Madden NFL 25 has plenty of new features for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series. The franchise’s latest game from EA Sports builds on previous titles. This year’s American football simulator is the most realistic it’s ever been, thanks to new and improved mechanics and some brand-new features.
EA has been very upfront about everything that it’s added into the game, from the innovative BOOM Tech to the improved physics engine. However, there are some features that aren’t as obvious to players. These more hidden aspects make Madden NFL 25 even better to play. Some of these hidden features are visual and others are mechanical, but all add to the overall excellence of the game.
10 Players Run And Celebrate Like Their Real-Life Counterparts
Realistic Motions Modeled After Real Players
Madden NFL 25 is all about realism. The game adds thousands of new animations, aiming to create the most authentic American football experience ever. To achieve this goal, the game now includes animations for athletes that are modeled after their real-world counterparts. This includes everything from the touchdown celebrations that different players are known for, down to the unique ways that some players run.
Some of these celebrations are especially wild, as imakeemmiss shares on TikTok. Even the most ridiculous celebration animations, like the Dragonball Z-inspired fusion dance, are faithfully recreated in the game. These animations are easy to miss, but they provide a great surprise when players come across them.
9 Prospect Sorting Simplifies The Scouting Process
Players No Longer Need To Spend Hours Scrolling
Madden NFL 25 has added the ability to sort through prospects when forming teams. This means that players can more easily look through players, sorting by certain stats, when scouting new team members. This long-requested update was met with much celebration from the community, since it drastically simplifies the scouting process.
In Madden NFL 24,the scouting process was time-consuming and non-intuitive. User SOULE7792 shared their troubles with it on Reddit, stating that it took them an hour to cycle through all the receivers. This is no longer an issue in Madden NFL 25, which introduces the easier sorting mechanic. Players who are used to previous games may not realize this is an option, so it’s worth being aware of this hidden feature.
8 Pre-Play Movement Adds Realism
NPCs Act Like Real People Before Matches
This feature isn’t hidden, but it’s very easy to miss. Changing NPC behavior before matches may sound like a small update, but it makes a huge difference to the overall look and feel of the game. In previous games, NPCs used the same set of animations while idling or preparing for a match. The result was unrealistic and repetitive behavior. Worse still, sometimes the animations would sync up and a chunk of the NPC would suddenly be moving in unison.
With the new pre-game animations, this will never happen again. NPC movement in Madden NFL 25 is very realistic, since modeled around real people. The result is so realistic, in fact, that it’s easy to confuse the video game with a recording of a real-life game. Reddit user rocketmadeofcheese shares one such clip, which could very easily have been from an actual football match.
7 One-Handed Catch Makes Some Awesome Highlight Reels
Not Everyone Is Thrilled About This Feature
Madden NFL 25 made many visual upgrades for this iteration of the game. Some features were added simply to improve the look and feel of the game. One of these is the one-handed catching animation. By holding down the right button and timing it, players can perform awesome one-handed catches on the run. Players could also complete this catch in some previous versions of the game, but this time around, the catches are much more impressive and realistic.
The one-handed catch is purely cosmetic, so it’s not essential to learn. However, it makes highlight reels look awesome, as ZFarls shows on YouTube. Despite this, the catch isn’t popular with everyone. Players have criticized it for being unrealistic. Actual one-handed catches are relatively rare in real matches, so it breaks the immersion a bit to have them appear in every reel. Regardless of how players feel about them, there’s no doubt that highlight reels are more eye-catching with a well-placed one-handed catch.
Road To Glory Players Can Be Imported To NFL 25
Fans who also played College Football 25 can import their Road to Glory athlete to Madden NFL 25. This allows the athlete to continue their career from college to professional football, adding an even more immersive layer to gameplay. It will also likely help fans feel more attached to certain athletes, after spending so much time with them.
Road to Glory is the game mode in College Football 25 that lets you create a player and build that athlete’s career. The ability to import players is an exciting way to integrate the two games. It lets players work through their character’s career in a realistic way, and it’s one of the coolest features in Madden NFL 25 right now.
5 Use The Chiefs’ Winning Corndog Play
It Won Them The Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers using a special play called the Corndog. This play involves the receiver running toward the scrimmage line, sprinting toward the sideline, and quickly reversing. The Chiefs are famous for this play, so it’s only natural that it appears in the game.
The winning play can be seen by chilltakes on TikTok, calling it “the greatest play in Kansas City Chiefs Franchise history.” Madden NFL 24 took note of this. Among many other plays, the game includes the Super Bowl-winning play as part of the Chiefs’ offensive playbook.
4 Switch Stick Lets Players Change Receivers Mid-Play
Defensive Play Is Improved With This Feature
The new Switch Stick feature allows players to switch things up mid-play. All this takes is a flick of the right stick in the right direction and players can change receivers easily without breaking stride.
This feature isn’t explained very well in the game, leaving some players confused about how to actually perform a Switch Stick. Tall6uy has a YouTube video showing how to do the move. This feature is one of the more hidden play options in Madden NFL 25.
3 Cheat Motions Are Allowed In Madden NFL 25
The Miami Dolphins Playbook Is A Fan Favorite
Madden NFL 25 tries to be the most realistic and authentic American football simulator. That being said, it’s still a video game, which means it allows some things that the real world doesn’t. Several types of plays that are considered illegal in the official NFL rulebook are available to play in the game.
The best cheat plays can be found in the Miami Dolphins offense playbook. In particular, the Dolphins’ Pistol offensive has a fun cheat play to take advantage of. These are available in the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X versions of the game (these can’t be played in the PS4 or Xbox One versions) and are effective, if technically illegal, ways to play. A breakdown of how to use these relatively hidden plays can be found on tdavisbrand’s YouTube tutorial for cheat plays.
2 NFL Kickoff Changes Reflect Real-Life Changes
The Rules Have Changed
The NFL updated the kickoff rules for the 2024 football season to the dynamic kickoff rules. All kickoffs now need to land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. Kicking too far or not kicking far enough results in a penalty and the kick is considered a touchback. The new rules also dictate player formation and when different athletes are allowed to move.
Players who aren’t aware of the updated rule may be surprised when they get a penalty for failing to follow it. Not only is the rule included in Madden NFL 25, but the game was actually officially used by the NFL YouTube to illustrate and explain the new rules.
1 Custom Audibles Available In All Modes
The Newest Feature Is The Easiest To Miss
When Madden NFL 25 was released, it allowed players to set audibles to adapt plays on the fly. However, these were limited to certain game modes, and couldn’t always be relied on. In a September 25 patch, detailed on the EA website, the game added the ability to save custom audibles in any mode.
Audibles can now be saved across 32 playbooks, and they can be easily switched on the go. This is a game-changing update that will enhance play both competitively and on an individual level. However, since it was added after the game launched, it might be the most hidden feature of the game. Players may simply not realize that the custom audibles feature is now part of every game mode.
Both the hidden and obvious features of Madden NFL 25 make this the most realistic American football simulator ever. Players can improve their football game by dipping into the more obscure and advanced features of the game. It helps with replayability and ensures the best experience possible.
Source: SOULE7792/Redditimakeemmiss/TikTokrocketmadeofcheese/Reddit, ZFarls/YouTube, Tall6uy/YouTube, chilltakes/TikTok, tdavisbrand /YouTube, NFL/YouTube, EA website
