Does Madden 23 Have a Career Mode?
Yes, Madden NFL 23 introduces an all-new career experience called Face of the Franchise: The League. This fully-featured career mode replaces the usual rookie rise to stardom formula with a fresh take where you control a 5th year veteran.
As a long-time Madden gamer and content creator, I‘m excited by this bold new direction for franchise player career modes. Read on for my in-depth guide to everything you need to know about Face of the Franchise (FoF) and how it stacks up to past offerings.
An Established Veteran, Not a Rookie
The most groundbreaking change with FoF this year is that instead of controlling a rookie, you take the reins of a 5-year veteran on the cusp of stardom. Here are the key implications:
- Establishes backstory and credibility right away
- Lets you feel what it‘s like needing a breakout year
- More pressure to perform from the jump
- Pitch to any team since you‘re a free agent
- Focus more on high level performance
As an avid player, I think skipping the rookie phase is brilliant. You can jump right into the drama of fighting for a major role and managing roster politics.
Breakdown of Positions, Differences and Replay Value
For the first time ever in a Madden career storyline, Face of the Franchise lets you choose from five different positions:
| Position | Key Differences |
|---|---|
| QB | Control the offense, pass-first |
| WR | Master route running and catches |
| RB | Perfect timing and moves for big runs |
| LB | Lead the defensive unit |
| CB | Lockdown coverage to force turnovers |
I love the ability to replay as different positions because it completely changes the style of play. My early favorites are QB for the control and RB for pulling off electric runs.
You can have up to five active FoF saves based on each position. With separate progression systems for each, it incentivizes fully completing careers as both defensive and offensive players. This massively expands the replay value.
Getting to ~95 OVR typically takes at least 3 full seasons if not more. Since superstar X-Factors only unlock at 90+, I anticipate most will play at least 5 seasons per file. That means you‘re looking at 25+ seasons of Face of the Franchise gameplay.
Progression System and Season Length Analysis
Leveling up your veteran works similarly to past career modes where you earn XP through goals, wins and solid play. These points unlock abilities and rating boosts.
However, there are some key enhancements:
- Weekly goals tied to your player‘s motivations
- Special Season objectives with bonuses
- Position-specific upgrade paths
Based on early reports, hitting the max 99 OVR will take at least 5 seasons even for the most hardcore grinders out there. Every time you unlock a new Superstar X-Factor, it also rebounds your progression since activating them gets harder.
The developers confirmed players can exceed 12 seasons if they desire. But I expect most will feel nicely accomplished playing 5 full campaigns while making the playoffs and chasing awards.
That puts FoF as equal if not longer than previous career journeys once you factor in replaying different positions. I‘m thrilled they‘ll support players who do want to go 10+ seasons with a single superstar.
My Take: Best Career Option We’ve Ever Had
As someone who has dumped countless hours into franchise player careers since Madden 05, Face of the Franchise: The League is a dream come true. The ability to switch positions while retaining stable teams and world makes it endlessly playable.
Seriously – I foresee myself nurturing multiple generations of superstars across LB, QB and WR. Then starting all over when Madden 24 arrives!
We haven‘t had a truly landmark reinvention to these modes in eons. The devs knocked it out the park by moving past the one-dimensional rookie phase while allowing for 3x+ the unique playthroughs.
Veteran Madden gamers will feel right at home with FoF. Rookies should love the quicker immersion into stardom. And the expanded freedom to shift positions will reveal gameplay depth unlike anything we‘ve seen before.
Well done, EA! This is the career renaissance franchise players have awaited. I‘ll be staying busy with Face of the Franchise when Madden 23 launches on August 19.
