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Most of these changes are aimed at making things easier for gamers who are often left confused by complex and outdated systems. Still, Madden NFL 23 has a lot hiding beneath the surface, both new features that players don’t know about yet and old features that have regained relevancy.
10 Have Multiple Careers
Unlike in years past, where each career gets its own save file, gamers are able, and incentivized, to have multiple careers going at once. Want to make the best shutdown corner that the league has ever seen and then try out quarterback? Go for it.
The incentive here is that leveling one of each career path will increase the experience given to the player in The Yard. The Yard forces gamers to play multiple positions, so gamers who take advantage of these careers will be ahead of the curve.
9 Fight For Extra Yardage
Animations have been the bane of gamers for the franchise for years and the gameplay is still largely animation based. However, there are instances where the play isn’t over just because a tackle sequence has begun. During these moments, press a button (A on Xbox, X on PlayStation) to push forward.
Be careful, though, as the opponents also have a drive-back button, so the stronger player will win this battle. Additionally, they can strip the ball, so it may be better to just give up after getting engaged by a larger defenseman.
8 Strip Or Drive Back Ball Carriers
As addressed earlier, it’s not only running backs that have extra tools. Defensive players can drive back players they are locked in on instead of just letting the animation complete. With enough strength and stamina, this can drive even the best running backs backward.
For a more aggressive play, swat at the ball. For running backs fighting for extra yardage, the right bumper can potentially jar the ball loose. The tradeoff is that they can get the extra yardage during the tackle, but the chance of taking the ball away is often worth the risk.
7 Assist In Tackles And Fumbles
Additional animations have been added this year for players who come in to help on a tackle. That last lunge forward is no longer an inevitability. Even if the best defensive linemen in the game have a grip on the player, some assistance can prevent an extra yard or two.
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Even more interesting are the new ways to make players fumble. Hitting the ball while the carrier is being tackled, even inadvertently, often results in a fumble. This is especially true for sacks, so keep collapsing the pocket even as the quarterback is going down.
6 Play Ultimate Team Solo
Based on an analysis of achievements, a huge volume of players never open Madden Ultimate Team. And that is perfectly fine, obviously the whole mode can be a money trap. The word is out to the point where football fans are simply avoiding the mode entirely.
However, those who don’t feel the need to shell out tons of cash for one of the game’s best quarterbacks can still find enjoyment for free. There are plenty of single-player challenges in Madden Ultimate Team for those who enjoy casual gaming that respects the wallet.
5 Disable Injuries (Or Increase Them)
Beginners should know that there are many settings to play around with. Those in Franchise and Face of the Franchise mode should be aware that turning off injuries might greatly enhance the experience. A star player out for the year is not all that fun.
For those who embrace the chaos, the settings can also allow injuries to happen very frequently. Those confident in their depth charts might love this, especially those who have a team of bruisers ready to unload a hit stick takedown.
4 Throw To Points Instead Of Players
New this year, gamers can turn on placement passing which will target a point on the field instead of a simple player. This can take a while to get the hang of, but it comes in extremely valuable when wanting to hit a slanting player in stride or when needing a deep bomb in tight coverage.
Throwing just ahead of where the receiver is will devastate opponents, both AI-controlled and human-controlled. Mastering this style of throwing will leave opponents demanding for fixes to the game to disallow the throwing advantage.
3 Control How Well The Offensive Line Blocks
It never fails that players will have an offensive line full of beasts and be surprised at how they all let go of their blocks early. What is happening here? Why is it these great athletes suddenly catch a case of bad passing? The answer is unwittingly caused by the player.
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Hitting the right trigger to run, as quarterback or halfback, tells the offensive line to release their blocks and go upfield. That’s handy for when upfield blocking is required but a detriment behind the line of scrimmage. Hold off on sprinting until past the line.
2 Kick To Weaker Runners
Those who used this exploit last year will be happy to see it is alive and well in Madden NFL 23. On kickoffs, aim to the side, hit the Sky Kick button (Y for Xbox, triangle for PlayStation), then kick as hard as possible. The result will go to somebody other than the return man.
Best of all, they’re very unlikely to get to the 25-yard line unless they are extremely fast. Plus, since they are meant to block, these players usually have very weak running skills and are prime candidates to drop the ball early.
1 Alter The Depth Chart
The depth chart usually places the highest OVR player at that position as the starter. But, for example, what if gamers would like to have a faster player in at safety or a stronger player on the line? Go ahead and make the switch.
The smartest way to use this is to get players out of position. Sometimes, the best running back on the team is a wide receiver or the best outside linebacker is an inside linebacker. Go to the depth chart and make the change.
Madden NFL 23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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