It’s the end of September and most of the issues that made Madden franchise mode a promising but frustrating experience have been fixed. On Tuesday, EA dropped an alert for a new patch coming on Wednesday, September 30. The focus is on gameplay, dynamic salary cap and more CPU roster management. All of those areas need attention, but there’s one area that is still being neglected. Let’s talk Madden.

Madden 27 Sept. 30 Title Update

EA is touching the game clock in this update, which sits oddly beside what it has already conceded. In the September 16 notes, the Franchise team named three areas still unresolved — CPU salary-cap recovery, CPU roster depth at specific positions, and CPU draft-trade execution in simulated drafts — and carried a standing note on CPU decision-making. That last one is the category no patch has addressed yet.

The trouble area of gameplay that impacts almost every single-player experience is the CPU’s late-game strategy and execution. Too often I’m left wondering why a QB, head coach, wide receiver or running back would make the decisions they’re making. Whether it’s the end of a half or the game, there’s almost always gross time mismanagement and egregious play-calling. Don’t get me wrong.

I like winning games, but it breaks immersion when you win because the CPU failed to run out of bounds when they obviously needed to. It’s not great to see plays called that put the ball in the middle of the field even though the CPU team is up against the clock. There are other instances, but in totality, the CPU makes bad decisions when it has to factor in time, down and distance.

What EA Says Is Still Open

Per the September 16 Gridiron Notes.

  • Madden 27 Patch Notes: New Update Targets Gameplay and Franchise Mode
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