Madden 25 Gameplay Might Be More Dynamic Than Ever Before

The march towards Madden 25 continues, and the latest gameplay reveal is highlighting some major upgrades. While some of it had been glimpsed in the earlier trailer, a new deep dive has broken down how different gameplay will be this year compared to even last year's steps forward. Madden 25 looks to be utilizing some of the same things that are bringing College Football 25 success, but they're also bringing some unique NFL style improvements. 

Madden 25 gameplay reveal showcases dynamic animation physics and Hit Stick upgrade

While many players are still buried in College Football 25 with that franchise making a triumphant return, it's already time to keep your eyes on Madden 25. If they can deliver on everything showcased in the latest gameplay reveal, we could be due for the best Madden in years. EA Sports dropped a breakdown of the colorfully nicknamed BOOM Tech, and this combination of physics with new branching animations could mark a major step forward for the franchise.

The system is anchored by "physics-based tackles," a new "physics-driven ball carrier balance and recovery system," and capped off by a huge improvement to the Hit Stick mechanic that has anchored the series for two decades. There's now a completely new skill mechanic built into Hit Stick that uses the timing of your Hit Stick as well as the angle at which you move the stick to determine the quality of each attempt.

Similarly, they've stepped up things on the offensive side by creating a branching animation system where you can essentially string together player moves like spins, jukes, and hesi steps into a combo to evade defenders. Even catching mechanics are seeing a key change, as they've added a Spectacular Catch button (on top of existing Aggressive, Possession, and RAC buttons) and given players the option to switch types mid-catch to branch between them.

Presentation is seeing some upgrades with signature player animations, new sounds to go with the Hit Stick changes, and line of scrimmage animations that will mimic the same shouted calls and hand signals seen in the NFL. That last one pairs with new offensive line adjustment options, so strategic players will have even more control over making tiny changes to confuse opponents at the line of scrimmage.

Finally, they've tacked on the new NFL kickoff rules, added plays like the Chiefs Corn Dog and Miami Orbi Motions, and their new developmental tool for testing plays will allow new ones that appear in NFL games this year to be added to playbooks in updates during the season. You can find the extended deep dive here which also confirms some of the new player abilities that'll pair with this year's upgrades. The success of College Football 25 has put plenty of pressure on Madden 25 to deliver, but these upgrades could actually deliver on that hype.