After what feels like the longest year in recent memory we’ve finally made it to the next iteration of the Madden franchise. Madden 21 officially drops on Tuesday, and we’ve got footage of its brand new game mode, The Yard. We’ve also got some footage on Madden 21‘s Face of the Franchise you so you’ll be ready as soon as your Quarterback puts on the helmet.
The Yard
The shiny new toy in this year’s Madden installment is The Yard, Madden 21’s backyard football game mode. When you boot up The Yard for the first time, you’re taken to a character customization screen, where you’ll be able to sculpt your player in your likeness. I’ll be able to give my player my quarantine gut, which helps a ton with immersion. There’s a ton of cosmetic items to choose from, so we put together a little video to help parse it all.
This 6 v 6 game mode has a rulebook that really feels like you’re playing flag football with house rules. An invisible barrier prevents the defense from pass rushing before the traditional “one Mississippi.” If the quarterback holds on to the ball for more than 4 seconds without passing, the play is dead. As soon as the defense blitzes, however, the pass timer disappears and your QB is free to tuck and run.
Scoring in The Yard looks a little different, too:
- Touchdowns are still six points, unless you score a touchdown longer than 40 yards. That’s an extra point. If you perform a lateral, or a double pass (you can pass as many times as you like, as long as you’re behind the line of scrimmage), that’s two more bonus points.
- Your PAT can be worth one, two, or three points, and the line of scrimmage starts farther from the end zone depending on how many points you choose.
- Every interception nets your team one point as well. Finally… the Pick 7.
Scores for The Yard are gonna look nutty, so you’re gonna want a playbook that’s nutty to match. Every team in The Yard shares one playbook. Playbooks have a few slots for custom plays, but the focus is on making things happen live on the field. We’ve got more details here, but seeing Madden 21 The Yard footage really helps it make sense, so we’ve got some gameplay ready for you as well.
Face of the Franchise, Madden 21
In Madden 20, EA introduced the Face of the Franchise mode, Madden’s single-player story-mode. You create a Quarterback, commit to one of 10 major college squads, finish your undergrad, then work your way onto an NFL squad. In Madden 21, the basics are the same. This time, however, your story starts in high school.
Just like in real life, your actions in Madden 21’s Face of the Franchise have consequences. A commitment to the wrong college can make it tough to succeed in the NFL. Even your interview answers at the high school level effect your QB’s overall skill set. You can check out our own The Natural, and get some of the best outcomes for your Face of the Franchise run.
We’ll be putting out more info on Madden 21, including gameplay, out on our YouTube channel all week. Check out our Twitter and jump into the forums to keep up with all of the new Madden 21 info leading up to its release on August 25.
