Madden NFL 21 Builds on 'Face of the Franchise' Mode
Today, EA SPORTS revealed some of the improvements coming to Face of the Franchise mode in Madden NFL 21 (current gen). In M21, players will begin their journey in high school before attempting to make the NFL Hall of Fame.
In high school, users can customize their school name, city, and mascot. From there, users will select from one of ten FBS programs to sign with. The ten college programs users can select from are: Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and USC. Users will be able to play two seasons, but will have an ultimatum regarding their position made by the head coach following their first season. (It is unclear how the two seasons will play out given the limited number of schools.)
The NFL Combine will allow users to improve draft stock with the 40-yard dash as well as a 'pivotal' press conference. Once in the NFL, there will be numerous storylines than will alter your journey and potential path to Hall of Famer.
Continue on to read the official blog from EA SPORTS, but note that it contains spoilers for the storylines within the mode.
SPOILER WARNING: Story spoilers ahead for Face of the Franchise!
FACE OF THE FRANCHISE: RISE TO FAME
Create yourself as a player and jump into Face of the Franchise where you will shape your career from High School all the way to the Hall of Fame.
High School
High School – it’s where most start their journey towards adulthood, but for you, you’re also about to embark on your journey into football stardom! Step into the halls where it all begins as you customize your high school experience by choosing your school name, city and even mascot. From there your story begins to unfold as you’re plucked from relative obscurity to provide depth behind the school’s resident star QB Tommy Matthews. Your backup gig is shortly lived however as Tommy has been harboring a secret about his health – one that he shares only with you, leaving you with a crisis of conscious. Do you keep his secret and risk his health, or do you betray his trust and shed light on his potentially serious condition? Your decision will define your relationship together throughout your story as you and Tommy at times teeter between best friends and bitter rivals, but through it all you can you find a way to join forces and lead your team to the promised land – a State Championship?!
College
Your story doesn’t end there though as you’re thrust center stage on National Signing Day as ten FBS schools vie for your talents. What starts off as a normal Signing Day ends with a dramatic twist after you don the hat of the school you’ve chosen to attend. Once you set foot on campus the stakes get even higher as you not only have to deftly navigate a Quarterback controversy right out of the gate, but also have to figure out how to appease your domineering, old school approach, newly minted Head Coach Red O’Brien – all while attempting to build your draft stock through two challenging seasons of college football AND win an College Football Playoff Championship (or two) along the way. As if that weren’t enough, you’re thrown out of your comfort zone and into disarray when Coach O’Brien delivers you an ultimatum – either switch positions to Running Back or Wide Receiver, or pack your bags and take your chances in the NFL Draft!
Combine & Draft
Since 1982 the NFL Combine has been hallowed ground for the NFL’s next generation of talent to showcase their skills for prospective teams. Now it’s your turn as you tread those very same grounds and put your abilities to the test amongst your fellow elite up and coming talent. But your skills on the field won’t be the only thing scouts will be watching as you’re forced to step up to the mic at a pivotal press conference and either let fate decide where you go in the draft or help influence which team selects you. This life changing experience continues when you encounter a chance meeting with legendary NFL commentator Rich Eisen as he helps prepare you for the most crucial event of the combine, the event that can make or break your career – the illustrious 40-yard dash!
NFL STORYLINES
Your career will have numerous twists and turns as you navigate the many obstacles of the NFL where you will be able to live out NFL storylines ripped from the headlines.
Franchise Savior
You’ve entered the NFL as one of the most highly touted prospects in your draft class, and that means an entire organization is putting their Super Bowl hopes and dreams on your shoulders. All-time greats were able to deliver on those championship hopes. Now it’s time to prove that you’re cut from the same cloth as those legends.
Next Man Up
After being selected in the NFL Draft by a team with a solidified starter at your position, it’s clear that even if your time isn’t now, it will come soon enough. How will you win over the veterans in the locker room in the meantime? And if the time comes that you’re thrust into action sooner than expected, will you be able to prove you’re the man for the job, like Russell Wilson did so seamlessly in Seattle?
Understudy
Following an up and down college career, you were selected in the later rounds of the NFL Draft by a team in search of additional depth at your position. Even though it’s unlikely that future plans include you, these odds aren’t necessarily insurmountable. Tom Brady made the most of his opportunity to step up back in 2001. Can you make the most of yours and earn yourself a starting job?
Bitter Rivals
Whether it’s team versus team or player versus player, the best rivalries are forever etched in the NFL’s long, illustrious history. Now in the social media era, it’s possible for rivalries to become more contentious and public than ever. When you and a defensive player on a division rival get into a war of words on social media, it’s only the beginning of the rivalry to come.
Dream Team
Teams with great talent are forced to face great expectations … Super Bowl expectations. Countless teams have fallen short of these expectations, like the 2007 Patriots, the 2001 Rams, and the 1998 Vikings. Can you and your Dream Team come together and complete the dream season, or are there too many obstacles in the way of once-in-a-generation greatness?
The Comeback
The struggle of coming back from a serious injury is too much for many players to overcome. But a handful of legends have been better than ever after making their returns. In 2012, Adrian Peterson finished first in MVP voting after suffering a career-threatening injury the previous season. After an injury forces you to sit out most of the year, can you regain your form and reestablish yourself as one of the NFL’s best?
Turf War
After a subpar performance last season, you’re suddenly facing competition for your starting position. But a good old position battle could end up bringing out the best in everyone involved. Can you hold off the in-house opposition and come out even better than before, or is your job in serious jeopardy?
Into The Sunset
After a long and storied NFL career, it’s just about time to hang up your cleats. That doesn’t mean your final act can’t be your greatest act yet though. Your team has declined and your best days may be behind you, but it’s time to prove you still have what it takes to right the ship one more time and end your career as a champion.
Characters
Tommy Mathews: Career long rival and friend - played by Tye Sheridan.
Reggie Brown: Interviewer and friend - played by Michael Beach and Moses Jones.
Coach Fetu Vaitai: High school legend and football coach - played by Cooper Andrews.
Coach Red O’ Brien: Defensive mastermind college coach - played by Robert Patrick.
Snoop Dogg: Played by himself.
Rich Eisen: Played by himself.
