Madden 21 X-Factor Abilities: Confirmed for new game, tuned & improved, fresh abilities, closed beta & more

Fans have been anxiously awaiting news about what exactly is to come for Madden 21 gameplay.

We now know that one huge step will be the return of X-Factor abilities, which help superstars stand out from the crowd.

While we don't have footage of the closed beta due to banned capturing, we do have the reports of many players that were invited to the massive event.

Let's go over some of the abilities that have come from these accounts, and what we should expect in Madden 21.

X-Factor abilities confirmed for Madden 21

SUPERSTAR: Elite players got a boost in Madden 20 thanks to X-Factors

According to the accounts of many players claiming to have participated in the closed beta, we have a number of new X-Factor abilities supposedly coming to Madden 21.

While we haven't been able to fully confirm all abilities due to a ban on capturing footage of the closed beta, most of these abilities have been included in several different reports.

Let's go over some of the most exciting abilities that have been detailed by multiple accounts and even some supposedly leaked beta footage:

• Truzz (Lamar Jackson) - Can't fumble as a result of a tackle

This ability is supposedly an exclusive for Lamar Jackson, and will protect Jackson from fumbling the ball to a tackle during its duration. This will be huge for big game changing moments and game-winning drives.

• Tight Out - Consistent catching from TEs who beat their coverage

This ability will help players who love to utilize tight ends as an outlet to open up wide receivers on deeper routes. This will add even more consistency to TEs that are fast and able to break past defenders, even on shorter routes.

• Double Me - Wins aggressive catches vs. single coverage

This is a huge ability that will let top tier elite wide receivers feel that way in game by drawing the proper amount of extra help from the defense. The NFL is filled with players that need double coverage, and this needs to be reflected in Madden to reflect the effect on opening the rest of the field.

• Route Technician - Quicker cuts while running routes

This will help with speedy, technical route runners and help them beat defenders with their cuts. This will be a huge impact on short routes.

• Bazooka - Max throwing distance increased by 15 yards

This ability will help powerful quarter backs properly cover the field on long throws in comparison to the competition.

• Dashing Deadeye - Perfect passing accuracy on the run up to 40 yards

This ability will be one of the most frustrating when playing against elite QBs. Just when you think you've sprung the trap and have forced the QB out of the pocket, this ability will come through for perfect throws despite the pressure. Since Madden is looking to break up the run-game meta in the series, this is a good place to start.

• Rac 'Em Up - Wins RAC catches vs. single coverage

There are many top tier receivers that present more of a threat on RAC catches than deeper routes, and this ability will help those players stand out against light single-coverage, and even help them draw defensive attention away from deeper threats.

Abilities tuned for year 2

In a recent developer stream, EA stated they are tuning the the abilities for better in-game balance. What does that mean?

Some WR abilities will be tweaked to make them less hyper-specific to routes run and more about areas of the field.

On the flip side, defensive coverage abilities were a bit too catch-all. They will be broken up into multiple versions that grant bonuses in covering certain spaces, mirroring the receiver abilities.

Pass leads will also be tuned to avoid frustrating overthrows.

These ideas are reflected in what we've heard so far from players that participated in the Madden 21 closed beta, and we can only hope EA keeps up with it. Granted, some abilities could obviously use some powering down.

Madden 21 release date

Madden 21 has a release date of 28 August.

The MVP Edition will bring with it three days of early access, letting players start their Super Bowl journey on 25 August.

READ MORE: Madden 21 Ratings: Best players prediction – Mahomes, Donald & more

Have an opinion on this article? We'd love to hear it!

Join the conversation