Madden NFL Fans Stir Up Twitter Campaign Over This Year's Slim Franchise Mode Updates

Madden's modes have evolved over years and years of development, but Franchise has always been a core pillar for a devoted sect of fans. After Electronic Arts revealed the updates coming to Franchise in Madden NFL 21 though, Franchise devotees don't seem too happy with what is—or rather, isn't—on the way.

A blog update detailing the updates for both Face of the Franchise, a.k.a. Madden's story mode, and what EA is calling "Classic Franchise" went live yesterday. While Face of the Franchise has some interesting tidbits, like NFL storylines and even an appearance from Snoop Dogg, the footer listing the updates to the newly-renamed "Classic Franchise" is underwhelming.

The most notable updates are the new X-Factors being included in franchise, as well as an expanded Wild Card Playoff round to match the real NFL. The rest are minor changes, some even fixes, that read similar to patch notes for an ongoing, evolving service game.

Madden has been a series of increments for years, but franchise fans seem to have had their fill with this year's update. A hashtag has spun up on social media, calling on EA to "#FixMaddenFranchise," and it's got some heat behind it.

Franchise fans seem dejected over the focus on Ultimate Team and Face of the Franchise, with some theorizing that the renaming to Classic Franchise is a signal that the mode is becoming a Legacy feature.

Even Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson joined in on it, reposting a meme about the struggling mode. The Madden subreddit is also currently filled to the brim with meme posts. It seems like a lot of Madden mainstays are feeling left out of the plans for this year and the jump to next-gen football.

Considering EA has already landed in some hot water over its next-gen upgrade plans, this year's Madden isn't off to a good start. There's still some time to right the ship, or at least set something in motion; but only just, as Madden NFL 21 is currently set to launch on August 28 for PC and current-gen consoles.