When the latest iteration of the Mut 26 coins franchise, Madden NFL 26, originally released, it was a bit of a buggy mess, especially on the PC. As such, I waited a little bit before writing this review. Many of the worst bugs for the PC version of the game have now been fixed, which is a good thing since we are getting into the latter part of the real NFL season at this point. The biggest problem for the PC version of the game seems to be optimization, meaning that it does not seem to be able to tap fully into graphics cards, relying heavily on raw CPU power instead and leading to sluggish performances and lag. On a dedicated gaming system, Madden NFL 26 runs well enough, although load times are still atrocious even when using a solid-state hard drive. On less than a top-of-the-line gaming PC, it’s still not really playable, although you can get it to limp along. And there is no way to make it work with a Steam deck either, just in case anyone had visions of playing handheld football.
It seems like every year I end up with a big hope that the Madden NFL franchise will be good again, able to capture that old magic the title had so long ago. And every year I am disappointed. In a lot of ways, my relationship with Madden NFL kind of mirrors my experience with my favorite football team, the Washington Commanders – although I still think of them as the Washington Redskins. Back in 1991 when the Madden franchise moved to the Sega Genesis, I got the game and played it so much with my friends that the cartridge started to get worn out. Yes, the graphics were pixelated, but this was one of the only games that provided a realistic 11-man football experience. The Redskins were a force to be reckoned with back then too, winning the Superbowl against the Buffalo Bills the next year, and we played Madden NFL many times to recreate that experience. In that way, I’ve kind of won the Superbowl dozens of times.
I’m not really sure when either Madden NFL or the Redskins (now Commanders) lost their way. Now it seems like every year I pick up the latest Madden game about the same time the Commanders are in pre-season. I end up with high hopes for both, and I am always disappointed. Madden NFL, like the Commanders, is not horrible this year. But it’s far from its glory days. It’s kind of like expecting to at least be in the playoffs and ending up with another eight and eight season – not bad enough to get good draft picks but not nearly good enough to be considered a real contender.
I don’t know how to fix things for the Commanders, but in terms of buy Madden 26 coins, it seems like EA has finally realized that they need to seriously revamp and refocus their efforts. As such, in a lot of ways Madden NFL 26 kind of feels like a rebuilding year for the franchise. There are hints that the future of Madden NFL might be bright again, but it’s not there yet.