Madden 20 October Title Update: Major Changes Announced

EA Sports has released the latest title update for Madden 20, and it includes a number of major and minor improvements.

Some of the updates include cosmetic updates for stadiums, accurate Super Bowl locations, pass leading tuning adjustments, and more.

[RELATED: Madden 20 Review]

Also fixed is the Madden 19 logo in the practice stadium being updated to Madden 20 as well as the missing kicking meter bug that affected a number of players in Franchise Mode.

Full patch notes can be found below.

Full October Title Update:

• Chargers WR Keenan Allen has been upgraded to Superstar X-Factor from Superstar, replacing Free Agent WR Antonio Brown
  • Allen’s Equipped Abilities:
    • X-Factor – ‘RAC ‘em Up’ – Wins contested RAC catches vs. single coverage when in the zone
    • Additional Superstar ability – ‘Slot-o-Matic’ – improved route running and catching when running short routes from the slot position
• Full, On-Field player control has been added for Franchise players. In Face of the Franchise: QB1, this is the new default mode during NFL games. For Franchise-Player mode players, the default is set to off, but can be enabled in League settings. This allows player-locked users to have more control over their experience behind the sticks.
  • DEV NOTE: We’re rolling this out for Offline games and Cloud games against CPU to start with, while working towards enabling it for Cloud Head-to-Head games in a future title update.
• Franchise News Story updates
  • DEV NOTE:  This is the first portion of a complete revamp to the Franchise News system. We are placing much more emphasis on: big games between good teams; realistic reactions to interesting results from the week; the Super Bowl match-up; and more news posts per season. More updates like this are coming in future title updates. 
• New game-day stories and challenges have been added for Franchise users
  • DEV NOTE:  The scenario engine that we introduced in Madden 20 allows us to add more unique game day challenges and rewards for our users via title update. We’ll continue to build on this system, adding new criteria, dynamic situations, and rewards. Details on what kind of stories you’ll see are in the Franchise section, below. 
• Added functionality for generated rookies to earn and equip abilities in new and existing Franchise leagues
  • DEV NOTE:  Missing this was most noticeable when we launched the offensive line abilities in an earlier title update and this is the follow up to fixing that issue.

Global Updates

• General Stability and Connectivity improvements
• NFL Player & Coach Likeness updates:
  • Titans OT Taylor Lewan
  • Giants QB Daniel Jones
  • Browns TE David Njoku
  • Packers DL Kenny Moore
  • Packers TE Jace Sternberger
  • Colts WR Parris Campbell
  • Patriots RB Damien Harris
  • Ravens RB Justice Hill
  • Chargers FS Adrian Phillips
  • Chargers CB Nasir Adderley
  • Jets WR Robby Anderson
  • Cowboys WR Devin White
  • Lions DE DaShawn Hand
  • Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay
  • Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow
  • Steelers MLB Devin Bush
  • Free Agent WR Michael Crabtree
  • Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel
  • Superstar: KO Coach Emmitt Smith
• Uniform Detail Updates:
  • Updates to current and/or classic uniforms for Vikings, Dolphins, Bills, Titans, Panthers, Eagles, Browns
• Stadium/Field Updates:
  • Updated home field/endzone art for Colts, Browns, 49ers, Cowboys, Bears
  • Updated stadium details for Eagles, Ravens, Patriots, Cardinals, Lions, Falcons
  • Updated EA Madden NFL logo in Practice stadium
• DEV NOTE: The high volume of changes to uniforms, stadiums and fields in this update has prevented us from listing each one out individually so that we can keep the notes relatively brief. If you want more precise details about some of these updates, be sure to follow Madden NFL Developer Dustin Smith on Twitter @Equipment_Guru.

Franchise Updates

• Added ‘Full On-Field Control’ option for Offline Franchise and Face of the Franchise: QB1 leagues
• Fixed issue causing hidden dev-trait snap count to reset on the player card in leagues using the ‘Active Roster’ option
• Added X-Factor Database view to Franchise modes, which allows players to see which Superstars and Superstar X-Factors are on each team in the league, allowing players to scout their competition before gameday
• Added new League settings for minimum roster size and off-season roster cut limits
  • DEV NOTE: We hope league commissioners find these new settings useful and that they help prevent problems in multi-user leagues  
    • Offseason Player OVR Cut-Limit setting can toggle between OVR restrictions 60, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 99 so that disgruntled team owners will not be allowed to cut/release players above the limit
    • Player OVR Restrictions setting applies only during year 1 Preseason week 1 through year 2 preseason week 1
    • In-season player-movement limit setting can be toggled between 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 20 and unlimited
    • In-season movement limit is for the 1st week of the regular season through the week of the Superbowl; Trading and releasing players count towards the in-season move limit
• Fixed an issue causing some formations to be flipped in Formation Subs menu
• Fixed an issue preventing the Formation Subs screen from updating when changing the playbook on the Schemes screen
• Fixed an issue preventing a Superstar ability from unlocking when the player’s OVR didn’t match the criteria
• Replaced the ‘Preseason Taylor Bennett introduction’ for new Coach leagues with a new introduction conversation about Development traits
• Updated future Superbowl Stadiums in newly created leagues:
  • 2020 South Florida, Hard Rock Stadium SB 54
  • 2021 Tampa, Raymond James Stadium, SB 55
  • 2022 Los Angeles, Los Angeles Stadium SB 56
  • 2023 Glendale, University of Phoenix Stadium, SB 57
  • 2024 New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, SB 58
• Fixed an issue causing user-controlled players that were retired to then be available in the Free Agent pool
• Updated scenario trigger conditions for ‘Frustrated Player’ stories
• Fixed issues causing bad text to display when Jack Ford would reach out after a Superbowl game
• Increased XP rewards for Coaches from ‘Boss Battle’ scenarios
• Adjusted the rating and attribute rewards for completing scenarios
• Updated FSU coach in Face of the Franchise: QB1 college games
• Fixed a typo in the popup message when attempting to make an offer higher that would go above the salary cap
• Fixed an issue causing OVRs on the front end to be wildly different than the OVRs in Franchise team-selection
  • DEV NOTE: Franchise calculations use a different formula to calculate OVR and while we keep these rating-spreads similar, there will be some intentional differences so they will not match exactly
• Fixed incorrect text regarding defensive playbooks for Dolphins, Chiefs, Cardinals, and Jets
• Fixed an issue preventing the roster screen from updating after editing a player in Offline leagues
• Updated the analysis section of the player card to display correct “top NN%” at the position“
• Fixed an issue causing CPU teams using 3-4 coach schemes to cut too many MLB’s
• The Load Franchise button will be at the top of the More Options list (for Offline, Cloud, and Face of the Franchise screens) once a league has been created
• Fixed an issue in the Draft Class editor where big players had skinny arms
• Fixed an issue where the Top NFL Draft Prospect shows up as True Talent rank “0”
• Fixed an issue when starting a new league using a specific week and Real-life rosters, the week’s number would be off by one
• New game-day stories and challenges have been added:
  • New Break-Out Scenario Arcs in Franchise-Coach Mode
    • Break-Out X-Factor Defensive Tackle: In Franchise Mode while playing as a Coach, a Superstar Defensive Tackle on the user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor DT based on in-game performance
    • Break-Out X-Factor Linebacker: In Franchise Mode while playing as a Coach, a Superstar Linebacker on the user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor LB based on in-game performance
    • Break-Out X-Factor Defensive Back: In Franchise Mode while playing as a Coach, a Superstar Defensive Back on the user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor DB based on in-game performance
    • Break-Out Superstar Linebacker: In Franchise Mode while playing as a Coach, a Linebacker with the Star Development Trait on the user’s team has a chance to gain the Star Development Trait based on in-game performance
    • Break-Out X-Factor Receiver: In Franchise Mode while playing as a Coach, a Superstar Receiver on the user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor based on in-game performance
    • Break-Out X-Factor Running Back: In Franchise Mode while playing as a Coach, a Superstar Running Back on the user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor RB based on in-game performance
  • New Break-Out Scenario Arcs in QB1 and Franchise (Player-Locked) Mode
    • Break-Out X-Factor Running Back: In Face of Franchise and Player-Locked Franchise Modes, a Superstar Running Back on the  user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor RB based on  in-game performance
    • Break-Out X-Factor Receiver: In Face of Franchise and Player-Locked Franchise Modes, a Superstar Receiver on the user’s team has a chance to become a Superstar X-Factor based on in-game performance
    • Break-Out Superstar Running Back: In Face of Franchise and Player-Locked Franchise Modes, a Running Back with the Star Development Trait on the user’s team has a chance to gain the Superstar Development Trait based on in-game performance
  • New Playoff Content
    • Win One for the Veteran: Under certain circumstances in Coach Mode, a team decides to rally around a veteran leader in the playoffs
    • Playoff Clinch Notification: In Coach Mode, a team is notified when they clinch a playoff berth
    • Playoff Decision – Rest or Momentum: In Coach Mode, if a user clinches a top playoff seed before Week 17, the user makes a choice between resting his team or preserving momentum going into the playoffs
  • Other New Content
    • Preseason QB Mentor: In Coach Mode, a team with an older, veteran QB has an opportunity to improve younger players on the roster

Presentation Updates

• Fixed an issue preventing the kick meter from appearing late in games for Franchise players when using longer quarter lengths
  • DEV NOTE: We know this bug has been impacting some Franchise players since launch and we’ve been working on it from our end just as long. We finally found the cause of this problem, which was hitting a max limit of in-game graphical feedback elements. This limit could only be reached in games with exceptionally long quarter lengths and explains why the kick meter would tend to go away in the fourth quarter. 
• Various commentary updates
• X-Factor loading screen & database updates
• Fixed an issue causing the QB Pre-Play ‘speaker’ graphic to appear under players other than the QB
• Tuning to coach cam to avoid the camera from constantly resetting when spamming pre-snap mechanics
• Fixed an issue causing players to appear with the incorrect helmet after trading them on the main menu
• Fixed an issue sometimes causing sideline props to disappear in specific cut scenes

Gameplay Updates

• DEV NOTE: While today’s update brings a lot of ‘quality-of-life’ improvements to all of our players, it does not drastically alter the balance of the running game on the Competitive Madden level. We are actively testing a significant tuning set that will bring more viable defensive counters against the run game in an upcoming title update and are targeting a release that will give competitors time to adjust their game-plans before the next MCS Event.
• Multiple improvements to sideline and boundary-catch rulings relative to two feet vs. one foot in bounds
• Tuning to improve Pass Leading abilities when throwing to drag and crossing routes
• Tuning to improve picking up the ball off the ground for user-controlled players
• Fixed a rare issue causing a catch knock-out in the back of the endzone to lead to an incorrect touchback
• Added functionality to ‘Tackle Supreme’ and ‘Secure Tackler’ abilities allowing them to prevent broken tackles resulting from ball carrier special moves, in addition to the existing functionality which prevents broken conservative and dive tackles
• Tuning to decrease the frequency of Facemask penalties on Simulation and Arcade game styles, which also applies to both user-controlled teams and AI-controlled teams when using the ‘Aggressive Strip Ball’ coach adjustment
• Improved catch animations to reduce specific cases of receivers failing to trigger a catch animation
• Fixed an issue causing ‘back foot inaccurate passes’ when trying to use Pass Leading back toward the QB
• Tuning to reduce wind speeds in stadiums with retractable domes on Competitive game style
• Tuning to reduce successful hit sticks by low rated players vs. scrambling QBs on Competitive Game style – this will only prevent hit sticks vs. QB’s from being 100% successful in cases where the defender has a really low HPW rating and/or the QB has a higher BTK rating; for defenders with higher HPW ratings, hit sticks on QB’s will still not be broken
• Fixed a rare issue allowing an interception of a tipped pass during QB Spike – QB spikes will no longer be able to be intercepted
• Tuning to improve deep zone behavior in Cover 3 and Cover 4 when covering certain plays where the #3 receiver is in the backfield
• Fixed an issue preventing play results from the last play of a quarter from counting towards X-Factor knock-out conditions
• Fixed an issue sometimes causing the clock to keep running after the ball would hit the goalpost
• Tuning to decrease AI usage of fake-snap in Simulation and Arcade game styles, which should also reduce frequency of AI-controlled false start penalties
• Tuning to better balance the Read defender’s behavior vs. Read Option and RPO plays
• Fixed a rare issue sometimes preventing progression through Skills Trainer Gauntlet
• Multiple improvements to various Skills Trainer drills
• Playbook Updates:
  • Updated Panthers defensive playbook from Base 4-3 to Base 3-4
  • Fixed an issue preventing the QB from handing the ball off on RPO Counter plays
  • Fixed an issue preventing the snap when spamming the ‘reset’ play option
  • Fixed an issue sometimes causing the QB to drop back sideways on QB Spike plays
  • Fixed an issue causing a missed snap when flipping a specific Jet Sweep play
  • Fixed an issue causing a bad pitch when using motion on some reverse plays
  • Fixed coach-cam play art for a number of Jet Sweep plays

Ultimate Team Updates

• Fixed an issue causing players to get an error message and sent back to the main menu when entering a specific challenge with an active Salary Cap lineup

Superstar KO

• A new squad is entering Superstar KO this week!
  • Team – “Rhythm”Team
  • Coach – Jon Gruden
  • Playbook – West Coast
  • Strength – Offense

Lead by Coach Jon Gruden, team Rhythm is giving Emmitt Smith’s GNP some well-deserved R&R after taking a beating trying to make it through those lines. With Gruden’s history in the NFL, he knows how to utilize different playbooks to his advantage, with no playbook being outside of his grasp of knowledge, as well as a base team full of players used to playing West Coast.

While you won’t have the full depth of a defensive playbook, players will have an entire West Coast Offensive playbook, full of plays designed to get a team out of any tight spaces based around Singleback, Gun, and I-Form plays. You’ll see short, powerful bursts from your HB with HB Wham and HB Dive, stellar opportunities for your wideouts with WR Post and Corner Strike, and some trick plays with PA Flood and PA Poco. Get into the swing of things, let the Rhythm flow through you, and watch as your team grooves down the field for that sweet TD.

• Updates to Dot City playbook

PC Updates

• Fixed an issue preventing the mouse functionality for arrow symbols from working properly after resizing the screen in ‘windowed’ mode
• Fixed issues causing loss of controller functionality when first entering certain modes
• Fixed several issues with mouse inputs on various Franchise UI screens