We know the new cover athlete of Madden NFL 25 will be superstar Christian McCaffrey. The San Francisco 49ers running back is the first at his position to have the honor since Barry Sanders (of, yes, the 2014 version of Madden also known as Madden 25). But, what about the actual features of the game? Was there anything worth noting? Here are some of the new features that stood out to me.

New Commentary Teams

I’ll speak for myself: I never got to play the new versions of Madden until only a few years ago. Through my four years of high school and my first few years of college, I was stuck playing with Madden NFL 16 on the PlayStation 3. That is, until I got my hands on my first next-gen console in 2021: the PlayStation 4.

So, for the first time, I got to experience the new features of Madden I never had a chance to. That included the new commentary team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis. For years, I was stuck with hearing Jim Nantz and Phil Simms (nothing wrong with that, of course). It was great to hear new voices blare through my television.

But, fast forward to now, and after buying every year’s version of the game for a while now, I got tired of hearing the two gentlemen say the same things over and over. Would EA Sports ever bring something new to the table when it came to commentary?

They answered the call. Two commentary teams will join Gaudin and Davis as duos in the booth. It’s unclear if users get to choose who will commentate the games (although it will likely be at random or a certain duo gets particular games). Regardless, it will be refreshing to hear new voices blare through my television/headphones.

New Ball Carrier Moves + “Boom Tech”

Source: PlayStation.com

In terms of McCaffery, it’s perfect he’s the cover athlete. The new Madden will feature new ball carrier moves that will allow users to really feel in control of the players. Depending on the players’ attributes such as juke and spin moves, the animations and their effect in the game will be interesting to experience.

Madden is also going to have a new feature called “Boom Tech”, a concept whose effect will be felt heavily on defense.

The hit stick feature and its results will be based on the players’ ratings, speed, strength, and other factors. It allows users to land “perfect” hit sticks against the opposing team, making it a skill-based mechanic that users will have fun figuring out and pulling off.

Roger Goodell Will Be In The Game

The commissioner will make an appearance for the first time in the Madden series. Although it will just be in franchise mode, the draft just got more appealing.

New Kickoff Rules In The Game

This upcoming season, the NFL will incorporate its new kickoff rules. Of course, Madden wants users to have a realistic experience. So, the game will have the new rules as well.

For those who need a refresher, here is what the new kickoff will look like in 2024.

These and other new features will be involved in Madden NFL 25. Whether you think they’re big or small changes, is up to you. In the end, the four aforementioned things stood out to me about the new game. One that I am excited to get my hands on.

Make sure to visit Belly Up Sports every week and follow me on Twitter/X! Also, check out me and my co-host Brian Germinaro on the Third and Ten Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts!

Featured Image: PlayStation.com

About Author

Nathan Nguyen

My name is Nathan Nguyen, a college student from the beautiful state of California. I cover the three major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB) for Belly Up Sports. Outside of my writing, I host the 3rd and 10 Podcast: an NFL show with a focus on the New York Giants. We are live every Monday and Thursday at 1 PM EST on YouTube. I also host the Piggin’ Out Podcast, which is live every Tuesday at 7 PM EST on the Belly Up Sports YouTube channel. Finally, I am one of the four members of the Korner Booth Podcast, and we are live every Monday and Thursday at 7 pm EST.

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