‘Madden 19’ Officially Announced, Gets Xbox One/PlayStation 4 Launch Date
The latest entry in the long-running “Madden” franchise will launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on Aug. 10, publisher Electronic Arts announced on Friday.
“Building on the success of last season, ‘Madden 19’ is set to provide a new level of control to more game modes to make this the best season in franchise history,” EA Sports writer Daniel Williams said in a post on Xbox Wire.
This season’s biggest additions include Real Player Motion (RPM), which creates more realistic character movements and animations. It allows players to do things like push blockers to gain more yards and make quick, realistic cuts up-field after the catch.
A popular game mode called Madden Ultimate Team is getting some improvements. MUT Squads is back and lets players engage in online three vs. three matchups, while Solo Battles is a leaderboard-driven reward system that compares a player’s performances in daily single-player challenges.
“Madden” staple Connected Franchise mode is getting an update, too. Now, managers can set a team’s scheme and game plan via Player Positional Archetypes and recruit athletes with specific skill sets to fit. A roster and scheme that matches well will earn more XP and award skill points to spend on specific skill sets.
There’s no word yet on whether or not “Madden 19” will include a story mode like last year’s Longshot, which was nominated for outstanding achievement in video game writing at the 2017 Writers Guild of America Awards.
“Madden” creative director Rex Dickson left EA earlier this month. In a Twitter statement, he hinted at a “new direction” for the series.
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