How Many Years Can You Play in Madden 23‘s Face of the Franchise Mode?
The revamped Face of the Franchise (FtFo) in Madden NFL 23 shakes up the familiar career formula by having you take control of a 5-year veteran looking for their breakthrough, rather than a rookie. This leads many to wonder – just how long can you guide this player before retirement beckons?
Expect at Least 5 Quality Seasons
Based on early gameplay footage and reports from seasoned Madden players testing out the new FtFo, you can comfortably expect to play through 5 complete seasons and likely more before hitting the twilight of your player‘s career.
Unlike past modes centered around unproven rookies, the rating progression system here is tailored around breakout candidates already in their prime physical years yet to put together an All Pro caliber portfolio.
As one Redditor with early access notes:
"I‘m towards the end of my 6th season in FtFo and my player still feels dominant enough to keep going into Year 7 if I wanted to take the grind that far – he just hit the 98 OVR mark last season."
So while hard caps around 10 seasons likely still exist behind the scenes, from a practical standpoint you have enough time with the new player model archetype to enjoy 5-7 high caliber seasons in your quest to build a Hall of Fame resume before limitations manifest.
Progression System Allows for Multiple Quality Years
To understand why the timeline extends comfortably past just a couple seasons, let‘s examine how the underlying progression system works in FtFo 23:
- Start with high Initial ratings befitting veteran status
- Early rapid development years leading to 90+ OVR rating
- Chance to unlock special X-Factors based on positional goals
- Incremental ratings climb towards peak 99 OVR plateau
- Potential skills decline mirroring real NFL aging curve
Unlike a rookie progression journey which can feel like a long grind to work into a contributor role, FtFo players already start within striking distance of elite status.
As you enter the back half of your physical prime closer to Year 5 however, earning those last few precious rating points does require consistent peak performance to fend off decline.
Projection: 6-8 Quality Seasons Possible
In the table below, we can map out the rough career projection for a skilled FtFo player able to minimize aging effects through tremendous production and achievement milestones:
| Year # | OVR Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 86 OVR | High potential ratings out of the gate |
| 2 | 92 OVR | Early peak with X-Factor unlocked |
| 3 | 95 OVR | Maintaining progression via goals/ achievements |
| 4 | 97 OVR | Nearing apex entering prime years |
| 5 | 99 OVR | Elite peak season(s) |
| 6 | 98 OVR | Slight regression inevitable |
| 7 | 95 OVR | Skills decline but savvy play possible |
| 8 | 90 OVR | Twilight diminishing value |
So in a best case career, we see a dominant four years enjoying a 99 peak rating sandwiched between quality early success and a couple twilight competent years before the inevitable force of aging kicks in.
This largely matches with prior era limits – the difference here is the elimination of 1-2 baptismal rookie years allowing you to maximize high level impact seasons.
The Case to Push Limits Even Further
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