“Incredibly disappointing”: NFL fans react as EA Sports reveals Madden 26 franchise mode update

EA Sports is set to release the latest installment of the Madden NFL series next month. Electronic Arts announced the development of Madden 26 in April and will release the series' newest game next month on Aug. 14.

On Wednesday afternoon, EA Sports released a deep dive into this year's franchise mode on X, which the developers dubbed the "biggest update in years."

Fans shared mixed reactions to EA's franchise deep-dive in the comments of their X post.

"They've reskinned all that they showed, so many times. They can't fool decades-long franchise mode players. I pray you've improved the scouting feature," one fan offered.

"I haven't had fun playing a Madden game since around 2006," another fan added.

"Underwhelming as hell," a third fan commented. "Another year of everyone playing (College Football 26). No one playing Madden."

Other fans were more optimistic with their reactions to this year's Madden game.

"I'm really excited," one fan posted. "This looks really good."

"Looks interesting," another fan commented.

"This is the first time since Madden 16 that I have actually been excited for the new drop," a third fan exclaimed.

Players who purchase the MVP Bundle or pre-order the Deluxe Edition will have early access to Madden 26 on Aug. 11.

EA Sports to release College Football 26 ahead of Madden 26

Along with the release of this year's Madden 26 game, EA Sports is also set to release the newest version of College Football 26. Electronic Arts revived the series last summer with the release of College Football 25.

Last year's game shattered records, eclipsing 2.8 million players at the launch on July 19. College Football 25 became the best-selling sports video game of all time in the United States.

This year's game will include the head coaches for each FBS program and will be released on July 10. Early access will be available on July 7 for players who order the Deluxe Edition.