Beginner Guides
How Player Ratings Work in Sports Games
What overall ratings measure, how attributes are weighted by position, and how badges, PlayStyles and potential work in FC, 2K, Madden and The Show.
Madden NFL
Tips & Settings
Difficulty Levels and Sliders in Sports Games Explained
What really changes between Rookie and the hardest level, how gameplay sliders work in Madden, NBA 2K, MLB The Show and NHL, and how sim slider sets are built.
Series Histories
Madden NFL Series History: How John Madden Football Became an Annual Institution
From a 1988 Apple II release to Madden NFL 27: how EA's football series grew, won an exclusive NFL license and became a yearly ritual.
Beginner Guides
Madden NFL for Beginners: Play Calling, Controls and Modes
New to Madden? Read the play-call screen, throw lob, touch and bullet passes, run, defend, and choose between Franchise, Superstar and MUT.
Beginner Guides
Sports Video Games Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to the Major Series
Who makes EA Sports FC, NBA 2K, Madden, MLB The Show and NHL, how the yearly release model works, and which game modes to expect, as of October 2026.