Madden NFL 25has plenty of new features for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series. The franchise’s latest game from EA Sports builds on previous titles. This year’s American football simulator is the most realistic it’s ever been, thanks to new and improved mechanics and some brand-new features.

EA has been very upfront about everything that it’s added into the game, from theinnovative BOOM Tech to the improved physics engine.However, there are some features that aren’t as obvious to players. These more hidden aspectsmakeMadden NFL 25even betterto play. Some of these hidden features are visual and others are mechanical, but all add to the overall excellence of the game.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs looking into the distance in Madden 25.

10Players Run And Celebrate Like Their Real-Life Counterparts

Realistic Motions Modeled After Real Players

Madden NFL 25is all about realism. The game adds thousands of new animations, aiming to create the most authentic American football experience ever. To achieve this goal, the game now includes animations for athletes that are modeled after their real-world counterparts. This includes everything from thetouchdown celebrations that different players are known for, down to the unique ways that some players run.

Some of these celebrations are especially wild, as imakeemmiss shares onTikTok. Even the most ridiculous celebration animations, like theDragonball Z-inspired fusion dance, are faithfully recreated in the game. These animations are easy to miss, but they provide a great surprise when players come across them.

Players from Madden NFL 25 running towards the camera while holding footballs.

9Prospect Sorting Simplifies The Scouting Process

Players No Longer Need To Spend Hours Scrolling

Madden NFL 25has added the ability to sort through prospects when forming teams. This means that players can more easily look through players, sorting by certain stats, when scouting new team members. This long-requested update was met with much celebration from the community, since itdrastically simplifies the scouting process.

InMadden NFL 24,the scouting process was time-consuming and non-intuitive.User SOULE7792 shared their troubles with it onReddit, stating that it took them an hour to cycle through all the receivers. This is no longer an issue inMadden NFL 25,which introduces the easier sorting mechanic. Players who are used to previous games may not realize this is an option, so it’s worth being aware of this hidden feature.

Madden NFL 25 gameplay footage of a player jumping over another with a football.

8Pre-Play Movement Adds Realism

NPCs Act Like Real People Before Matches

This feature isn’t hidden, but it’s very easy to miss. Changing NPC behavior before matches may sound like a small update, but itmakes a huge difference to the overall look and feel of the game.In previous games, NPCs used the same set of animations while idling or preparing for a match. The result was unrealistic and repetitive behavior. Worse still, sometimes the animations would sync up and a chunk of the NPC would suddenly be moving in unison.

One Madden NFL 25 Mechanic Will Completely Change Your Passing Game

One new passing mechanic in Madden NFL 25 may seem small at first but has the potential to completely revamp how passing plays in the franchise.

With the new pre-game animations, this will never happen again. NPC movement inMadden NFL 25isvery realistic, since modeled around real people.The result is so realistic, in fact, that it’s easy to confuse the video game with a recording of a real-life game.Reddituser rocketmadeofcheese shares one such clip, which could very easily have been from an actual football match.

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7One-Handed Catch Makes Some Awesome Highlight Reels

Not Everyone Is Thrilled About This Feature

Madden NFL 25made many visual upgrades for this iteration of the game. Some features were added simply to improve the look and feel of the game. One of these is the one-handed catching animation. By holding down the right button and timing it,players can perform awesome one-handed catches on the run.Players could also complete this catch in some previous versions of the game, but this time around, the catches are much more impressive and realistic.

The one-handed catch is purely cosmetic, so it’s not essential to learn. However, it makes highlight reels look awesome, as ZFarls shows onYouTube. Despite this, the catch isn’t popular with everyone. Players have criticized it for being unrealistic.Actual one-handed catches are relatively rare in real matches, so it breaks the immersion a bit to have them appear in every reel. Regardless of how players feel about them, there’s no doubt that highlight reels are more eye-catching with a well-placed one-handed catch.

6Transfer Players From College Football 25

Fans who alsoplayedCollege Football 25can import their Road to Glory athlete toMadden NFL 25.This allows the athlete to continue their career from college to professional football, adding an even more immersive layer to gameplay. It will also likely help fans feel more attached to certain athletes, after spending so much time with them.

Road to Glory is the game mode inCollege Football 25that lets you create a player and build that athlete’s career. The ability to import players is an exciting way to integrate the two games. It lets players work through their character’s career in a realistic way, and it’s one of the coolest features inMadden NFL 25right now.

5Use The Chiefs' Winning Corndog Play

It Won Them The Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ersusing a special play called the Corndog.This play involves the receiver running toward the scrimmage line, sprinting toward the sideline, and quickly reversing. The Chiefs are famous for this play, so it’s only natural that it appears in the game.

10 Biggest Madden NFL 25 Franchise Mode Changes & Differences From Madden 24

Madden 25 makes sweeping changes to the series’ recurring Franchise Mode, improving realism and user interface to create a dynamic simulation.

The winning play can be seen by chilltakes onTikTok, calling it “the greatest play in Kansas City Chiefs Franchise history.“Madden NFL 24took note of this. Among many other plays,the game includes the Super Bowl-winning playas part of theChiefs' offensive playbook.

4Switch Stick Lets Players Change Receivers Mid-Play

Defensive Play Is Improved With This Feature

The new Switch Stick feature allows players to switch things up mid-play. All this takes is a flick of the right stick in the right direction and players can change receivers easily without breaking stride.

This feature isn’t explained very well in the game, leaving some players confused about how to actually perform a Switch Stick. Tall6uy has aYouTubevideo showing how to do the move. This feature is one of the more hidden play options inMadden NFL 25.

3Cheat Motions Are Allowed In Madden NFL 25

The Miami Dolphins Playbook Is A Fan Favorite

Madden NFL 25tries to be the most realistic and authentic American football simulator. That being said, it’s still a video game, which means it allows some things that the real world doesn’t. Several types of plays that are considered illegal in the official NFL rulebook areavailable to play in the game.

The best cheat plays can be found inthe Miami Dolphins offense playbook.In particular, the Dolphins' Pistol offensive has a fun cheat play to take advantage of. These are available in thePS5 and Xbox Series S|X versionsof the game (these can’t be played in the PS4 or Xbox One versions) and are effective, if technically illegal, ways to play. A breakdown of how to use these relatively hidden plays can be found on tdavisbrand’sYouTubetutorial for cheat plays.

2NFL Kickoff Changes Reflect Real-Life Changes

The Rules Have Changed

The NFL updated the kickoff rulesfor the 2024 football season to the dynamic kickoff rules. All kickoffs now need to land between the goal line and the 20-yard line. Kicking too far or not kicking far enough results in a penalty and the kick is considered a touchback. The new rules also dictate player formation and when different athletes are allowed to move.

Who The Best Wide Receivers In Madden NFL 25 Are

EA Sports recently released their list of player rankings for each position. The rankings for Wide Receivers are out and have been under scrutiny.

Players who aren’t aware of the updated rule may be surprised when they get a penalty for failing to follow it. Not only is the rule included inMadden NFL 25, but the game was actually officially used by the NFLYouTubeto illustrate and explain the new rules.

1Custom Audibles Available In All Modes

The Newest Feature Is The Easiest To Miss

WhenMadden NFL 25was released, it allowed players to set audibles to adapt plays on the fly. However, these were limited to certain game modes, and couldn’t always be relied on. In a September 25 patch, detailed on theEAwebsite, the gameadded the ability to save custom audibles in any mode.

Audibles can now be saved across 32 playbooks, and they can be easily switched on the go. This is a game-changing update that will enhance play both competitively and on an individual level. However, since it was added after the game launched, it might be the most hidden feature of the game. Players may simply not realize that the custom audibles feature is now part of every game mode.

Both the hidden and obvious features ofMadden NFL 25make this the most realistic American football simulator ever. Players can improve their football game by dipping into the more obscure and advanced features of the game. It helps with replayability and ensures the best experience possible.

Source:SOULE7792/Redditimakeemmiss/TikTokrocketmadeofcheese/Reddit,ZFarls/YouTube,Tall6uy/YouTube,chilltakes/TikTok,tdavisbrand /YouTube,NFL/YouTube,EA website