To every college football fan out there, the developers of EA Sports decided to drop one colossal hint, or perhaps an entire list of them. The official Twitter handle for EA Sports College Football went on to say that over 2800 plays and formations were being included in #CFB26, and with that said, the hype was unleashed into the stratosphere. A countdown to deep gameplay had begun, and prospective players could barely contain their excitement for what was coming their way.
So what really has people talking? First thing: 2800-plus plays is a big number when compared with any of the previous installments. Usually, they slip in a couple of new trick plays here or there, maybe an audible or two. This is major, major lore: an overhaul of offensive and defensive schemes; everyone should be pleased, from spread-option gurus to pro-style purists. Speculation has been everywhere since the EA teased it would have a big breakdown of gameplay soon.
Not everyone, however, is sure. Some users leapt in the replies with skepticism, claiming that Madden has had AI blocking and defensive logic issues for years now. @Demonslayer877 posted a clip and captioned it, “Why are defenders running towards linemen instead of the QB?” and @AmonRaTheGOAT went on to trash-blocking with, “Look at 66 on this play and tell me what’s great?” Ouch.
Here comes the classic console-war drama once again. @ScarletShamrock called out EA as “cowards for not releasing on PC,” and @iAmCLPN was quick to clarify that they meant XP and PS5 only (remote play, however, is gonna allow mobile). And Penn State fans weren’t going to stay silent and actually mocked their own team, @Kim_Jong_Ilness jokingly saying that it was “already unrealistic” because PSU actually completed a pass to a wideout. Brutal.
Biggest question mark? That 40-hour wait for the deep dive. @CJsDiarry did not allow it, asking, “Why a 40-hour wait??” And @RealJoshuaRoss observed that Madden’s gameplay breakdown was already out, so why the hold-up for CFB?
Regardless of the doubters, excitement is palpable. Players have gone frame by frame through the teaser footage, dishing observations on route concepts, defensive alignments, and even crowd reactions (or lack thereof, shoutout to @Nole352 for spotting the dead crowd after a hypothetical game-winning TD).
And meanwhile, EA has quite a bit to prove. After the long wait for college football gaming to return open for development, heavy expectations sit on making it feel fresh instead of another Madden reskin. Crucially, if that part is nailed, this could be the revival the franchise needs. And if not… Well, the critics on Twitter won’t hold it in.
The countdown begins. The deep dive will be here. And whether hyped or skeptical, one thing is certain: college football gaming is back and it’s about to get really messy.
