"It’s about damn time tbh" - NFL fans react to Madden 26's leaked gameplay showing new graphics

Madden 26 is here - or at least, its first major preview is. On Tuesday, Electronic Arts released a deep dive video about the gameplay of its long-standing gridiron franchise's latest installment:

What piqued the interest of many was Madden 26's upgraded graphics, which drew a reaction from former quarterback Kurt Benkert, among others:

Other fans expressed their relief at getting what they saw as a much-needed technical overhaul:

Alex

@alexdiggler

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It’s about damn time tbh

"First graphical leap in a madden game in like 5 years lmao," one ridiculed.

"Might be worth it this year," another salivated.

"That shit looks real," another gushed.

"People can keep coping and stuff, but you can definitely see a difference here," another insisted.

Madden 26 will be released on August 14, 2025, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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New features of Madden 26, explained

Carrying the tagline "Built from Sundays", Madden NFL 26 aims to "make each Sunday feel different." The first component of this is "QB DNA", which significantly expands quarterback gameplay.

Among the components of this feature are eight new ball holds:

• Gunslinger
• Gunslinger One Hand
• Gunslinger Mid
• Gunslinger One Hand Low
• Two-Hand Middle
• Two-Hand Middle Back
• Two-Hand Middle Below Chin
• Two-Hand Low

New idle animations from the pocket have also been incorporated to ensure that QBs will bounce on their feet more and/or pat the ball while actively looking around the field for open targets.

Certain players have also received signature passes - those that only they can perform. The more mobile ones, like Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, will also receive signature run cycles, expanding from a concept introduced to select running backs in Madden 25.

Also new are Field Vision, which determines a quarterback's line of sight relative to his height; and Traits, which afford certain attributes to perform a certain type of move (different types of passes for quarterbacks or catches for receivers).

Coach's DNA, meanwhile, sees improvements to the coaching aspect of the game, using input from real-life coaches to make suggestions on play calls. Finally, Football Weather dynamically changes the pace of gameplay depending on the weather - for instance, players will move more slowly and cautiously in the snow and rain, while cold-weather teams like the Buffalo Bills will tire faster when playing in a hotter climate like Jacksonville.