Madden NFL 24 Releases First-Look Gameplay Footage, Showcasing Beta Changes

Madden NFL 24 will be in players’ hands on August 18, which means the team at EA Sports has the franchise’s marketing machine running at full steam. Today, the developers dropped a nearly 30-minute new video showing two pro players taking the virtual field to duke it out. One player took Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, while the other took Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. In the slugfest of a game, the pros were joined by gameplay designer Spade Isaac Etheridge to help break down some of the changes the team has made after the closed beta wrapped up.

As you’d expect, the 30-minute video was full of new tidbits of information from Spade. With pros Dez and CleffTheGod using old meta tactics from Madden NFL 23, they were quickly discovering all of the many changes made to Madden 24. For example, on the very first drive, Dez noted that he’d tried to use press coverage on Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, but Diggs broke away more easily than in previous years. Spade explained that the team wants players to fear those top-tier receivers, so you can’t just press them every down because now they’ll burn you for big chunk plays.

Of course, that’s just one small anecdote from the video. We also see things like highball throws being much tougher to complete this year, better scrambling (though not as easy as Madden 22), and improved zone coverage. That last thing is something the devs have been talking about since we had a sitdown chat with Spade and game designer Kenneth Boatwright when Madden 24 was announced. The team is very focused on putting foundational football into Madden this year, and one of the big ways it’s doing that is by using the “see ball play ball” method. Essentially, if the player can’t see the ball, they won’t make a play on it, opening up the opportunity for better zone coverage and much less magical warping when trying to break up the ball.

Again, that’s just the tip of the iceberg with this lengthy gameplay trailer. If you’re looking forward to Madden NFL 24, it’s worth checking out the full thing, even if you’re a more casual player who isn’t using all the tactics the pros employ. It’s still full of little takeaways that will give you an edge when Madden 24 launches on August 18 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.