Madden NFL 21, the latest title in the long-running American football series, has almost arrived. The game has had a rocky run-up to release, with many critics and fans angry at a lack of new features displayed in the trailers. While there are some additions to the classic Madden formula, most of the game modes are familiar from previous titles.
One of these modes is Madden Ultimate Team, which was first introduced way back in Madden NFL 10. Since then, the mode has gone on to be a staple in most of EA's sports titles. An online game mode, the goal of Ultimate Team is to level up a custom team with tiered trading cards, and then use it to compete online. These teams can be lead by special Captains, who improve their abilities on the field. Here's how to get one in Madden NFL 21.
Forming the Team
Captain's fulfill a vital role in Madden Ultimate Team, especially as starting teams are often very weak overall. There are four legendary NFL captains to choose from, which change from game to game. In NFL 21 they're RB Eddie George, DT La'Roi Glover, WR Ed McCaffrey, and CB Aeneas Williams.
To begin, open Ultimate Team from the main menu. Players will then be faced with a series of simple challenges arranged into a tutorial mode called Ultimate Team 101. Once the challenges are completed players will return to the Ultimate Team home screen, where they can pick their Team Captain.
Captain Tryouts
To begin the process of picking a Team Captain, players must first go through the Captain Tryouts. There are four of these that must be done in order, one for each of the captains in the game. First, Eddie George requires players to have gained 15+ yards in the drive. Next, La'Roi Glover requires players to prevent 20+ yards on the opposing team's drive.
The third captain is Ed McCaffrey, who requires players to pass for 20+ yards on the drive. The final tryout is for Aeneas Williams, requiring players to allow 15 or fewer yards on the opposing team's drive. Completing the four tryouts will unlock the Team Captain Fantasy Pack, which can be opened to pick between the four players. Once one has been selected, they will be added to the team. As a high-tier player, it's highly recommended that each team includes at least one of these legendary captains.
Madden NFL 21 releases on August 28, 2020 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One with future releases planned for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.