10 Biggest Madden NFL 25 Differences & Changes Between Madden NFL 24

Summary

• Madden NFL 25
  improves catching mechanics, giving players more control over how they receive catches.
• Juking and spin moves are more realistic to keep gameplay grounded in
  Madden NFL 25
  .
• BOOM Tech adds skill mechanics to the Hit Stick, making tackling more interactive and rewarding.

Madden NFL 25 will be coming out soon, and the biggest question on most players’ minds is how it will be any different from Madden NFL 24. The Madden franchise has had annual releases since John Madden Football came out in 1990. How much the games change or improve over the years is somewhat inconsistent.

Some years, Madden will introduce major changes that shake things up significantly. Other times, it will feel like the only difference from one year to the next is the rosters. Luckily, it looks like Madden NFL 25‘s gameplay has made an effort to make some good changes to the gameplay experience. Whether these are enough to sell players on this year’s version will be up to them.

10 New Catching Mechanics Give Receivers More Control

Players Can Choose A Type Of Catch That Suits Their Situation

One change that Madden NFL 25 has made to previous games is in its catching mechanics for passes, where players can now choose from a few styles of catch based on their situation. A Possession Catch, for example, allows players to prioritize holding onto the ball, and ensuring they are bringing it down inside of play. Players can also choose to make a riskier one-handed catch, which may be especially effective with Madden 25‘s best Wide Receivers. This improves their catching radius but also makes them more vulnerable to dropping the ball if they are hit.

What’s nice about these added features is that they give players more control over how they receive catches. Instead of leaving things up to the receiver AI, players get to decide for themselves what the best course of action is for any given play. This can help cut down on frustration players may have felt in previous Madden games if their player stepped out of bounds, ruining an important pass.

9 Juking & Spin Moves Have Been Made More Realistic

Jukes Are Less Extreme Than In Madden NFL 24

Madden NFL 25 has made a change to the game’s juking mechanics that will likely be polarizing among players. Madden NFL 24’s jukes were very drastic and provided an unrealistic amount of lateral movement. This allowed players to pull off some wild plays with the ball carrier and gain a lot more yards than they realistically should, so Madden NFL 25 has taken steps to make the jukes more realistic. Players looking to play Madden for a more authentic football experience will likely be happy with this change, but those simply looking to pull incredible plays probably won’t be.

Madden NFL 25 has also added back in the spin move in addition to juking. The spin can be used pretty effectively and is a nice consolation for the less effective jukes, but the aim here still seems to be to keep things grounded. Though players can get pretty fancy with the spin, Madden NFL 25’s runs will still likely be less explosive than 24’s.

8 BOOM Tech Adds Skill Mechanics To The Hit Stick

Timing & Aim Is Important For Tackling With The Hit Stick

Madden NFL 25’s new BOOM Tech adds more depth to the game’s Hit Stick. Madden’s Hit Stick refers to the right joystick that players use to tackle players while on defense. This used to be a pretty shallow mechanic, with players just flicking the stick to initiate a tackle. Now, Madden NFL 25 has added a lot more depth to tackles that reward players for their aim and timing, adding a new layer to positions like Linebackers in Madden.

When using the Hit Stick, players have to make sure they are aiming it in the correct direction, and that they have good timing when using it. If a player is off on their aim or hits too early, the ball carrier will likely be able to break the tackle or avoid it entirely. Conversely, if a player lands a perfect tackle, indicated by a green circle and a “Boom” over the player’s head, it not only tackles the player but also increases the chance of a fumble.

7 Passes Provide More Feedback To Players Now

Players Get An Indication Of The Pass’ Accuracy

New to Madden NFL 25 is greater feedback about passes. When a player passes the ball, there will now be a small circle where the ball is going to land which offers some feedback on the quality of the pass. The smaller the circle, the more accurate the pass is. If the circle is more spread out, that means the pass is less accurate and could land in a wider variety of spots.

This feedback circle is also color-coded. A green circle means the pass will be easy for a player to catch, so long as they’re in the circle. A yellow circle is a bit more difficult, but still possible to catch. Red circles indicate that a pass is nearly impossible to catch, so receivers don’t need to bother too much trying to get to them. It’s nice to get extra information about passes like this, especially for players who like to manually control receivers.

6 Players Have More Options For Sliding Protection On Offense

There Are 8 Options For Adjusting The Offensive Line

When players set up on offense, they will often find they need to make some adjustments to respond to their opponent’s defense. Madden NFL 25 has given players a few more options for what to do. Players can now choose between eight options for how to change their offensive line: a full slide left or right, a half slide left or right, base, max protect, empty, and double team. This is a big step up from the only four options that were previously available.

When adjusting the offensive line, players will now also get feedback about which defenders are being covered, and which will be unopposed. This allows players to make the right decisions in the pocket, to avoid any blitzing defenders. There are also the same icons on defense, so players will know which of their linemen and linebackers are unguarded on a given play, as indicated by a small fire icon over their head.

5 Signature Player Movement Makes The Madden Look More Realistic

There have been a few aesthetic changes made in Madden NFL 25 that also set it apart from Madden NFL 24. One of these is the game’s emphasis on trying to make players look and act more realistic. Madden NFL 25 recreates the signature running and movement styles of certain athletes, so players feel like they are actually watching that player handle the ball. Players now feel more individualized, instead of the only differences being stats and basic appearance.

There was also an effort made to capture the universal ways NFL players act in Madden NFL 25. For example, if a player is running through a smaller gap on the field, they will tuck their arms in and make themselves skinny to try and squeeze through. They will also visually prioritize protecting the ball while they are close to defenders. These tiny movements might not change gameplay all that much, but they add a lot to the authentic look of the game.

4 Star-Driven Plays Focus On Getting Superstars The Ball

These Plays Prioritize A Team’s Star Players

One of the cooler additions to Madden NFL 25 is new star-driven plays. Teams now have unique plays in their playbook that are meant to prioritize getting the ball to all-star receivers and running backs. Some of these plays are based on actual plays that NFL teams run when trying to get the ball in the hands of their stars. This option is a great way for players to guarantee they are getting to play as some of their favorite players from the NFL.

Another reason this style of play is a fun addition to the game is that it helps each team be more distinct. While all teams do have their own playbooks and unique aspects, they can sometimes blend together for people playing the game more casually. These types of plays not only highlight some of the star players on each team but also help players see what sets the teams apart.

3 New Hot Route Options & Custom Stems Make Plays More Variable

Hot Routes & Custom Stems Let Players Change Up Their Offensive Plans

Madden NFL 25 seems to be putting an emphasis on more control and custom options for players during each play. One way players can see this is through the new Hot Route options. Players can now choose from a variety of new options when it comes to creating Hot Routes that are slightly different from the options from Madden NFL 24.

For example, Tight Ends now have a post option instead of a delayed fade, a slant instead of a block and release cross, and a corner route instead of a block and release flat. These types of changes have been made for all positions that run routes. This provides some fresh options for the types of plays players can switch to.

Additionally, players can now customize pass stems. This allows players to make their pass routes more well-suited to the defense’s setup, and find holes that they can exploit. This is one of the more exciting changes, because players feel like they always have options, even if the play they picked might not initially be the best match-up against the defense.

2 The Switch Stick Allows Players To Adjust Coverage On The Fly

Switch Stick Lets Defenders Change Their Routes

The ability to make quick decisions and respond to one’s opponent isn’t restricted to offense in Madden NFL 25. Thanks to the new Switch Stick feature, players can adjust a defensive player’s coverage route in response to the offense. This means that players can put double coverage on a receiver they believe is a bigger threat, or try to set up an interception if they see a good spot to switch to.

The Switch Stick is a high-risk, high-reward strategy. Players who feel like they have a good read on what to do on defense can use it effectively to help shut down plays. However, it is a completely optional feature, so players who prefer to leave defense up to their AI can feel free to ignore it if they aren’t confident in their ability to quickly change their plan. This is the type of change some players might not even notice, but those who learn how to use it effectively will be glad it exists.

Though not as extensive as the work EA Sports did with College Football 25, Madden NFL 25 also seems to be trying to step up its level of immersion. This means including things like celebrations after a big play, or showing players getting prepared before the game. These little extra bits help the game feel more like players are involved in a real NFL game, instead of simply playing a game of Madden. While all Madden games have some degree of this, 25’s new celebrations and animations are an attempt to improve on it.

Madden NFL 25 also adds two new commentary teams to help make the game more immersive. Pairs Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, and Kate Scott and Brock Huard join the game’s commentary teams to provide more unique voices and perspectives on the games. This type of change can add some nice variety to Madden NFL 25, but it’s hard to say it will be a major selling point for players who already have last year’s game.