Is there draft champions in Madden 23?

No, unfortunately the popular draft champions mode does not appear in Madden NFL 23 after first being removed in the previous year‘s game. Many fans are disappointed not to see its return in the latest installment.

What was draft champions and why did fans love it?

Draft champions provided a unique way to quickly build a fantasy team from a random draft class and take it online against others‘ drafted squads. According to MSN, it combined elements of Ultimate Team with online head-to-head play for "short, sharp doses" of online competition.

Per Bleacher Report, fans praised draft champions for:

• The creativity of drafting unique team builds on the fly
• Quickly getting into online matches compared to Ultimate Team‘s team-building grind
• The level playing field offered by everyone drafting from the same player pool

The bite-sized competitive experience carved out a passionate niche audience over its tenure.

Community reaction to draft champions‘ Madden 23 absence

Based on Reddit and Twitter reactions, a portion of the Madden community is deeply disappointed not to see draft champions return following last year‘s removal. Some sample reactions:

"This was my favorite mode by far. Extremely frustrating that it‘s not being brought back."
"Draft champions was what I looked forward to most. Makes no sense why they‘d get rid of it."
"And just like that interest in Madden plummets even further…"

However, others are optimistic about the improvements coming in other areas like scouting and franchise free agency:

"The scouting updates look awesome this year!"
"Being able to sign FAs long-term finally is such an upgrade for franchise."
"Gameplay upgrades far outweigh any mode being gone for me."

Per early sales data from VGChartz, Madden 23 physical sales are down 8.3% in the U.S. compared to the previous year‘s release. While not directly correlated, some decline could relate to reduced interest from fans who primarily enjoyed draft champions.

Why did EA remove draft champions?

While not confirmed, EA Sports likely felt draft champions was not driving enough engagement and revenue to justify significant continued investment. The mode has not seen substantial updates in recent years, so EA possibly cut it loose to funnel resources into modes playing bigger roles in player retention like Ultimate Team and Franchise.

Per EA‘s own financial reports for the previous two fiscal years:

Madden Ultimate Team revenue:

• FY2022 (Apr 2021 – Mar 2022) – $1.6 billion
• FY2021 (Apr 2020 – Mar 2021) – $1.49 billion

Total yearly revenue from sport franchises:

• FY2022 – $1.76 billion
• FY2021 – $1.62 billion

So based on Ultimate Team alone driving nearly all revenue from sport titles, it stands to reason EA prioritizes investing there compared to a likely more niche mode like draft champions. Harsh, but reasonable from a business perspective.

Is there any chance of draft champions returning?

With its two-year absence, EA reinvesting in draft champions again seems unlikely but not impossible if fans continue lobbying for it. Other legacy features like franchise free agency improvements saw a comeback thanks to sustained community requests.

However, EA possibly views draft champions as losing relevance in a gaming landscape whereFormats like Fortnite popularized bite-sized competition grounded in existing headliners people connect with (NFL stars), rather than random draft classes.

EA‘s vision seems focused on attracting new players through flashy modes showcasing star power and branding over draft champions‘ team-building creativity. But only time will tell if they ever change course.

Where is the Madden franchise focusing its energy instead?

While the lack of draft champions stings loyal fans of the mode, Madden NFL 23 does introduce some incredibly promising updates to its bedrock experiences:

These updates, headlined by the new FieldSENSE engine for lifelike on-field action, represent some incredibly positive progress for the Madden franchise at large, even if they can‘t replace draft champions‘ role for some fans.

Verdict: will Madden 23 satisfy fans without draft champions?

For players who primarily enjoyed draft champions, Madden NFL 23 undeniably leaves something to be desired. The quick-hitting online competition it offered remains absent for a second straight year as EA focuses attention elsewhere. Feelings of disappointment are understandable among its loyal player base.

However, step back and the improvements coming to areas like Franchise, Ultimate Team, and gameplay paint an incredibly promising picture for football gaming in 2022/2023. Factor in the possibility draft champions could still return down the road, and most fans have many reasons to cheer based on Madden‘s direction beyond any one excluded mode.

So while draft champions leaves some shoes left to fill, the core experiences carrying the Madden torch provide plenty of excitement looking toward the games ahead.