Madden NFL 22 might not be officially unveiled yet, but it's a very safe bet it will be in the near future. In fact, Madden NFL 22 could be getting an announcement any day now. If and when the game does finally arrive, there is one thing Electronic Arts would be well served to keep in mind above all else. This year's game cannot afford to be just a copy-paste of last year's version, with some small tweaks here and there.
To some degree, Madden NFL 21 was in fact, mostly similar to its immediate predecessor. Fans of the long-running series tended to accept that fact because 2020 was engulfed in a pandemic and because it was a transition year to new consoles. Should EA not make significant changes to 2022's edition, it could spell trouble for the franchise's popularity moving forward. The accusations of copy-pasting last year, and following that up with another game that seems far too similar to past iterations, could even chase off some of the most loyal players.
Madden NFL 22: Setting The Tone
One thing to expect from Madden NFL 22 is that it is going to set the tone for this generation of consoles. EA might not have another shot at that. What this year's edition looks like is going to either start a turnaround when it comes to public opinion of the series, or cement what its most vocal critics have been saying for the last few years.
The good news is that if Electronic Arts is perceived as getting Madden NFL 22 right, it could spark a resurgence in popularity. The company started to show what it has in mind for the Xbox Series X/S and the PS5 with its "next-gen" upgrade after both consoles were released. On the PlayStation 5 especially, the game took advantage of the haptic feedback of the DualSense controllers. The game also did a deeper dive in analytics and that was supposed to lead to a more realistic game. Those were good first steps, but EA has to go further though.
Plenty Of Potential
The fact of the matter is that there is a solid foundation for the next installment in the series to innovate. There's plenty Madden NFL 22 could improve upon: Chief among features that needs to get some new juice is the franchise mode. Additions like expansion franchises, rather than just relocation would help. A deeper level of control of whatever team a user is playing with would help as well. Whatever changes EA chooses to bring to this mode, it seems like there has to be something and it needs to be substantial.
Face of the Franchise could also use some big changes. EA took some steps to make it different on Madden NFL 21 from its debut on Madden NFL 20. Substantive changes to this mode, could be a very good signal to the community that developers are listening to wishes and complaints. Just what the company might do to soup up modes that have been around for a while, especially Ultimate Team could legitimately set the direction of the franchise for future years.
Madden NFL 22 has not been announced yet.