Madden NFL 22 - Face of the Franchise Deep Dive
Welcome to the Gridiron Notes for Face of the Franchise: United We Rise. This week we’ll be going deeper on all the new features in Madden NFL 22’s career mode. You’ll learn about all the ways you can live out your NFL career fantasy, your way.
Road to the Draft
In Madden NFL 22’s new Road to the Draft, you are a generational prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft. The career mode begins with the chance to train with, and compete against, some of the best players in the NFL at Nike Headquarters. Along the way, you are given the opportunity to improve your draft stock via the College Football Playoff, NFL team interviews, and private workouts with select teams. Build your brand by taking part in events that are exclusive to top prospects and pros. Additionally, you have a chance to meet and interact with a diverse cast of characters who are both invested in your success and their own individual quests for greatness.
You’ll learn that managing your time and obligations is a big part of stardom early on. When your invite to a Hawai’ian charity game conflicts with a Nike sponsored exhibition match in the heart of NYC, the choice is down to you. Depending on your pick, you’ll travel to a unique venue and line up alongside a distinct cast of NFL stars in some Yard-inspired 6v6 ironman football. Once you’ve overcome your chosen challenge, you’ll get different rewards and opportunities in the aftermath, giving you a good reason to come back and play through again.
From flashback games at the height of your college football career, to interviews with prospective NFL teams, your words and actions on and off the field will drive your draft stock. There’s no doubt you’re a top pick, but competition at the upper echelons is fierce. Show you have what it takes to go as high as you can.
Meet the Cast
The diverse cast in Face of the Franchise revolves around your rise to NFL superstardom.
Alexandra Bishop - Defensive Coordinator
Manny Kahue - Offensive Coordinator
Nia Polanco - Podcast Host
Ethan Rhodes - NFL Analyst
Brandon Yung - Nike Trainer
Jordan Wright - Agent/Close Friend
Alonzo "Zo" Aiden - Brand Manager/Close Friend
Carter Landry - Mentor/NFL Teammate
Class Progression System
New this year in Madden NFL 22 is the concept of Classes that define how you play each position on the field. There are four positions this year to choose from; QB, WR, HB, and for the first time in Face of the Franchise, a defensive position - Linebacker. Each position has several Classes to choose from that reflect a specific playstyle on the field.
Each Class features three Superstar Abilities and one X-Factor ability for you to unlock as you level up in that Class. These abilities play into how you perform on the field and can even be customized to your specific playstyle and needs. Each Class can equip Superstar and X-Factor Abilities earned from other Classes if they have been unlocked. The more you play, the more you can customize.
Class Rewards
Along with X-Factor and Superstar Abilities, leveling up Classes not only earns you Skill Points to boost your OVR and skill ratings, but you can earn CRED, REP, and exclusive Gear for the Yard to make your Avatar shine brighter.
Earn Class REP by competing on the field. Everything you do matters to how quickly you level up your Class to help earn rewards quicker. Padding your stats can go a long way. Complete special actions that earn you even more REP!
Begin leveling your Classes inside of RTTD when starting Face of the Franchise and continue to build your avatar throughout your rookie season in the NFL and beyond. Strive to become one of the greatest at your position. With our unified class progression, you can also take your Class into The Yard to level up even more. We'll have more details on exclusive Yard classes soon!
Career HUB
At the center of your new avatar career experience is the all-new career hub. Here you'll have access to all the info to make key decisions and take on new challenges in the Road to the Draft and your NFL season. Scenarios, Side Activities, and Class Progression will be a simple click away in this hub, so you can level up your Class as you earn REP and create your NFL fantasy through your choices.
Podcasts
There are 70+ podcast segments composed of interviews, mic’d up clips, opinions, and trivia, with story beats based on your career performance and choices. The podcasts begin in Road to the Draft with The Rich Eisen Show, and continue in the NFL with two more hosts: Kevin Connors and Nia Polanco, from our fictional cast.
Season Engine
At the heart of this year's career mode is the enhanced season engine. Start the week by completing a side activity to earn buffs for the week ahead. Then, play through various weekly storylines that set up new challenges and gameplay moments while affecting other scenarios throughout the season.
You’ll take on different challenges based on how you and your team perform throughout each season. Getting off to a fast start on the season comes with expectations to keep the win streak alive. Maybe you had a soft schedule to start and need to prove to the league that you and your team are legit contenders by defeating one of the NFL's top teams. There are even more scenarios to experience in Face of the Franchise, all dependent on how you and your team are performing.
There will be dozens of scenarios that can trigger all based on your position, team and weekly performance.
Side Activities
On a weekly basis, players will be asked how they want to spend their spare time. As an elite athlete, every moment is another chance for growth. Players can select one of up to three different opportunities available each week, each granting their own unique buff or reward. This allows players to evolve in the way that best suits them and their playstyle -- such as the pursuit of short term glory with large but temporary ratings buffs, or longer term improvement with small permanent buffs, bonus REP, or CRED.
There are four categories leading to different buffs:
Mental Focus
Physical Recovery
Team Bonding
My Brand
No two weeks will offer the same set of Side Activities, with some being much rarer than others. Every playthrough of this year’s Face of the Franchise will add a new layer of variance and strategy each time through.
Here’s an example: It’s Week 3 of the regular season, and you’ve got your weekly Side Activity choices laid out for you:
Fan Meet & Greet (Uncommon): +100 Cred and +20 Morale for the entire team for 1 week
Team Film Study (Common): +100 REP and +100 XP for the entire team
Weight Training with O-Line (Rare): +3 Strength for entire O-Line permanently
Each option offers its own unique benefits. It’s tempting to let the rare permanent buff to your O-Line get away, but maybe the +20 Morale to your team for the week is just what you need to get past a tough opponent in a critical game. Ultimately, it’s all down to how you want to play.
Pressure Moments
Throughout your career you’ll be dropped into some unique scenarios, like bouncing back from a slow start to your season or having to make a comeback after a lightning storm delays the game. Pressure Moments are intended to give you an immersive experience while facing challenges and situations that NFL athletes deal with throughout a season. We also enhance the presentation and if you're playing on Xbox Series X|S or PS5, you'll get the added feature of Dynamic Gameday integration into Pressure Moments.
