Madden NFL 20 Second January Update Provides Final 'Superstar' Line-up & More

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The second January game update for Madden NFL 20 is now availaable and - among other aspects - provides the final update to the list of Superstar X-Factor and Superstar players. New X-Factor players include Titans RB Derrick Henry, Steelers OLB TJ Watt, Browns RB Nick Chubb, Bills CB Tre’Davious White, and Vikings DE Danielle Hunter.

Also worth nothing is the addition of new functionality with Playcall Cooldowns & Limits within Madden Ultimate Team. From the official blog: This feature will be introduced via House Rules. Madden Ultimate Team now has the ability to configure a playcall cooldown or limit. After selecting a play with cooldowns, that play will not be selectable again until X amount of plays have been run. With limits, a play will have a configured number of how many total times that play can be called for the rest of the game. Cooldowns and limits can be combined together. We’re excited to hear your feedback when this House Rule launches, likely the end of January/early February.

This new feature has already been highly requested for possible addition within Franchise Mode as an option to help force players to use more of their playbooks and not resort to the same handful of plays.

Continue on to see the full list of changes & additions in this game update.

Also, Madden NFL 20 is now available in The Vault for all EA Access and Origin Access members.



Here is a detailed breakdown of what’s included in today's title update:
Key Highlights

• End of Season Superstar X-Factor Update
• New X-Factor Players:
  
  • Titans RB Derrick Henry, replacing Jets RB Le’Veon Bell
    
    • X-Factor: Freight Train
    • Superstar Abilities: Arm Bar, Outside Zone Guru
    
    
  
  

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• Steelers OLB TJ Watt, replacing Bengals WR AJ Green
  
  • X-Factor: Unstoppable Force
  • Superstar Abilities: Edge Threat, Strip Specialist
  
  

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• Browns RB Nick Chubb, replacing Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
  
  • X-Factor: Freight Train
  • Superstar Abilities: Arm Bar, Bulldozer
  
  

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• Bills CB Tre’Davious White, replacing Browns WR Odell Beckham, Jr.
  
  • X-Factor: Shutdown
  • Superstar Abilities: Pick Artist, Acrobat
  
  

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• Vikings DE Danielle Hunter
  
  • X-Factor: Unstoppable Force
  • Superstar Abilities: Edge Threat, Reach Elite
  
  

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• Updated Packers QB Aaron Rodgers:
  
  • Additional Superstar Ability: Gunslinger
  
  
• Updated Superstar Players:
  
  • Lions WR Kenny Golladay
    
    • Red Zone Threat
    
    
  • Panthers WR DJ Moore
    
    • Streak Specialist
    
    
  • Broncos FS Justin Simmons
    
    • Pick Artist
    
    
  • Bengals RB Joe Mixon
    
    • Arm Bar
    
    
  • Broncos WR Courtland Sutton
    
    • In/Post Elite
    
    
  • 49ers MLB Fred Warner
    
    • Zoned Out
    
    
  • Steelers FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
    
    • Pick Artist
    
    
  • Bears WR Allen Robinson II
    
    • Out/Corner Elite
    
    
  • Steelers DE Cameron Heyward
    
    • Reach Elite
    
    
  • Raiders RB Josh Jacobs
    
    • Bulldozer
    
    
  • Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
    
    • Escape Artist
    
    
  • Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith
    
    • Edge Threat
    
    
  • Ravens RG Marshall Yanda
    
    • Post Up
    
    
  • Bengals WR AJ Green, downgraded from X-Factor to Superstar
  • Browns WR Odell Beckham, Jr., downgraded from X-Factor to Superstar
  • Steelers WR JuJu Smith Schuster, downgraded from X-Factor to Superstar
  • Jets RB Le’Veon Bell, downgraded from X-Factor to Superstar
  
  
• Downgraded Superstar & X-Factor players, no longer equipped with any abilities:
  
  • Giants RG Kevin Zeitler
  • Browns CB Denzel Ward
  • Falcons MLB Deion Jones
  • Cowboys CB Byron Jones
  • Lions DT Damon Harrison
  • Bears FS Eddie Jackson
    
    • DEV NOTE: Today's Superstar X-Factor re-shuffle is the last X-Factor update of this season and reflects player performance through the end of the NFL regular season. These updates will apply to Front End rosters for Online head-to-head games, exhibition and new Franchise leagues created with the ‘Custom Roster’ option. The re-shuffle will NOT impact existing Franchise leagues, as those leagues are already in progress with their own performance progression/regression and will not apply to new Franchise leagues created with the ‘Pre-Season Roster’ option.
  
  

Franchise Updates

• Fixed an issue where there were no practice squad players eligible to be signed when starting a new Cloud league at the end of Preseason or Regular Season week 1

Gameplay Updates

• Added logic to prevent ‘Pressure Inaccurate’ throws vs. Run Commit defense
  
  • DEV NOTE: This will NOT impact ‘Quick Throw Inaccurate’ passes, as that is in place to prevent exploits around throwing to receivers who are not realistically expecting the ball so early in their route.
  
  
• Added ‘Out of Position’ fumble penalty to wide receivers playing running back
• Fixed an issue causing the wrong snap receiver when using audibles in the Saints Taysom Hill Slot formation
• Fixed an issue sometimes causing shovel pass animations to release from the wrong hand

New Equipment Updates

• Added new Nike Vapor Edge Cleat and applied it to Nike Vapor athletes via roster update

Madden Ultimate Team Updates

• Added new functionality with Playcall Cooldowns & Limits
  
  • DEV NOTE: This feature will be introduced via House Rules. Madden Ultimate Team now has the ability to configure a playcall cooldown or limit. After selecting a play with cooldowns, that play will not be selectable again until X amount of plays have been run. With limits, a play will have a configured number of how many total times that play can be called for the rest of the game. Cooldowns and limits can be combined together. We’re excited to hear your feedback when this House Rule launches, likely the end of January/early February.
  
  
• Added the ability to choose the front art of specific Madden Ultimate Team items
  
  • DEV NOTE: This feature will likely be contained to just Power Ups. At the time of the Title Update release, we are going to focus on the NFL 100 players. Users will have the opportunity to choose any of the existing art treatments for these players and there will even be exclusive NFL 100 portraits available. The MUT team will continue bringing this feature to the rest of Power Ups in the coming weeks.
  
  
• Fixed an issue with the playcall menu not always shutting down correctly at the end of a game
• Fixed an issue causing the wrong ball spot after kicking plays in College Overtime House Rules games

Superstar KO Updates

• Added Support for New X-Factor Players:
  
  • Titans RB Derrick Henry
    
    • Replacing Jets RB Le’Veon Bell
    
    
  • Steelers OLB TJ Watt
    
    • Replacing Bengals WR AJ Green
    
    
  • Browns RB Nick Chubb
    
    • Replacing Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
    
    
  • Bills CB Tre’Davious White
    
    • Replacing Browns WR Odell Beckham, Jr.
    
    
  • Vikings DE Danielle Hunter
  
  
• Updated Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
• Stability improvements

I will give the Madden team credit in that they really do a good job in supporting their product after release. Now let's talk about presentation, immersion and a weekly wrap up show...