Madden NFL 24 - Superstar Deep Dive

Hey Madden fans!

Welcome back to Gridiron Notes! Today, we are covering the new Superstar experience in Madden NFL 24! Let's take a deep dive into all the new features and updates that create the modern version of Superstar.

Before we get started, here’s a special Deep Dive video straight from our development team:

Note: Superstar modes & features are not available on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One versions.

Superstar is Back!

When looking at feedback our players have given us in response to career modes over the past several years, it’s clear that the career experience Madden gamers want most is Superstar - a career mode with NFL football as its core, gameplay as the focus of the mode and deep progression. Some specific characteristics of the beloved Superstar mode that players told us were important to them, such as a playable NFL Combine, on-field feedback and off-field perks are just a few of the features in Madden NFL 24’s modernized Superstar, where you, the player, can live your dreams as an NFL Superstar.

NFL Combine

The journey to stardom begins with you as a rookie, entering the NFL draft as a QB, RB, WR, LB or CB, with Coach Prime, Deion Sanders as your mentor. We’ve brought back a modernized version of a playable NFL Combine to get you started on your journey, giving you a chance to showcase your skills in mini-games like the 40-yard dash, bench press, broad jump, and 3-cone shuttle.

The Impact of Combine Rankings

• Your performance in each combine drill will impact your draft stock, especially where you rank in each drill compared to your peers from the real-life 2023 NFL Combine. It will also determine what rewards you will earn that can be applied to improve your ratings prior to the draft.
• Your starting ratings, based on the archetype chosen at avatar creation, will determine your range of possible outcomes for each combine drill - a small, agile running back will be more likely to excel at the 40-yard dash and 3-cone drill than a big, bruising back, who’s more likely to excel at the bench press, for example.
• After completing the combine mini-games, you’ll compete in position-specific drills that will increase or decrease your position in the draft. The pressure is on to shine and secure the bag as a projected top-10 NFL Draft pick.
• Coming out of the Combine, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in the Combine Interview - a nod to Superstar modes from the past - where you’ll answer timed, football-themed trivia questions that will further dial in your actual draft position - the more questions answered correctly, the higher you may raise on draft boards.
• After completing the combine, the next stop is the NFL Draft, where your draft position is based on your overall performance at the Combine, and the positional needs of each team (there’s also an override setting in the initial League set-up that will allow you choose any team you’d like if you want to skip the draft process). As a member of the 2023 Draft Class, you’ll be drafted by teams in the biggest need of your position based on team needs prior to the 2023 NFL Draft.

On-Field Performance Matters

Any NFL player will tell you - getting drafted is not the destination, but the beginning of the journey. After you sign your rookie contract, every game, every quarter, every rep matters, and to that end, Madden NFL 24 introduces an all-new in-game Player Grading system, exclusive to Superstar, that provides real-time feedback on your performance as you play your reps.

• These dynamic evaluations will highlight how well you are doing your job each snap, emphasizing the importance of making the right moves at the right time, and the grade achieved on each drive will determine the amount of your rewards to increase ratings and start equipping abilities. Here’s a few examples of actions tracked via Player Grading:
  • Quarterback: Throw to Open/Covered Receiver
  • Wide Receiver: Call for Ball when Open/Covered
  • Running Back: Fake Out/Tackled for Loss
  • LB: Hit Stick/Faked Out
  • DB: Good Man Coverage/Allowed Man Completion

Superstar Missions

Another new addition is the Superstar Missions system, providing a comprehensive quest log to give you control over which objectives you want to focus on next, and which rewards you want to chase. These objectives include game goals, season objectives, career milestones, and there’s even a few other off-the-field surprises you’ll find as you play deeper through your career.

• You can decide which objectives to pursue and will be rewarded accordingly once they are completed.
• Missions includes on-field stat-based missions, career milestones and records, team win/loss objectives, and even extends to off-field opportunities: if you’re performing like the Superstar everybody thinks you can be, brand missions will be available, offering the opportunity to become brand ambassadors for iconic names like Nike, Jordan Brand, and Adidas. The better you play, the more gear you’ll unlock.

Social Media Reactions

Off the field, your weekly stories and beats will be featured in the new Social Media feed, which was added on top of a revamped league news feed inside of Superstar.

• Social Media reactions will be centered around YOU - you’ll see reactions about how you played in your last game, your stats, decisions you’re making off the field, and other relevant league news from a host of NFL insiders, including Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky.

The Social Media feed is also where the new MaddenCast will appear - a new live-action video podcast bringing unique commentary about you as a player, hosted by NFL Legends Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder - whether you’re playing great, or not so great, these guys won’t hesitate to keep it real about what’s going on in your career.

Side Activities and Mini-Games

To grow your Superstar status off the field, you can choose to participate in Side Activities, offering a weekly calendar of various opportunities to boost you or your team’s ratings, including: Community Events, training, rest and recovery, and a returning favorite in Madden, Mini-Games. That’s right, every week you’ll have the option to hit the practice field and boost your ratings by playing position-relevant mini-games such as Rushing Attack, Passing Skeleton and WR/DB Battle, among all the others coming back to Madden NFL 24.

A New Way To Play: Superstar Showdown

Bring your superstar and compete with, and against, other Superstars from around the world in the all-new Superstar Showdown - our new fast-paced 3 vs. 3 football mode where you can showcase and continue to progress your players alongside your friends.

• Show off your skills, gear and personality as you take your place on the flashiest stage in virtual football. The Showdown Arena puts your Superstar in the spotlight with hi-tech features like emissive gear, glowing field-art and reactive jumbotron end-zone.
• A new 3v3 twist on gameplay gets you in and out of the action faster - with no play-call screen, no first downs and a fast-to-fun ‘First to 21’ scoring format, games are shorter and more exciting.
• Player Grading is also used in Showdown, but tailored to fit the unique style of the mode, ensuring that your game rewards match the distinct on-field mechanics of all the different Superstar ways to play.
• Level up your Superstar while earning exclusive gear and boosts in Superstar Ranked; 1v1 battles are available in Solo Ranked; or team up with other Superstars in Squads Ranked. Each event features its own leaderboard and unique ranking path with different rewards.
• Superstar Showdown will be fresh all season with live events - so be on the lookout for new experiences and different game rules all year long.

Progression and Customization

Madden NFL 24 has completely revamped the character power and progression experience for Superstar, and unified the progression path so that no matter where you play across League and Showdown, you’re always earning rewards and upgrading all of your individual Superstars.

• Each playable position has its own unique avatar and progression path, allowing you to customize both the visuals and on-field impact of each one of your superstar characters.
• Your avatar’s body type affects both the physical ratings, such as speed and strength, and your position-specific ratings, such as throw-power and throw-on-the-run.
• All new to Madden NFL 24 is the Tiered Ability system, that ties ratings into on-field actions and stats, and rewards you with higher tiers of abilities as you increase both your ratings and successful reps on the field. For example, as a QB with the ‘Deep Throw Elite’ ability equipped, you can upgrade your Deep Throw Elite ability by increasing your deep-throw-accuracy rating, and successfully completing more deep throws in gameplay. You can mix and match abilities of different tiers to customize and experiment with all different types of builds for your superstar.

• Take your Showdown performance to the next level by improving your non-position specific Showdown skills. As a traditional offensive player in the League, for example, make tackles, play coverage and catch passes inside Showdown as a 2-way player to earn permanent upgrades to these ratings to dominate in Showdown regardless of where you line up on the field.
• Combining all the new progression features with all-new Custom Emotes and Celebration animations, you’ll not just be winning but doing it in style. The play may end when the whistle blows, but the real games begin after the play to see who has the coolest drip and celebrations.