Tag: Madden football

These 25 Oregon legends were included in Madden 22 Campus Legends event

While there is a growing group of video game players and sports fans who have grown frustrated with the EA Madden football franchise for it’s lack of changes over the years, a new game mode has been introduced for the 2022 version of the classic …

While there is a growing group of video game players and sports fans who have grown frustrated with the EA Madden football franchise for it’s lack of changes over the years, a new game mode has been introduced for the 2022 version of the classic game, called Campus Legends.

The new mode delves into the college side of things, which is a nice addition since fans have been deprived of playing with their favorite college teams since the College Football game was done away with years ago.

The Ducks have a solid team on the new game, but there are some notable exceptions. While most players are positioned based on what they played in the NFL, the majority of players are included based on their success at the professional level, rather than their time in college. That is why we don’t see players like Marcus Mariota, LaMichael James, or Jonathan Stewart.

Without further ado, here are the 25 players included on Oregon’s Campus Legends squad:

Falcons’ Kyle Pitts gets Madden’s highest rookie rating

Pitts was given an 81 overall rating, which is the best grade in this year’s draft class and the highest of any rookie since Baker Mayfield.

The Atlanta Falcons selected Kyle Pitts out of Florida with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, which is the highest a tight end has ever been chosen in the history of the draft. Pitts’ size and rare speed at the position had scouts referring to him as a “unicorn” throughout the draft process.

So it’s only right that Pitts’ Madden 22 rating reflects his elite athletic profile. EA Sports unveiled the player ratings for each rookie on Sunday and Falcons fans are in for a delightful surprise.

Pitts was given an 81 overall rating, which is the best grade in this year’s class and the highest of any rookie since Baker Mayfield earned the same mark in Madden 19.

Looking back at rookie ratings since Madden 16 and comparing them to the latest Madden 21 roster updates, Atlanta’s rookie tight end is sitting in a good spot for future success. Of the players who were given an initial rookie rating of 80 overall or higher, the average growth in rating was seven percent from an 81 overall to an 87. However, five athletes went beyond the 87 mark and into the 90+ range.

The three biggest climbers are Jalen Ramsey, Christian McCaffrey and Myles Garrett. These three went from an initial overall of 82 to an average of 98 overall, a 19 percent increase.

With the rest of the Falcons roster being unveiled soon, we took the liberty of predicting the team’s top five highest-rated players. Check back for more Madden ratings as they are released this offseason.

[lawrence-related id=75490,75471,75459,75439]

[vertical-gallery id=75404]

Lakers are in a pretty intense Madden tournament at the bubble

The Los Angeles Lakers are spending a lot of time playing Madden against each other.

Video games are clearly the most popular activity for players at the NBA Bubble, but being that NBA players are some of the most competitive people, it’s no shock that the Los Angeles Lakers have found a way to turn even their downtime into an opportunity to compete.

Thanks to Dion Waiters, we saw an update of results of what seems to be a pretty intense Madden tournament, which includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and other members of the squad. According to a whiteboard that Waiters posted, LeBron is currently 2-1 in the tournament, while Quinn Cook and Waiters are the only teams who are undefeated.

However, according to Jared Dudley, Waiters isn’t all the way honest about his own record.

One thing that remains clear is that Anthony Davis has managed to go just 1-3 with the Baltimore Ravens and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. As someone who himself has recently played in a lot of Madden tournaments, that’s pretty hard to do, but the competition on the sticks within the Lakers appears to be fierce if a Madden enthusiast like Davis is having such a tough time winning.

 

Could an old competitor come back to challenge the Madden video game franchise?

NFLPA licenses usage of players to video game developer 2K Sports, allowing competition for EA Sports and its Madden franchise

Tired of the relative monopoly that EA Sports has enjoyed on the football video game market with the venerable Madden franchise? A development this week could be a very welcome change on the football gaming front.

The NFLPA has agreed to license its players to be used by another entity. 2K Sports, which made the fondly recalled eponymous series of games in the 2000s, can once again use actual NFL player names and likenesses in producing games of their own.

EA has held the license exclusively since producing the 2006 edition of Madden.

The key words here are “multiple football video games”. That opens up the possibility for variant games like the old “Blitz” arcade game, as well as a roster-building type of game similar to the vintage EA Sports version of “NFL Head Coach”. Based on its agreement with the NFLPA, EA Sports and Madden will remain the only actual NFL simulation action game.

WATCH: Madden guru weighs in on Vick vs. Jackson debate

Which current or former player is the all-time greatest cheat code in Madden NFL football history?

Which current or former player is the all-time greatest cheat code in Madden NFL football history?

For most gamers, including Tom Brady, the answer is Mike Vick of the early 2000s.  With a cannon for an arm, game-breaking speed and the elusiveness of Barry Sanders in his prime, Vick was an unstoppable weapon.

But is the former Falcons QB better than Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s past two MVP winners? Let’s see what Clint Oldenburg, a Madden ratings adjuster, had to say about it to USA TODAY’s Mackenzie Salmon in the video below:

[protected-iframe id=”50ed61f2878773108e5dc9b6c499cf59-105974731-77239100″ info=”https://uw-media.usatoday.com/embed/video/5479653002?placement=snow-embed” width=”540″ height=”350″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

[lawrence-related id=55176,55229,55294,55302,55288,]

[vertical-gallery id=55049]

NFL and EA Sports agree to extend Madden exclusive contract through 2026

NFL and EA Sports agree to extend Madden exclusive contract through 2026

NFL fans who love playing the Madden series of video games can rejoice. Those who wanted a viable competitor to the venerable series will remain disappointed.

That’s because the NFL and EA Sports, the publisher of the Madden games, agreed to extend the exclusive licensure through 2026. It means only EA Sports can use the NFL team logos, NFLPA players, player likenesses and the NFL’s marketing in any professional football video game. The NFLPA also approved the extension.

Madden has been one of the most popular video game franchises for over 30 years. The 2021 edition of the game, featuring Lamar Jackson on the cover, will be released to the public in August.

 

A closer Madden look at Tom Brady as the new Bucs QB

It’s still hard to picture Tom Brady in a Bucs jersey instead of a Pats jersey. Fortunately, the people over at ‘Madden’ have you covered.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their fans may still be pinching themselves at the realization that future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady is now a member of their team.

The six-time Super Bowl champion will look to return the Bucs to the postseason for the first time since 2007, and, hopefully, get them back to the Super Bowl, which just so happens to be at Raymond James Stadium next year (Super Bowl LV).

The people over at Madden NFL 20 have given us a look at Brady doing his thing in a new Bucs uniform, but here’s another clip for you that’s a little more up close and personal.

Take a look.

The good news? We won’t have to see Brady wearing those ridiculous alarm clock numbers next season, as the team is set to unveil their new uniforms next month. Based on the reactions of players who have seen the new threads, we should be in for a treat.

[lawrence-related id=29877,29870,29861,29851]

8 NFL stars to take part in Madden NFL Invitational on FS1

The first- FOX Esports Madden NFL Invitational will air March 29 at 7:00 PM ET on FS1. The two-hour event raises awareness for the CDC Foundation’s COVID-19 relief efforts. The tournament matches eight NFL stars in a single-elimination Madden NFL 20 …

The first- FOX Esports Madden NFL Invitational will air March 29 at 7:00 PM ET on FS1. The two-hour event raises awareness for the CDC Foundation’s COVID-19 relief efforts.

The tournament matches eight NFL stars in a single-elimination Madden NFL 20 tournament with seven matches across three rounds of play to determine who is the FOX Esports Madden NFL Invitational champion. All players will compete remotely.

The field includes Michael Vick, Matt Leinart, Orlando Scandrick, T.J.Houshmandzadeh, Juju Smith-Schuster, Derwin James, Antonio Cromartie and Ahman Green.

 

Mike Vick passes torch to Lamar Jackson as Madden’s fastest QB ever

If you played sports video games during the early-mid 2000s, then you probably remember the sensation that was playing as Michael Vick in Madden football.

If you played sports video games during the early-mid 2000s, then you probably remember the sensation that was playing as Michael Vick in Madden football games

Never before did the EA Sports classic have such a fast player at the quarterback position. In fact, Vick’s 95 speed rating nearly broke the game when he first entered the league.

Playing against Vick in Madden was infuriating because he could run backwards halfway down the field and scramble around until he found someone open. There was no defense for it.

That’s why the game designers were hesitant to make Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson as fast as he truly was during his rookie year. After last week’s dominant performance over the Rams, Madden updated Jackson’s speed rating to 96, breaking Michael Vick’s record.

Vick had fun with it and sent out a congratulatory video to Jackson, which you can see below:

[lawrence-related id=42659]

[vertical-gallery id=42456]