Madden 22 is set to have a variety of upgrades and new features this year, but there are still several things it can improve on by learning from MLB The Show 21.
With Madden 22 now just a few short months away from release and the beta giving players their first look at this year's title, we take a look at the ways the title could continue to improve.
Madden 22 can learn from MLB The Show 21
MLB The Show 21 was released back in April, and the Sony San Diego title has seen widespread success despite some hiccups at launch.
No game is perfect, but MLB The Show 21 has made strides in several areas to make it arguably one of the best sports titles available today.
All of this has happened despite the struggles of MLB The Show 21 launching on Xbox consoles for the first time this year, a big step for the former PlayStation exclusive.
With the title's successes and failures in mind, here are at five things Madden 22 can learn from MLB The Show 21.
Franchise Mode needs ultimate customization
This is arguably the biggest piece of the puzzle missing from Franchise Mode, and MLB The Show 21 is doing things right in a big way.
Madden 22 is introducing several new features for Franchise this year, including Staff Management, Weekly Strategy, and more.
However, there's still no true customization option for Madden 22 Franchise, as the only way to even slightly customize your team is to start a Franchise with an existing one and then begin the relocation process.
Relocation isn't guaranteed to work, and even if it does then players are stuck choosing being preset locations, team names, and logos.
By comparison, Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 21 offers the ability to customize every aspect of a team, introduce custom logos and stadiums, and even edit all of those details for every single team in a new Franchise save.
Adding even a fraction of that level of customization would go a long way towards fixing Madden 22 Franchise in the eyes of many players.
Madden 22 needs its own Stadium Creator
This lines up somewhat with what was mentioned above, but the ability to create a Custom Stadium isn't exclusive to Franchise.
MLB The Show 21 added Stadium Creator as a next gen exclusive feature this year, and the addition has already been a hit for many fans.
Some have created ballparks inspired by other properties like Harry Potter, while others have attempted to recreate some of the most iconic stadiums in baseball history.
The possibilities are endless, and the ability to carry those creations into online play through certain areas of Diamond Dynasty is the perfect way for people to show off their work.
Make sure servers can handle the game at launch
The biggest thing MLB The Show 21 did wrong was underestimate the amount of players they'd have in the title at launch, and it didn't take long for that to become clear.
MLB The Show 21 released on April 16, 2021 for Early Access, and that immediately began a several week long stretch of severe server issues.
Several players across multiple platforms reported issues with connecting to online servers and accessing Diamond Dynasty in the first days and weeks of the game's release.
Sony San Diego even extended a Double XP Weekend event several days due to the issues many had with accessing servers and actually participating.
Madden 22 can learn from that mistake by doing everything they can to prep servers for the load that will be experienced when the title is launched.
Announce things ahead of time and stay consistent
One of the things MLB The Show 21 has done really well both inside and outside of the game is having a consistent release schedule for new content and updates.
Whether it's their biweekly roster update or the jump between each Inning Program in Diamond Dynasty, it's not hard for fans to know when to expect things.
MLB The Show 21 even has a handy frequently updated calendar in the game that shows players several upcoming events or content releases, and they're consistent about making sure things are released when they've stated.
Madden 22 has so far done well with this hype for the reveal and the new Madden All Access leading into launch, but they'll need to keep that going after the title is released.
Whether it's new content in Ultimate Team or upcoming updates in various areas, Madden 22 should aim for the same level of communications and consistency with their player base that Sony San Diego has exhibited.
Madden 22 is in desperate need of crossplay
One of the biggest things Sony San Diego got right about the launch of MLB The Show 21 on multiple platforms for the first time was the introduction of both crossplay and cross platform progression.
While the latter does exist to some extent with Madden 22, as much of your in-game progress syncs with your EA account and can be accessed when you leap to a different platforms, the same isn't true for crossplay.
Madden 22 players are still unfortunately locked into their own platform's bubble, and that means they can only play online with their friends if both of them have the same platform.
Meanwhile, MLB The Show 21 went live with crossplay between all four platforms, even mitigating the loss of next gen features by keeping Stadium Creator creations out if someone is matched against a player from a current gen platform.
The addition of Dynamic Gameday on next gen might be an additional hurdle for this, but EA Sports should absolutely try to make crossplay the norm for Madden 22 or any future titles in the series.