Madden 23 Face of the Franchise has significant pressure to deliver this year, but there are a flurry of Career Mode upgrades here to help.
We've got details on all the changes coming to Madden 23 Face of the Franchise including new features and key ones that are now gone entirely.
Madden 23 Face of the Franchise makes major changes by removing key features
We learned a few key details about Face of the Franchise when Madden 23 was initially announced, including the fact that your player won't be a rookie this time.
Breaking free of the structure they'd used last year, Face of the Franchise: The League instead drops players in as a fifth year free agent looking to finally have a breakout season.
Early stages of Face of the Franchise like playing the College Football Playoffs and the large amounts of cutscenes to open are no longer there this year.
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This is only the beginning of major changes, as the latest Gridiron Notes have revealed improvements to player-locked gameplay that also included the removal of team control.
In the past, players could flip between controlling only their player and controlling the entire team, regardless of which position they played in Face of the Franchise.
That's not the case at all this year, as players will be player-locked at all times and have to allow their teammates to handle their own jobs.
Another big thing gone from the past is the Class system that provided player archetypes for Face of the Franchise, and that's been replaced with position-focused progression.
New Features in Face of the Franchise: The League
Players can once again choose to play at Quarterback, Wide Receiver, Halfback, and Linebacker, and for the first time this year you can play as a Cornerback.
Powered by the upgraded Free Agency hub used in Franchise Mode, this year Face of the Franchise kicks off with contract offers from all 32 NFL teams.
The values of each contract varies, and they take into account different rates of earning Cred and Rep at signing and in games, Scheme Fit, and Position Need.
They've focused progression on your actual position this year while keeping things a bit more flexible, including the option to respec your player build at any time.
The upgraded League Hub includes a major improvement we noticed first in the beta, Side Activities actually feel meaningful this year.
These unique options vary week to week and provide bonuses that could improve your player, award Rep or Cred, give the full team a boost, or recover your player's Stamina.
That new system includes an Energy mechanic where doing activities depletes your overall energy, and the only way to recoup that is to leave open days without activities during the week.
This will add a new layer of strategy as players choose whether they can risk fewer bonuses one week in order to stay ready for a more difficult game down the line.
In addition, the new League Hub includes a return for 3D backgrounds in the hub itself which vary and could show your player at your standard apartment, set up in a hotel for an away game, or even in the locker room celebrating (or mourning) the last game.
There are plenty of new goals for each game, something we did see last year, but a long-term goal that's new is the Road to 99.
Players will get cutscenes throughout Face of the Franchise interacting with Madden Ratings Adjuster Chad Johnson as you work to earn your place in the coveted 99 Club.