Madden NFL 26 has released its September Title Update, bringing some significant changes. We took a look at the Gridiron notes, a dev blog written by EA Sports to share update information, and pulled out the highlights that you need to know about the Madden 26 September Update, whether you are playing solo or in a 32-man online franchise. If you’d like to read all of the notes, head here.
The Madden 26 September Title Update brings gameplay fixes, fine-tuning, and updates across every mode with new Coaching Adjustments that give you more control over pass protection and coverage depth. The team at EA Sports has also addressed losing speed during animations while trucking and has also removed Progressive Fatigue from Franchise mode.
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Most notably, however, the Madden 26 September Update didn’t give players any information about when or if the Companion app will be updated by EA Sports, one of the largest things that Online Franchise players have been eagerly awaiting. With no Companion app, there is no NEON, and that makes the routine more challenging to manage.
Another issue that EA Sports has noted that they are aware of but have not addressed is what happens when a bug Head Coach leaves a league, which complicates the process of changing out users in online Franchises. The bug, as stated by EA Sports, is that when a Head Coach leaves a league, the CPU automatically promotes the team’s existing Offensive or Defensive coordinator without hiring a backfill. But, that fix will come in a later title update.
But while we wait for that, the Madden 26 September Title Update does dive deep into gameplay, so here’s what we think you should keep in mind when you log into EA Sports Madden NFL 26.
Madden 26 September Title Update – Franchise
Key Update: EA Sports’ largest move for the franchise is the removal of Progressive Fatigue. The choice noted by the devs is due to the introduction of Wear and Tear Management. However, Madden 26 noticeably still does not have the bevy of customizable Wear and Tear sliders that were launched in CFB 26.
- Fixed an issue with the Nose Tackle archetype’s OVR formula that was causing it to appear different from the front end. While this change will happen immediately for new leagues, this change will apply immediately; existing leagues are a little different. For existing leagues, the formula will apply immediately, and for players who had Nose Tackle as their highest rated archetype previously, their new Nose Tackle OVR will appear until the week is advanced, where their highest OVR will be correct.
- Developers fixed an issue where some draft generators were using the wrong body types; however, the change will not apply to existing leagues until the next draft class is generated.
- Addressed an issue where Tight Ends were able to acquire the Universal Coverage Zone Ability.
- Addressed an issue where Players sustaining a Low Back Strain Injury were treated as career-ending injuries.
- Fixed an issue where coaches and trainers were unlocking abilities in the wrong order
- Addressed an issue where the WILL position was prioritized over the SAM position in the Depth Chart when using the reorder feature.
Read our interview with EA Sports about their vision for Franchise Mode and why it needed the largest update in a decade.
Madden 26 September Title Update – Gameplay
Pass Blocking Changes
Key Update: One of the largest pass-blocking changes comes with a new default. Developers have added a new Coaching Adjustment option allowing you to set your default pass protection scheme—choose from Base, Empty, Half Left, Full Left, Half Right, Full Right, or Default.
A similar change was also introduced in the last CFB 26 title update. The devs did, however, ensure that players who don’t want built-in pass protections on passing plays can use a new Coaching Adjustment to choose the default protection for all dropback passing plays instead. When this option is toggled on, players will still have the ability to change their protection before the play via the Pass Protection adjustments menu.
- Enhanced QB Contain logic to ensure defenders contain more effectively as a part of a two-part fix where EA Sports worked to fix disengagements from blocks and the pursuit of quarterbacks scrambling outside the pocket. The second part of the fix is that the devs resolved an issue where defenders would incorrectly abandon their Contain assignments in favor of executing pass rush moves.
- Addressed an issue with pass rush move selection logic to reduce excessive use of Rip moves and ensure more realistic, ratings-driven defender behavior.
- Devs fixed an issue that sometimes caused the pass protection adjustment menu to get stuck in an open state after selecting a protection adjustment.
Run Game Changes
Key Update: The highlight for the Run Game in the Madden 26 September Title Update has to do with Trucking. Developers fixed an issue allowing a short, artificial speed boost to the ball carrier when using Truck in open space (Air Truck). The truck animations and transitions from truck to locomotion have been modified to more accurately reflect the movement speed of the ball carrier as the truck comes to a stop, and the transition has been tuned to maintain a more consistent speed, leaning into the physics-based push for gameplay this year.
- Decreased the frequency of power non-engaged sheds on run plays.
- Added shed timers for defenders who lost their previous defensive move on passing plays.
- Edge defenders now steer towards their outside gap for longer to help set the edge on run plays.
Passing Game Changes
Key Update: The key highlight for Passing Game changes is that EA Sports fixed an issue preventing the appropriate frequency of catch-knockouts when throwing to a receiver covered by multiple defenders. This was the main issue leading to receivers holding onto aggressive catches too much in crowds when the ball should have been knocked out. With this update, outcomes on aggressive catch attempts now more accurately reflect the ratings and physical matchups of the players involved when there is a collision at the catch point.
- Devs have increased the minimum for ‘stemmed down’ routes from 1 yard to 3 yards. When using the route-stemming feature, specific stemmed-down routes, particularly Corner Routes, became too powerful and difficult to fairly and/or realistically defend. As a result, the minimum stem depth allowed now is 3 yards. The devs shared in a note that the change intends to preserve the structure and timing of the route, while enabling more realistic and balanced defensive reactions.
- Fixed an issue preventing behind-the-line special moves from working when using Gadget players in the QB spot in Wildcat formations.
- Fixed an issue causing WRs to sometimes use fake-out footwork off the snap with no defender nearby.
- Fixed an issue causing illegal man-downfield penalties to trigger incorrectly on certain play-action boot plays.
- Fixed an issue causing no-look passing animations to sometimes trigger on quick throws, like bubble screens.
Pre-Play Controls Changes
Key Updates: Devs have standardized the hot route timer for all Quarterbacks when breaking the huddle. This new timer also applies to the amount of time users need to wait after flipping a play or audibling to a new formation. Additionally, stemming a route also counts as a hot route when breaking the huddle. Signature animations for players like Mahomes now have consistent responsiveness, resulting in all quarterbacks having the same hot route timing cadence.
- Updated logic so the offense cannot instantly flip the play or audible to a new formation when walking to the line from the huddle
- Fixed an issue preventing under-center QBs from queuing more than two hot routes at a time.
- Fixed an issue causing the TE to motion awkwardly on a series of plays within Gun Y Off Trips Wk (Mtn Y Corner, RPO Alert Mtn Dive, Mtn Shock H Opt)
- Fixed an issue preventing the hot-route stem controls from appearing when using mouse & keyboard controls on PC.
AI & Game Logic Changes
- Tuning to the Buffalo Bills’ Homefield Advantage to reduce excessive kick-meter wobble.
- Tuning to improve AI-controlled teams’ clock management, preventing the CPU from calling timeouts right before punting when losing by a large margin.
- Fixed a rare issue causing some players in online rosters to appear with generic player models and wearing the incorrect uniform numbers, such as multiple players wearing #11 or #22.
Playbooks Changes
- Fixed an issue causing the ball to warp on specific Pistol formation handoffs.
- Fixed an issue causing the ball to warp when cancelling the handoff on PA Sprint HB Flat plays.
- Fixed an issue causing a fumble when snapping the ball in Gun Bunch TE Str MTN RPO Peak Flats.
- Fixed a rare issue causing the ball to be snapped well behind the QB on various Pistol and Gun Jet Sweep plays.
- Fixed an issue allowing an unnatural speed boost on the In-Corner route within Gun Bunch Offset Close Mesh Rebound, which made it unbalanced.
Madden 26 September Title Update – Presentation
Broadcast Package Changes
- Fixed issue with missing stats in the Last Week Stats banner after a bye week.
- Fixed issue with Stat Leaders banner for pass yards disappearing too quickly.
Fixed the issue preventing the Draft Class banner from appearing during a Sunday Night Primetime game.
Halftime Show/ Weekly Recap
- Fixed issue with missing highlights after using the Resume Game option.
- Fixed an inconsistency with a score shown during a highlight from a game in progress and the subsequent Around the League banner.
- Fixed the lighting pop that would sometimes occur at the end of a highlight.
- Tuned logic for highlight selection from a game in progress to reduce the chances of seeing the losing team.
- Tuned logic to prevent non-scrambling QBs from being shown performing long runs.
- Fixed CPU highlight showing right-handed QB throwing left-handed touchdown.
- Fixed the issue preventing the Weekly Recap from being available during the playoffs when a user’s team did not make the playoffs.
New Equipment Added In the September Title Update
- New Cleats
- Nike Vapor Edge Speed 360 2
- New Facemasks
- Axiom Robot Jagged 2
- Axion Grid
- Axiom Robot 808
- Axiom Robot RB Jagged 2
- Axiom 3 Bar RB
- Axiom Robot RB Straight
- New Coach Wristbands
- Added New Undershirt w/4 Color Options
Madden NFL 26 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
