Your Team

Improving your team has never been easier when you use the Improve Your Team option from the Things To Do menu. All the free agents and trade block players are organized in one place so you can compare your players to the available ones. The higher your grade, the better you are at that position!

Dynamic Development Trait

The development trait determines how quickly a player progresses in the league and essentially dictates their ceiling as a player. Any time the player achieves a big reward, such as Player of the Week or NFL MVP, their development trait may increase. On the other hand, missing a season goal can cause the development trait to plummet.

Scouting

Starting as a coach or owner in Week 3, you’ll see a Things To Do item that teaches you how to Scout. Spend Scouting Points on a player, learn more about their abilities, and decide if you want to draft them in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Scouting Points unlock the player’s top three attributes, with the third unlock providing their true draft value. Additionally, you can find “Diamonds” and “Overvalued” players in the draft class by spending Scouting Points on them before the NFL Draft.

Weekly Training & Gameplanning

Great teams are developed on the practice field! Spend time in training each week to prepare for your upcoming opponent and improve your team.

Creating Your Gameplan

Your first step in weekly training is setting your offensive and defensive gameplans. Your coaches suggest gameplans based on your opponent’s tendencies; you can find in-game drills accompanying each one. The better you do in the drills, the better the medal you will receive (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)—playing well grants you more XP.

When it’s game time, your chosen gameplans give you offensive and defensive boosts to certain plays. Check the play call menu to see boosted plays in green.

Focus Training

The second step in weekly training is Focus Training, which boosts players you choose to train this way. Your coaches will recommend focusing your rookies, but you can choose any player for Focus Training. Boost the players you want to develop to make them powerhouses on your team!

Free Practice

In Free Practice, take your team to the field and experiment with plays. This is a great way to see how your team plays and stay ahead of the curve in your league.

Confidence Rating

Your players’ in-game performance determines their Confidence. A confident team is more likely to perform well. As a Player, make the most of your on-field opportunities to build your Confidence rating!

Multiple Advance Points

Have you ever wanted to be an armchair General Manager and only worry about the offseason with free agency and the NFL Draft? Or maybe you’d like to go to the playoffs right after you clinch the top seed in your conference. Now you can with multiple advance points! Jump ahead in your season or play standard week-to-week.

Commissioner Tools

Use Commissioner Tools to have more control on your league than ever before.

• Full Player Editing: Edit the appearance, contract info, ratings, traits, and more for all the players in the league. Any edits will show up on the Transaction log so the league can monitor their Commissioner’s actions.
• Designate Auto-Pilot Length: If you know you’ll be out of town or unavailable for an extended period of time, you can now set yourself or other users to auto-pilot for multiple weeks. This feature is available for league members and Commissioners.
• Multiple Commissioners:Running a multiple-user Online Franchise can be extremely time-consuming, but life can happen at any moment. Franchise understands that. Designate another user as a second Commissioner to make sure your league never needs to worry if you’re not available to advance the week. The original Commissioner can add or remove this feature at any time.

Owner Mode

If you choose to start as an owner, you’ll need to select a backstory. Backstories provide an identity to your character and have an in-game impact. The three backstories for an owner are:

• Former Player: Gives you an advantage with roster happiness and starts you off with $3 million in available funds.
• Lifelong Fan: Gives you an advantage with fans, starting you off with $3 million in available funds.
• Financial Mogul: Gives you an advantage financially as you’ll start with $7 million in funds, but you’ll start with no Legacy score and player happiness will be low.

Now, it’s time to make those key decisions that influence how your team makes revenue and rakes in wins. Since it’s easy to become overwhelmed as an owner, an advisor is available for every aspect of owner mode to help you out and keep you updated on your team.

As you build up your team, set prices for tickets, concessions, and merchandise. Check your Team Value in categories like Fan Happiness, Staff, and Stadium, and adjust when necessary to improve your value. Hire the right staff to keep your players feeling and performing their best. Make sure your roster is in good shape, and don’t be afraid to relocate if a change of scenery and a new stadium will boost morale!

Roster Building

To edit your roster, go to MY TEAM > ROSTER under the Manage tab. This is where a truly great team is made. 

Player Types & Schemes

When scouting for new players, it is important to understand which scheme your team runs and what player type they need.

Each NFL team evaluates players differently, so it's essential to know what piques their interest and inspires them to value you higher. For example, if you’re a receiving back looking to crack into the Arizona Cardinals starting lineup, you may find yourself buried on the depth chart. However, your OVR will be higher in Philadelphia, a team looking for a receiving halfback.

Offseason

Re-Signing Players

During the regular season, you’ll notice pending free agents who want to start negotiations on a new deal. If you decide against negotiating in the middle of the season, you’ll have one last opportunity to re-sign your own free agents-to-be at this stage of the offseason.

If you do decide to enter negotiations with one of your players at this stage, make sure it’s an offer that suits both you and the player. If the player declines to sign the deal, he’ll be off to test the open free agent market. Make your first offer count!

Free Agency Bidding

After having a chance to re-sign your own free agents, you’ll have your pick of the litter in free agency. This free-agency period is a time when teams can beef up their roster in a hurry—assuming your team has plenty of salary cap space and that the right free agents are on the market!

You’ll first notice each player has a current market value, which essentially tells you what you can expect to pay for the services of that player. You’ll also notice the logos of other NFL teams; these represent the teams that have an interest in that player.

Contract Offers

After offering an initial contract to your targeted free agents, you’ll need to advance the week for updates. Go back into the free agency screen and sort by My Negotiations for a quick view of all the players you are attempting to sign.

At this point, you’ll see if the player has decided to sign with you, accepted another team's offer, or is still deciding. If the player has not decided, you have the option to increase your offer, pull your offer, or keep it as is. Free agency lasts four weeks, so make sure you keep an eye on your negotiations.

Draft

After the free agency period has ended, it’s off to the NFL Draft!

From this hub, you’ll see the draft order plus a list of actions you can take. While another team is on the clock, you can offer a trade to that team and move up in the draft order, look at the overall draft board, or advance the draft.

You’ll see messages start flying in as sports personalities react to the most recent selection. Since some players have branching storylines, their paths to the draft will be told by the voice of Adam Schefter once a player has been selected. However, if you’re looking to speed up the process, you can advance to the next user pick to bypass all draft selections by the AI.

Signing Rookies

This task is automatically completed for you, replicating the new way rookie contracts are constructed in the NFL.

Playing as a Coach

Spending XP

Spending XP as a coach is much different than spending it as a player. As a coach, you can spend your XP on packages to decrease the odds of a player retiring, make it easier for you to re-sign a player, boost the amount of XP a position earns, or even increase the amount of Scouting Points you earn each week.

Progressing Players

As a coach, you accrue XP and Scouting Points to spend on yourself. Additionally, your players earn XP based on their performance and personal goals. You can apply XP yourself or set the AI to allocate it for you.

The benefits of applying XP yourself is that you can shape your players based on how you want them to fit into your system. For example, if you want the smartest team in the league, use your XP on Awareness and Play Recognition. However, if you just want to beef up your players’ weaknesses to make them well-rounded contributors, you can go that route as well. The choice is yours to make.

Of course, applying XP to every player on your roster can be time consuming. In that case, you can spend the XP of key players and then delegate the AI to apply everyone else’s. This not only saves time, but also ensures that everyone is using the XP they have earned.

Playing as a Player

Creating a Player

Play as an active NFL player or create your own character.

Backstory

There are three options for a player backstory: Early Draft Pick, Late Round Pick, and Undrafted. Playing as an early draft pick gives you the highest possible ratings for a rookie, but you’ll also have much higher on-field expectations than an undrafted rookie.

Goals

Season, Weekly, and Milestone are the three types of goals you have as a player. Reach your goals to earn XP, which you use to improve your player attributes.

Spending XP

You accumulate XP throughout the season based on your on-field performance. Once you have enough XP, you can buy packages to boost any player’s ratings.

Retirement

You can retire your player at any time. Retirement lets you select a new player, coach, or owner and pick up at the same exact point in the season or year in which you left.

Legacy Score

All awards, from MVP to Super Bowl championships, count toward your Legacy Score. The Legacy Score determines how you’re judged against the greatest NFL players in history—you’ll need a high Legacy score to end up in the Hall of Fame!

Madden Ultimate Team (MUT)

What is Madden Ultimate Team (MUT)?

Welcome to our largest fantasy football mode where you create your Madden Ultimate Team (MUT). You’ll receive a team of starter players—work from there to create your greatest football team.

Collect

Collect players and other items with Auctions and packs available to purchase in the Store, or earned in specific game modes. Play games to earn coins (the in-game currency). Spend real cash in exchange for points to redeem for packs and bundles.

Upgrade

Upgrade your team with new items you’ve acquired. Don’t forget to use the Auction House to exchange extra or unwanted items with other players for items you need.

Dominate

Dominate on the gridiron in Seasons, MUT Champions, and MUT Squads.

New to MUT

MUT Squads

Compete in three-on-three matches as the head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator—work together to lead your team to victory from the sidelines!

MUT Champions

MUT Champions features weekly knockout tournaments, perfect for those who want to jump in for a high competitive experience!

Ultimate Moments in Solo Challenges

Ultimate Moments are Solo Challenges that begin with a game in progress. You will be dropped right into this season’s most exciting games with the ability to recreate or change history—experience some of NFL’s most exciting moments!

How Do I Upgrade My Team?

Play Solo Challenge games against the CPU to earn coins to spend on items and packs in the Store. You can also earn coins by selling items in the Auction House or quickselling an item from your Item Binder.

What’s a Pack?

A pack contains several random items you can collect to upgrade your team. Most packs include several player items and a few non-player items, such as playbooks, uniforms, coaches, collectibles, or stadiums. You may earn packs as loyalty rewards or rewards for Sets, Head to Head Events, or Solo Challenges. You can also buy individual packs or bundles of packs in the Store.

What’s a Tier?

Tier is the measure of an item’s quality. Items from higher tiers are typically more powerful or useful than those of lower tiers. Items are color-coded by tier so you can easily judge their quality.

Elite items aren’t found in every pack, but sometimes an Elite item replaces a Gold item. A few packs or bundles may include guaranteed Elite tier items, as described in their Store description.

What’s a Program?

Some items are part of a program. There are many programs offered throughout the year, such as Draft or Playoff. Each program has a special group of items tied to a central theme, and special events like Solo Challenges or Sets are often based on a program. You can filter your item searches by program in the Item Binder, Auctions, and Trades.

Live

From the MUT menu, select the Live tab to find special announcements about content updates for the mode. You’ll see new Solo Challenges and Sets to collect appearing several times a week. Check out new events regularly to find the best players to add to your team. You can also check on your MUT level progression under this tab.

Objectives and Progress

The Live tab presents helpful tasks to teach you Ultimate Team Objectives. You’ll receive a reward for completing all tasks, so be sure to finish them all and be on the lookout for new lists throughout the season.

Play

The Play tab allows you to play with your MUT. You can find MUT Champions, MUT Squads, and MUT Draft, as well as Solo Challenges and Seasons. Solo Challenges are single-player games against teams controlled by the CPU, while Seasons contain Head to Head Events, Salary Cap Ranked mode, and Play a Friend mode.

Solo Challenges

There are many categories of Solo Challenges to play, with four levels of difficulty and varying quarter lengths. Select a Solo Challenge to see all the details about it. Some Solo Challenges have entry requirements based on collectibles or Chemistry.

New Solo Challenges are added all the time, so check the Live hub often to find them. You can also continue right where you left off with the Continue Solo Challenges tile in the MUT hub.

Seasons

Head to Head Events

See how many wins you can achieve in unlimited Head to Head Events! An event ends after you make it to six wins—or if you experience two losses—and receive rewards for your wins. Lock in your lineup and see how far you can go!

Salary Cap Ranked Mode

Craft a team of players that fits within the cap total! Will you pick your Elite quarterback with a high cap value, or use the same amount on two Gold players? This is the most balanced and competitive place to play Madden Ultimate Team.

Store

On the Store tab, you’ll find a featured offer along with access to the Store and Auction House.

Store

Purchase items with the coins you’ve earned from Solo Challenges and Auctions, or with the points you’ve bought. You’ll find several kinds of packs at various prices. Each pack rewards random items, with a chance to find a high-quality Elite player.

Some pack bundles provide a bulk discount—large pack bundles may come with a guaranteed Elite player. Visit the Store often to find limited-time promotions and sales.

What Are Points?

Purchase points with real cash to redeem them for bundles and special items.

Auction House

You can access the Auction House from the Store tab to buy and sell items with other players. This is a great way to find the items you need, or turn unused items into coins. You can search Auctions by type, tier, position, team, chemistry, and OVR. Time remaining in the Auction is displayed for each item, so plan your strategy accordingly. When someone places a bid with a few seconds left, the auction timer will add more time to the clock.

To place one of your items in the Auction House, bring up the Item Viewer and choose AUCTION. You can determine the duration, starting price, and buy-it-now price for your item auction. Some items may be assessed an auction fee.

You can examine your posted auctions and active bids from the Auction House.

Team

The Team tab helps you manage all aspects of your team. Here, you can visit your Lineup, adjust your Coaching and Equipment, and rename your team.

Lineup

Select ADJUST LINEUP to examine your Lineup. Choose a player to move up and down between specific chart positions; select a player to see possible substitutions. Choose BEST LINEUP to have the CPU automatically generate your team based on OVR or Chemistry. Page left or right to see other stats of your team, such as Offense, Defense, and Specialist.

Item Binder

Use the filters to help arrange your items, and sort with the drop-down list in the upper right corner. Select an item to view with the Item Viewer to use Compare, Promote to Starter, Extend Contracts, Add to Set, Auction, or Quicksell. Flip through the details pages of each item, including Key Attributes, Chemistry bonus, and description.

Sets

Sets (formerly known as “collections”) are a great way to earn coins and item rewards for any of the items in your collection. Browse through the different Sets to examine their requirements and rewards. The Item Viewer has an Add to Set option, or you can examine the Set to see which of your items can be added. You can also search the Auction House to fill the Set—you’ll automatically receive the reward when the last required item is added. New Sets are added every week, so check back often!

MUT Draft

Draft Champions is now MUT Draft! Once again, Madden NFL 18 brings the fantasy football experience to life! Draft your dream team and experience the on-field excitement of playing at their side.

Starting your MUT Draft Event

Select MUT Draft from the MUT main menu to get started. You can view information of the basics of MUT Draft and choose what type of draft you would like to participate in. In MUT Draft Ranked, compete against others for the ultimate reward of becoming the next Madden Champion. In Solo Draft, you compete against the CPU.

Draft Functionality

The draft is set at 25 rounds by default, starting with a chance to pick your coach. This can help define the tone for the rest of your draft picks, depending on how you like to play—your coach’s Playbooks will be automatically selected with him.

After selecting a coach, begin drafting players. On the first page, a player’s OVR is displayed. Press the E or Q button to turn the page and view the player’s Key Attributes for that position. Press the F button to compare the highlighted player with other players in that position, and press the S button to confirm your player selection.

Each selected player is added to your base team in the Lineup, adjusting the OVR. You can review your completed team on the Summary screen.

The Hub

After completing the Draft, you’ll enter the MUT Draft hub. Here, you can customize your lineup further in Adjust Lineup, view your Coaching & Equipment information, or track your status on the Progress screen.

How to Succeed in MUT

Coins are the in-game currency of MUT and act as rewards for winning games and completing Sets. You can use coins to purchase packs in the Store or bid on items in the Auction House.

Earn more coins by completing Solo Challenges, finishing Sets, or selling items in the Auction House. You can also quicksell the items you’re not currently using to earn a few coins. Every day there are new events added to the mode; you can find out about all the most recent news on the Live hub when you enter MUT.

Now that you have a feel for the mode, it’s time to learn about the items you can collect to build your team. Here are a few basic categories:

Players

Players make up the lineup of your Ultimate Team. Over 1,400 players from all 32 NFL teams are available for you to collect, including some legendary players from the past. Players have an OVR, a preferred position, contracts, and other attributes that directly affect their play on the field.

While viewing a single item, you can page through several views to see Key Attributes, the item’s Chemistry impact, and other important information.

Team Items

You can also customize your team with a Head Coach, stadium, uniforms, and playbook items. When you change your home uniform, your favorite team will match throughout the Ultimate Team mode.

Collectibles

Collectibles are special items found in packs that represent key plays, important victories, and all kinds of football-related items and events. You can’t add them to your lineup, but you can view them in the Item Binder. Collectibles can be used to complete Sets for coin and item rewards. Quicksell some collectibles for 500 coins or more.

Head Coach

You’ll need a Head Coach before your team can take the field. In addition to his OVR, the primary function of your Head Coach is to add Chemistry impact to your team. You’ll also see him on the sideline during games!

Online Head-to-Head

If you like the thrill of competing against another person, then Online Head-to-Head is the place for you. Jump into the mix with Quick Match games and a matchmaking system that will keep you competing against people who play like you.

Quick Match

A Quick Match game searches for another person to compete against you in a ranked game. Winning ranked games earns you Ranking Points, which determines your Leaderboard rank.

If you want to play a friendlier game but none of your Madden NFL 18 Friends are online, press the F button on the Online Head-to-Head panel and switch your Game Type to an “Unranked” game.

Play a Friend

If a Friend is online, send an invite and challenge them to a friendly game of Madden NFL 18. This mode allows you to customize the game settings.

Leaderboards

Want to see how your record stacks up against the online Madden Community? Check out the leaderboards and see who’s dominating the online gridiron. Choose from four different leaderboards:

Top 100

Shows the top 100 ranked Online Head-to-Head players.

My Leaderboard

If you’ve achieved a ranking (only the top 100,000 players do), this leaderboard will show the 50 people ranked above you and below you.

Friends

The Friends leaderboard displays how you rank against Friends based on earned Ranking Points.

Stats Leaders

Compare how you rank against other Madden players in a variety of offensive and defensive stat categories.

Compare Stats

The Compare Stats screen allows you to compare a variety of stats between you and another person, scout their playing tendencies, and view the results of your last 20 games.

Depth Chart

If you’re not happy with your starters and want to change the team lineup, visit the Depth Chart screen before starting a game. Depth Chart changes made on this screen will automatically save to your “Official” roster file, so you won’t have to pause and update your Depth Chart before every online game. Be sure to readdress this after each roster update!

Customize

The Customize sub-menu contains options for updating your roster and online settings.

Madden Messenger houses all your notifications and social features. The Messenger Inbox is where you’ll find all received messages and item rewards—you can even edit your Music List from here. Social Sharing will notify you on your Friend’s latest achievements and other social messages, like MUT auctions, Online Head-to-Head rankings, or Franchise league updates.

LIMITED 90-DAY WARRANTY

NOTE: Warranty does not apply to digital download products.

Electronic Arts Limited Warranty Electronic Arts warrants to the original purchaser of this product that the recording medium on which the software program(s) are recorded (the “Recording Medium”) is free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase. If the Recording Medium is found to be defective within 90 days from the date of purchase, Electronic Arts agrees to replace the Recording Medium free of charge upon receipt of the Recording Medium at its service center, postage paid, with proof of purchase. This warranty is limited to the Recording Medium containing the software program that was originally provided by Electronic Arts. This warranty shall not be applicable and shall be void if, in the judgment of Electronic Arts, the defect has arisen through abuse, mistreatment or neglect. This limited warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, whether oral or written, express or implied, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and no other representation of any nature shall be binding on or obligate Electronic Arts. If any such warranties are incapable of exclusion, then such warranties applicable to this product, including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are limited to the 90 day period described above. In no event will Electronic Arts be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from possession, use or malfunction of this Electronic Arts product, including damage to property, and to the extent permitted by law, damages for personal injury, even if Electronic Arts has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow limitation as to how long an implied warranty lasts and/or exclusions or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitations and/or exclusion of liability may not apply to you. In such jurisdictions, the Electronic Arts’ liability shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by law. This warranty gives you specific rights. You may also have other rights that vary from state to state.

Returns Within the 90-Day Warranty Period

Please return the product along with (1) a copy of the original sales receipt showing the date of purchase, (2) a brief description of the difficulty you are experiencing, and (3) your name, address and phone number to the address below and Electronic Arts will mail a replacement Recording Medium to you. If the product was damaged through misuse or accident, this 90-day warranty is rendered void and you will need to follow the instructions for returns after the 90-day warranty period. We strongly recommend that you send your products using a traceable delivery method. Electronic Arts is not responsible for products not in its possession.

EA Warranty Information

If the defect in the Recording Medium resulted from abuse, mistreatment or neglect, or if the Recording Medium is found to be defective after 90 days from the date of purchase, choose one of the following options to receive our replacement instructions: Online Warranty Information: http://warrantyinfo.ea.com EA Warranty Mailing Address: Electronic Arts Customer Warranty, 7700 W Parmer Lane, Building C, Austin, TX 78729-8101

Notice

Electronic Arts reserves the right to make improvements in the product described in this manual at anytime and without notice.

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