This year we are introducing Face of the Franchise: QB1, a career campaign where you will experience your won Superstar journey as an NFL Quarterback, starting with the College Football National Championship Playoff, then to the NFL Combine, NFL Draft, and ultimately a career in the NFL.

Superstar X-Factor Abilities

Feel the unique emotion and power of NFL Superstars with Superstar X-Factor, an all-new abilities progression system for today’s most exciting NFL Superstars. These personality-specific abilities give Superstars special advantages when certain objectives are met in-game. Superstar X-Factors make the stars of NFL come to life in Madden NFL 20, showcasing their authentic personalities with their real-life skills displayed in real player motion. Take full control of your Superstars’ development with these new customizable player abilities!

Scenario Engine Gameday Challenges

Our new Scenario Engine generates playable scenarios, events, and dynamic challenges that build the story of your unique NFL career.

COMPLETE CONTROLS

PLAY CALLING

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

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 20.

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

Normal

This is 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.

Check 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

OFFENSE

· Snap ball (Hurry to line): A

· Switch player: B

· Motion player: B + left stick move left, left stick move right

· Hot route: Y button

· Pass protection: LB + right stick

· Fake snap: RB

· Show Play Art: RT

· Player lock: Left stick (double tap)

· Switch “Primary Read’ receiver: RT + LT+ receiver button (hold)

· Show/Hide Pre-Play menu: Right stick tap

· Quiet crowd: right stick move down

· Zoom in gameplay camera: dpad up

· Zoom out gameplay camera: dpad down

· Motion selected player left: dpad left

· Motion selected player right: dpad right

PASSING

· Throw to receiver (2): A

· Lob to receiver (2): A (tap)

· Bullet pass to receiver (2): A (hold)

· Touch pass to receiver (2): A (double tap)

· Throw to receiver (3): B

· Lob to receiver (3): B (tap)

· Bullet pass to receiver (3): B (hold)

· Touch pass to receiver (3): B (double tap)

· Throw to receiver (1): X

· Lob to receiver (1): X (tap)

· Bullet pass to receiver (1): X (hold)

· Touch pass to receiver (1): X (double tap)

· Throw to receiver (4): Y

· Lob to receiver (4): Y (tap)

· Bullet pass to receiver (4): Y (hold)

· Touch pass to receiver (4): Y (double tap)

· Throw to receiver (5): RB

· Lob to receiver (5): RB (tap)

· Bullet pass to receiver (5): RB (hold)

· Touch pass to receiver (5): RB (double tap)

· High throw: LB + pass button

· Playmaker closest receiver: Right stick (flick directional)

· Low throw: LT + pass button

· Check out of play action/ scramble: RT

· Pump fake: A, B, X, Y, or RB (double tap)

· Throw ball away: Right stick (tap)

· Total control passing: Left stick + direction when throwing

· Quarterback carrier mode: LT (tap)

BALL CARRIER

· Stiff Arm: A

· Celebrate (in open field): LT + RT + A (hold)

· Sprint spin: B + RT (hold up to ½ sec)

· Standard spin: B or right stick (half circle)

· Precision spin: B + LT (hold)

· Spin: right stick (half circle)

· 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)

· QB slide past LOS: X

· Sprint hurdle: RT (hold up to ½ sec) + Y

· Hurdle: Y + RT

· Precision hurdle: Y + LT

· Pitch ball: LB

· Switch ball hand: RB (tap)

· Protect ball: RB (hold)

· Precision modifier (decelerate): LT

· Hesi: LT (tap)

· Precision spin: LT + Right stick (half circle)

· Acceleration burst/ Sprint: RT

· Sprint juke: RT (hold up to ½ sec) + right stick (flick)

· Juke: right stick move left, right stick move right

· Precision Juke: LT + right stick move left, right stick move right

· Speed back juke: RT (hold up to ½ sec) + right stick down (flick)

· Back juke: Right stick move down

· Precision back juke: LT (hold) + right stick down

· Speed truck: RT (hold) + right stick down

· Truck: right stick up

· Precision truck: LT (hold) + right stick up

· Lunge for yards: right stick up (with stumble recovery icon active)

· Stumble recovery: right stick down (with stumble recovery icon active)

· 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

· One Cut: RT (during a cut)

BALL IN AIR DEFENSE

· Possession catch: A

· Switch player: B

· RAC catch: X

· Aggressive catch: Y (hold)

· Auto play/ Defensive assist: LB

· Strafe: LT

· Acceleration burst: RT

SPECIAL TEAMS OFFENSE

· Snap/ Set kick power/ Set kick accuracy: A

· Switch player: B

· Audible: X

· Flip play: X + RT

· Fake snap: RB

PRE-PLAY DEFENSE

· Individual adjustment: A

· Switch player: B

· Select player: B (hold) + right 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/ weak side gap assignment: RT + A + B

· Zoom in gameplay camera: Dpad up

· Zoom out gameplay camera: Dpad down

· Defensive player lock camera: Left stick (double tap)

· Defensive camera: Dpad up

· Show/ 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)

· Switch player: B

· Pass rush power move X (vs. pass)

· Hands up/ Bat ball: Y

· Auto-assist (non-engaged): LB (hold)

· Reach tackle left: LB

· Rach tackle right: RB

· Directional block sheds: left stick + A

DEFENSIVE (PURSUIT)

· Conservative tackle: A

· Precision breakdown tackle: LT + A

· Switch player: B

· Dive tackle: X

· Auto play/ Defensive assist: LB

· 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)

BALL IN AIR DEFENSE

· Play receiver: A (hold)

· Switch player: B

· Swat ball: X

· Play ball/ Ball hawk: Y

· Strafe: LT

· Acceleration burst: RT

· Hit stick: Right stick (flick)

SPECIAL TEAMS DEFENSE

· Conservative tackle: A

· Switch player: B

· Audible: X

· Jumping block attempt: Y

· Diving block attempt: X

· Flip play: RT + X

· Show Play Art/ Jump the snap: RT

PLAYER LOCKED RECEIVER

· Switch players (pre-play): B

· Player lock (pre-play): Left stick button tap

· Conservative change-up release (avoid press): A + left stick + directional at snap

· Go in motion: Right stick move left, right stick move right

· Aggressive footfire release (avoid press): X + left stick + directional at snap

· Just-go release (speed boost): RT + left stick + directional at snap

· Cut of press: right stick (flick when pressed)

· Cut moves while route-running: RB + right stick (flick)

· Route-running/ Move player: Left stick

· Alternate cut-moves while route-running: RB (hold) + left stick (hold), then release RB

Defensive Coverage Mechanics

· Switch players (pre-play): B

· Player lock (pre-play): left stick (tap)

· Press/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/ Block on collision: left stick

· Conservative engage defender: A

· Aggressive impact block: Right stick up (flick)

· Aggressive cut block: right stick down (flick)

NEW GAME PLAY

NEW PLAY CALL (RPOS):

It’s finally here: the offensive scheme RPOs (Run/Pass Options) that is taking the NFL by storm is coming to Madden NFL 20! There are three RPOs: Alerts, Peeks, and Reads. The playbook will be filled with hundreds of RPOs, so practice them to learn and get comfortable with these new mechanics.

SIGNATURE ABILITIES (X- FACTORS AND SUPERSTAR ABILITIES)

With Signature Abilities, an athlete’s unique skills will now shine on the field! There are two types of abilities: Zone and Superstar. Zone abilities unlock when a player enters the “Zone” by completing an in-game objective. Superstar abilities are always active, and players can have multiple attached at once.

ADDITIONAL GAMEPLAY CHANGES

We’ve streamlined pre-play, post-play, and No-Huddle to create a faster experience and give you more time spent on the kicks in each game session. Pass rushes are more balanced and powerful: there is now limited time in the pocket, and Superstar pass rushers or more intense. There will be more pressure on QBs, so QBs will need to focus on their accuracy. In-game feedback is more informative and concise, especially for X-Factor Abilities and user mechanics.

Defensive backs can now execute athletic jumping interceptions, while linebackers and defensive linemen will not make acrobatic catches over the middle (however, line backers with Superstar abilities can make spectacular catches when applicable).

For animations, multiple defenders can now add onto tackle animations against the QB, and players knocked to the ground when play is live will hurry to get up off the field with more game situation awareness. We’ve also polished transitions into and out of interactions, making them more responsive, seamless, and user-friendly.

PLAYING THE GAME

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

Game Modes

Choose which game mode you want to play. Whether you want to immerse yourself in Face of the Franchise, manage a Franchise, create your Ultimate Team, or head to Open Practice for a little training, all the main Madden NFL 20 modes are here.

Customize

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

Accessibility

Quickly update all you Accessibility settings such as menu narration, colorblind options, brightness, contrast, audio, and more.

X- FACTORS ABILITIES

Here we have listed all X-Factor Abilities and their ability descriptions. Remember, each Superstar ability has a counter. When a player with a Superstar ability is up against another player with a counter Superstar ability, there is a 50/50 chance that one or the other will come out on top.

Dashing Deadeye

While running with the Quarterback, all passes have perfect accuracy

Aim High Deadeye

When using the High Throw mechanic, the Quarterback has perfect accuracy on all passes

Pocket Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect accuracy on all throws inside the pocket

Red Zone Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect passing in the Redzone

Hi-Lo Deadeye

All High and Low passes have perfect accuracy when not under pressure

Aim Low Deadeye

When using the Low Throw mechanic, the Quarterback has perfect accuracy on all passes

Sideline Deadeye

All passes to any target traveling towards and within 7 yards of the sideline have perfect accuracy

Long Range Deadeye

All Deep Passes have perfect accuracy

Drifting Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect accuracy on feet set passes outside the pocket

Arcing Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect accuracy when throwing Lob passes

RZ Outside Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect passing when throwing to a target outside the numbers when the LOS is in the opponent’s redzone

Inside Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect passing when throwing deep to a target inside the top of the numbers

No-Look Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect passing accuracy on cross body throws

Long Range Drifting Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect accuracy on deep passes outside the pocket

Lead Pass Elite

Quarterback can place the ball anywhere around the receiver based on offsets created by design on any pass

Set Lead Pass

Quarterback can place the ball anywhere around the receiver based on offsets created by design when he is not moving

Pocket Lead Pass

Quarterback can place the ball anywhere around the receiver based on offsets created by design when he is in the pocket

Escape Artist

Quarterback can start, stop, accelerate, and decelerate faster when scrambling (holding RT)

Hot Route Master

Quarterbacks have an additional 4 Hot Routes for each position they can Hot Routes for each position they can Hot Route

Sleight of hand

Defenders fall more for Quarterback pump fakes, following the direction of the pump fake

Homer

Player has faster throwing motion and ball speed on passes

Slippery Passer

Quarterback can break sacks if he triggers agile avoidance break tackles

Immovable Object

Quarterback can break sacks when he is in the pocket

Extender

Quarterback can throw the ball while a sack is occurring

Fast Break

For Quarterback runs, the run blocking slider is increased, the Quarterback has immediate control, and Auto Push the Pile.

Safety Valve

When the Quarterback throws to a Running Back, the Running Back has a 100% catch chance on single player catches

Protected

When Quarterback is on the field, the Offensive Line has increased pocket timer duration

Unpickable

Quarterback passes will not be intercepted

Fearless

Pressure and hits do not affect the Quarterback pass’s accuracy or distance

Bazooka

Quarterback can throw the ball 25% further

Clutch

Quarterback gets into the Zone faster when there is 4 minutes left in the game

Gun Slinger

Gives player faster throwing motion and ball speed on passes

Indoor Baller

Quarterback gets into the Zone easier when playing indoors

Conductor

Make two Hot Routes prior to Quarterback getting set, and two per animation once set.

RPD Deadeye

Quarterback has perfect passing accuracy on normal passes during RPO plays

Slot Machine

Receiver has guaranteed outcomes when lined in the slot against single Defenders without counter abilities

Elite Route Runner

Player excels at getting open on last cut move of any route, unless covered by a defender with cut-move abilities

Grab-n-Go

Receiver has no Catch Mechanic Penalty. Quarterback throws to the extended lead point in the traveling direction of the Receiver, no plant on turning up field

Jump Baller

Receiver has no Catch Mechanic Penalty. Receiver catches at the highest possible height. Quarterback throws to the highest possible throw point on high throw

Protective Custody

Receiver holds on versus any Hit Stick, Catch Tackle, or Mid-Air, unless Defender has a counter ability on possession catches

Red Zone Threat

In Single Coverage, Receiver has 100% catch chance, no knockouts, and wins multi-player catches when in redzone, unless covered by counter ability

WR Apprentice

Receiver has 4 Additional Hot Routes

TE Apprentice

Tight End has 4 Additional Hot Routes when lined up a TE Position

Slot Apprentice

Receiver has 4 Additional Hot Routes when lined up in the Slot

Double Me

Holds on against any hit by an Aggressive Catch and wins Multiplayer Aggressive Catches in single coverage

RAC ’em Up

Holds on against any hit on an RAC Catch and winds Multiplayer RAC Catches in single coverage

Satellite

Always catches RAC and possession catches in multi-plater catches, and doesn’t allow knockouts on multi’s and catch tackles on RAC and possession catches

Spin Cycle

Ball carrier Spin move will have more translation and play faster than normal Spin. The ball carrier exits broken tackles more quickly, and the carrier will not fumble on Hit Stick (unless defender has counter ability)

Leap Frog

Ball carrier’s hurdles will jump higher, further, and faster, and the ball carrier can exit any hurdle fakeouts more quickly

Arm Bar

Ball carrier Stiff Arm have a bigger window for success, and ball carriers exit broken tackles more quickly

Bulldozer

Ball carrier’s Truck have a bigger window for success, and ball carriers exit broken tackles more quickly

Backfield Apprentice

Back has 4 additional Hot Routes when lined up in the backfield

GAME MODES

PLAY NOW LIVE

Looking for a more authentic Franchise experience? In Play Now Live, you can jump into any week of a team’s season using their up-to-date stats and rosters.

You can also take your live matchup team into Franchise mode and continue their journey with up-to date stats. Or, create a Cloud Franchise of any previous real-life week by selecting Real-Life Roster in Cloud league.

FRANCHISE

In Franchise mode, you will take full control of an active NFL Player’s, Coach’s, or Owner’s career, or create your own character to play in single-player or multiplayer online-connected leagues.

Compete against up to 32 teams in your quest to forge your NFL legacy, including an annual Pro Bowl and Legacy Awards. Your player development is in your hands with new ways to customize and train your roster’s Superstar X-Factor abilities.

New to Franchise

Face of the Franchise: QB1

Be the face of the Franchise in a new, personalized career campaign centered around your skill and choices as a Quarterback!

Create your own Quarterback to play through the College Football National Championships and the NFL Combine to earn your spot in the NFL Draft. Once you’ve selected a team, Madden’s new Scenario Engine generates personalized events and challenges to build your unique NFL career story. Steer your story from a rookie contract to your induction to the Football Hall of Fame!

Superstar X-Factors

Players who earn development traits can unlock Zone and Superstar abilities. Top performers will increase their development trait at the end of each season. If you draft a rookie with the Superstar Potential development trait, they will reveal a Superstar X- Factor or Superstar development trait after they gain experience on the field.

Starting Your Franchise

Choose Online (Cloud) or Offline, and then select and customize your team. You’ll start in the preseason by default so you can familiarize yourself with your team and their abilities. You can easily switch to Regular from the Starting Point.

Play the Moment and Other Ways to Play

Before loading into your weekly game, you’ll choose your mode of play. Play the Moment lets you jump in at the most crucial moments of a game so you can 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 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 will choose between various stats based on your position.

Upgrade Player Archetypes

As a coach or Owner, you control the path your players take on-the-field. As a Player, control your own destiny to work towards making the Hall of Fame. After certain Franchise games, you can upgrade eligible players on your roster by spending Skill Points, which you acquire by raising your XP. XP is earned by completing Coach and Milestone goals, or by performing well in games.

Hub

Your roster is at your fingertips on the Team Panel, located 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 upgrade your Player by applying Skill Points he has earned.

You can also quickly interact with your league members on the Members panels when playing Cloud Franchise to check their game and online status. As a commissioner, you can also toggle Auto Pilot, clear cap penalties, or remove them from the league.

Improving Your Team

If you’re looking for new players for your team, check out 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!

Scouting

Starting as a Coach or Owner in Week 3, there will be a Things to Do item that teaches you how to Scout. Spend Scouting on a player, learn more about their abilities, and decide if you want to draft them in the upcoming NFL Draft. 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 and Game Plan

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

Creating Your Gameplan

Your first step in weekly training 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 also 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 gives boosts to players you personally train. 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 to stay ahead of the curve in your league.

Morale Rating

Your players’ in-game performance determines their Morale. A confident team is more likely to perform well. As a Player, make the most of your on-field opportunities to build your Morale 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. Use your Multiple Advance Points to jump ahead in your season or play standard week-to-week.

Commissioner Tools

Use your Commissioner Tools to control the shape of your league:

· Full Player Editing: Edit the appearance, contract info, ratings, traits, and more for all the players in the league. Edits 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 time, you can now set yourself (of other users) to auto-piolet for multiple weeks. This feature is available for league members and Commissioners.

· Multiple Commissioners: Running a multiple-user Online Franchise can be time-consuming, and real 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 your available funds.

· Financial Mogul: Gives you 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. It can be easy to become overwhelmed as an Owner, so use your advisors to keep you updated on your team and to help you with aspect in the mode.

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!

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 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 the 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 even see messages start flying in as sports personalities react to the most recent selection. If you’re looking to speed up the process, you can advance to the next user pick to bypass all draft selections by the Al.

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

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.

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 Underdrafted. Playing as an early draft pick gives you the highest possible ratings for a rookie, buy you’ll also have much higher on-field expectations that an undrafted rookie.

Upgrading Your Player

You accumulate XP throughout the season based on your on-field performance. Once you have enough XP, you will earn a Skill Point that you can apply to one of your position’s archetypes. That Skill Point will boost applicable ratings until your player has gone up one OVR point.

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, which 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 Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), our largest fantasy football mode. You’ll first receive a team of starter players to begin growing and building your greatest football team.

Collect

Collect players and items in certain game modes or Auctions or find packs available in the Store. Play games to earn Coins (the in-game currency) or spend real cash for Points that are redeemed 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 Madden Ultimate Team

Missions

Missions are designed to give you a step by step guide to playing Madden Ultimate Team. You’ll learning how to earn coins, Points, and more, was well as where to spend them.

Ultimate Challenges

Formerly Solo Challenges, Ultimate Challenges is adding a star system to help you unlock rewards. This feature supports teams of three, so team up with of your Friends!

X-Factor Upgrades

Superstar Abilities are replacing Chemistry Abilities. You’ll need to choose and customize you players to match your play style—remember, you can only unlock a certain number of abilities per player.

MUT Basics

How Do I Upgrade My Team?

Use new players form packs or Auctions to update your roster or invest training into the players you already heave. You can also earn coins for new player packs by selling items in the Auction, or quick selling an item for your Item Binder.

What’s a Pack?

A pack contains several random items you can use 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 reward for Sets, Head to Head Events, or Ultimate 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.

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 items, if noted in their Store description.

What’s a Program?

Programs are themed content that’s roll out during the year, such as Draft or Playoff. Each program has a special group of items, Ultimate Challenges, and Sets tied to a central theme. You can filter your item searches by program in the Item Binder, Auctions, and Trades.

Play

Use the Play tab to start a game with your Madden Ultimate Team. There are many ways to play, such MUT Champions, MUT Squads, and MUT Draft, as well as Ultimate Challenges, Solo Battles, and Seasons. Solo Battles are single-player games set against CPU-controlled teams. Seasons contain Head to Head Events, Salary Cap Ranked mode, and Play a Friend mode.

Ultimate Challenges

Ultimate Challenges can be single-player or multiplayer games that you can play with your friends. There are many categories of Ultimate Challenges to play, with varying levels of difficulty and quarter lengths. Select a challenge to see all its details—some have entry requirements.

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 experience two losses. You’ll receive rewards for each win, so lock in your lineup and see how far you can go!

Salary Cap Ranked Mode

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

Store

In the Store tab, you’ll find a featured offer along with the Store and Auctions.

Store

Purchase items with the coins you’ve earned from Ultimate 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, while large pack bundles may come with a guaranteed Elite player. Visit the Store often to find limited-time promotions and sales.

What Are Points?

Points can be redeemed for bundles and special items. You can get more Pints inside the Store.

Auctions House

You can access the Auction House from the Store tab to buy and sell items with other players. Them is a great way to find the items you need or turned 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 just a few seconds left, the auction timer will add more time to the clock.

To place one of your times in an Auction, bring up the Item Viewer and chose “Auction”. You determine the duration, starting price, and buy-it-now price for our item action. Some items may be assessed with 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, or rename your team.

Roster Building

To edit your roster, go to MY TEAM> ROSTER under the Manage tab.

Lineup

Select “Adjust Lineup” to examine your Lineup. Choose a player to move up and down between specific chart positions or select a player to see possible substitutions. A quick way to get a great lineup to choose “Best Lineup” to automatically generate an optimal 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 sort your items with a drop-down list in the upper right corner. Select an item with the Item Viewer to compare, promote to starter, add to Set, auction, or quicksell that item. You can also flip through the details pages of each item, including key attributes, chemistry bonus, and description.

Sets

Sets are a great way to earn coins and item rewards from 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 Auctions to fill the Set. You’ll automatically receive the reward when the last required item is added.

MUT Draft

Once again, Madden NFL 20 brings the fantasy football experience to life with MUT Draft! 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. Here you can see the basics of MUT Draft and choose which type you’d like to play. In MUT Draft Ranked, you compete against others for the ultimate reward of becoming the next Madden Champion. You’ll compete against CPU teams in Solo Drafts.

Draft Functionality

The draft is set as 20 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. You coach’s Playbooks will be automatically selected with them.

You can begin drafting players after selecting a coach. On the first page, a player’s OVR is displayed.

Each selected player is added to your base team in the Lineup, which adjusts your team’s 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 and Equipment information, or track your status on the Progress screen.

How to Succeed in MUT

Coins, the MUT currency, are given as rewards for winning games or completing Sets. Use these coins to purchase new packs in the Store, or to bid on items in the Auction House. You can earn more Coins by completing Ultimate Challenges or selling items as well.

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 of football legacy. Prayers have an OVR, a preferred positions, contracts, and other attributes that directly affect their play on the field.

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

Team Items

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 can be used to complete Sets for Coin and item rewards. You can also quicksell some collectibles for Coins.

Head Coach

You’ll need a Head Coach before your team can take the field. 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, Online Head-to-Head is the place for you. Jump into the mix with Quick Match games and 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 20 friends are online, you can switch to an unranked game by changing the game type.

Play a Friend

If a friend is online, send an invite to challenge them to a friendly game of Madden NFL 20. 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 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 among your friends.

Stats Leaders

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

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.

SOCIAL FEATURES

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, Online Head-to-Head rankings, or Franchise league updates.

NEED HELP?

The EA Worldwide Customer Experience team is here to ensure you get the most out of your game-anytime, anywhere.

Online Support & Contact Info

For FAQs, help articles, and to contract us, please visit help.ea.com.

Twitter & Facebook Support

Need a quick tip? Reach out on Twitter to @ EAHelp or post on facebook.com/EAHelpHub/

Accessibility Resources

Madden NFL 20 Text Game Manual for Xbox One

Plain-text manual for easy text-to-speech

Read the Guide

Madden NFL 20 Blind and Visually Impaired Manual for Xbox One

Player’s Guide for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Read the Guide