EA has dropped a new title update for Madden 21, and another patch soon after to fix it!
Let's go over its Gridiron Notes, plus all the latest Madden 21 news you need to know.
Latest News - The '50' and MUT Series 2 now live!
Arguably one of the most exciting MUT 21 programs yet, The 50 includes 91 OVR players, who can really shake things up in Madden 21 Ultimate team.
POWERHOUSES: You definitely want these guys on your side!
Madden 21 Ultimate Team Series 2 is also here!
READ MORE: Madden 21 Ultimate Team MUT 21 Series 2
With it comes the Series Redux set, MUT level updates, new Team Affinity Team Builder cards, and Series 2 Trophies.
New Update Hotfixes Receivers
Madden 21's September Title Update made some major sweeping changes, and we'll get to those below.
But since its release, a new bug cropped up causing receivers to drop passes at an impossibly high rate.
READ MORE: All The Current MUT 21 LTDs
With another small hotfix update, EA are addressing this bug in a new update live now!
Kick meter fix
EA has finally fixed the kick meter!
It should no longer hitch during field goal situations, which has been the bane of every H2H player in MUT and all the CFM leagues.
New Superstar Abilities
Another headline is that new Abilities have been added.
Three Abilities are now in the game. They are:
- Run Committed - Defenders with this ability will dominantly win run blocks when they correctly use the Guess Play adjustment to predict a run. Incorrect guesses will result in a loss.
- Pass Committed - Defenders with this ability will win pass blocks when they correctly use the Guess Play adjustment to predict a pass. Incorrect guesses will result in a loss.
- Deflator - Defenders with this ability will cause increased fatigue penalties when tackling a Ball Carrier with a non-conservative tackle.
COMMITTMENT: Guess Play now has a bigger impact, if you have the right Ability
EA has also addressed an issue with Enforcer that was causing CPU defenders to use hit-stick too often and cause more fumbles that intended.
Gameplay updates
A few things have changed with regards to gameplay. Let's break it down section by section...
Ball carrier
The QB slide functionality has been updated so that double-tapping dive will now always be slide. Further, EA has fixed an issue that would sometimes allow the QB to enter a tackle animation while attempting to slide, which could lead to fumbles.
They have also fixed QBs pitching the ball with the wrong hand on option plays.
The Jurdle animation has been tweaked to reduce over-steering. More ball carrier fixes include stumbling after leg contact, and fixing the frequent stumbles when contacting blockers.
Defensive coverage
On defense they have fixed a cheese play. Bunch Verticals Flanker Motion-Snap no longer has an exploit against cover 3 and cover 4.
EA has addressed a motion issue that caused DBs in man coverage to swap responsibilities in correctly, leaving someone uncovered.
The same fix has happened to CB/LB mismatches that were happening, while man coverage vs wheel routes has been improved.
COVER IT UP: A few glitched plays will now be defended properly
Multiple defensive alignment issues against motion have been fixed, including the slow reaction times by DBs.
There have also been fixes that should make RPO Alert players more defensible.
Tackling
EA has tuned several tackling animations that prevented tackles from happening against juke moves. The OL warp has also been fixed.
CPU players will no longer celebrate during a live fumble either.
Catching
Multiple issues with the ball going through players on swat and catch attempts have been fixed.
Player ratings will now have a much heavier impact on the outcome of aggressive catches, especially diving and jumping ones.
Teammates will now catch pitches more reliably on kickoff returns, while the ball physics will now bounce off players more realistically.
General fixes
Players will no longer be able to grief with endless false start penalties. Three consecutive false starts, delay of game, or any combination will result in a boot.
The FB and offset TE will no longer collide post-snap. The weird player-swap that was happening on offense of guards at WR and QBs at tackle has been fixed.
CPU teams should also be better at calling running plays to eat clock in time management situations, while CPU QB rollouts will be more realistic.
Ultimate Team updates
As promised, EA has made a few improvements to MUT.
- Improved the accuracy of difficulty descriptions for Challenges
- Various quality of life improvements among different MUT UI screens
- Addressed an exploit where users could complete one play challenges and get bonus XP
- Updated logic to address player feedback that the play clock would wind down to the point where pre-snap adjustments were difficult to execute
SAY WHAT: MUT descriptions will be more accurate now
- Addressed an issue allowing users to intentionally leave certain positions in the depth chart empty to get receivers to auto-sub in at the tight end positions, and then use this to exploit the ‘audibles by personnel’ feature in gameplay; with this change, you will now get defensive players subbed into any offensive position that is left empty on the depth chart, which will prevent any audibles from those sets as the defender doesn’t fit any offensive personnel packages
- Addressed a gameplay issue specific to Ultimate Team where specific QB’s would cause bad snaps over his head occasionally on Jet Sweep types of plays
Franchise updates
The stability of Face of the Franchise has been improved, while new cutscenes have been added for the NFL MVP in The Comeback storyline.
Auto should also play correctly at the high school field now, while several storyline logic, rewards, and typos have been fixed. As has performance issues in the first High School game.
In Franchise Mode, user inputs should be more reliable in Formation Subs screen, while Slow Sim should be better for PS4 users.
Veteran players will no longer receive Rookie of the Year votes.
The Yard updates
Here are the updates for The Yard:
- Added visual indicator for whether you are viewing H2H or versus CPU events
- Added your own score to Frienderboard display
- Fixed issues around player control and loot round drafts
- Corrected an issue where abilities would not display correctly if accessed in quick succession
- Fixed an issue where maxed out prototypes would display blank rewards
- Stability and online connectivity improvements
- Fixed an issue where CPU-controlled quarterbacks were always getting sacked when the play matchup was Trips Verts Hook vs Safe Zone Blitz
- Patched the Slot Streak being open every time when running Deep Dish vs 1 Deep Zone Blitz
- Fixed an issue causing the ball to warp between the passer’s hands while throwing out of a sack
- Addressed an issue causing the offensive receiver icons to sometimes appear after the defense had made an interception in the backfield, which could result in the defender unintentionally passing the ball back to offensive players when attempting skill moves
- Fixed an issue preventing players from attempting to recover a loose ball after a fumbled pitch or lateral
Presentation updates
- Updated helmet and chinstrap placement lots of high profile players who have changed helmets like Derek Carr, Devin Bush, Denzel Ward and Alex Smith to name a few
- Fixed an issue with Titans AFL jersey
- Updated multiple generic heads with newer high-quality ones
READ MORE: The best playbooks in Madden 21
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