In addition to the FieldSENSE Deep Dive, Official Reveal Trailer, Pre-Order Details, and Madden NFL 23 Closed Beta Info we received today, EA has also put out a Gridiron Notes article on Foundational Football Gameplay Updates. The main focus of the article is on pass coverage, pass rush, and QB contain, with a few other key gameplay updates mixed in as well. The most newsworthy bit of information is probably the fact that Escape Artist in Madden NFL 23 will become an X-Factor instead of a Passive Ability. Once the activation requirement has been met, Escape Artist will have a reduced effect compared to previous years.
Check out more info on updates coming to Madden NFL 23 below:
Pass Coverage
Spot-Drop Zones
Instead of a mixture of spot-drop zones and match coverages like in Madden NFL 22, the default zone logic in M23 will be spot-drop zones, meaning the zone displayed on the play-art screen will be the source of truth for zone assignments. Match coverage will still be accessible through Coach Adjustments.
Drift Logic for Deep Zone Defenders
Drift Logic is new in M23 and prevents players in a zone assignment from drifting too far up the field without having a vertical threat in their area. This will allow players to recognize receivers entering their zone and react sooner, helping reduce the window created on crossers that plagued Madden 22.
Zone Defender Locomotion
Defensive Backs in M23 will back-pedal, flip their hips, strafe and look back at the ball more smoothly and realistically than in previous versions of Madden, thanks to all-new animations with AI support. This should help tighten up some of those windows in zone coverage.
Route Specific Break-on-Throw Logic
Defenders in M23 will detect and make faster breaks on routes meant to be taken away by their zone assignment. For example, a hard flat zone aggressively breaks on a route to the flat instead of leveraging deeper routes first. Another example is a deep outside third defender in Cover 3 breaking faster when a corner route enters their zone.
New End Zone Coverage Logic
In Madden 22, you may have noticed deep zone defenders getting confused by inside breaking routes and leaving the corners of the end zone wide open. Madden 23 looks to address that issue by adjusting the logic to keep those defenders on the outside and let the route come to them before breaking on a throw.
DB Catch vs Swat
Tuning has been made to better balance "play ball", "play receiver", and "swat" actions in pass coverage. Users will now need to use a wider variety of actions besides always going for the interception.
Pass Rush and QB Contain
Quicker Get Offs for All Pass Rushers
Pass rushers in M23 will get off the ball much quicker, resulting in less time for the QB. A more natural pocket will form, forcing the QB to step up or rely on a check-down to avoid the pressure.
Rush Lane Integrity
Adjustments have been made to the logic and playbook assignments of pass rushers, allowing them to maintain the integrity of their rushing lanes (gaps) and avoid getting in each other's way.
Disengage Improvements
In an effort to battle the overpowered mobile QB in Madden 22, M23 has improved disengage animations for pass rushers, allowing them to react to a QB scrambling outside of the pocket much sooner. Prediction AI for defenders has also been improved so they can predict and react to when a QB is about to scramble and actually keep them contained.
Blocking
New pass block animations have been added to Madden 23 to create better balance and authenticity to the formation and collapse of the pocket around the QB. Add-On Blocks were covered in the FieldSENSE Deep Dive, but are worth mentioning again since blockers will now have the ability to enter and exit blocks seamlessly.
Additional Foundational Football Improvements
Catching
New context-sensitive catching animations have been added to Madden 23 that allows your receiver to use the appropriate catching animation no matter where the ball is thrown. For example, throwing to a receiver's back shoulder will result in a back-shoulder catch animation.
Playbooks
Users will find a lower number of plays in defensive formations in Madden NFL 23. However, the available plays should now hold up better from an alignment, pass coverage, and run defense perspective. Offensive playbooks have also been trimmed down a bit with more focus placed on designing a playbook specific to that particular team's style and playcalling on Sundays.
AI-Quarterbacks
AI-controlled quarterbacks in Madden NFL 23 have been tuned to better differentiate between QBs with high awareness ratings and those with low awareness ratings. Quarterbacks with a high awareness rating will make the right decision more often than not, while low awareness QBs are more inclined to throw in traffic or miss an open read.
Injuries
New injury animations have been added to M23 for players who are running, standing, and battling in the trenches. Instead of seeing an injured player sprinting back to the huddle, injured players will now remain on the ground until they are assisted off the field by the training staff.
Signature Content
New signature animations and touchdown celebrations have been captured for Madden NFL 23 in an effort to better replicate the mannerisms of some of the NFL's top players.
Which update to Madden NFL 23 sounds most exciting to you?
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