Madden 22: 5 features we need after EA Play Live

Madden 22 is easily one of the biggest gaming franchises that EA has, and unfortunately we didn't get any news during EA Play Live.

With all of the features we've already learned about in mind, here are five more things we're hoping to see revealed about Madden 22 after the lackluster EA Play Live.

RIP Relocation, Long Live Custom Teams in Franchise Mode

This is one of the biggest ones, and there may still be hope that we'll see it happen in Madden 22 when the game is released next month.

In recent years, Madden has adopted a relocation mechanic in Franchise Mode which requires players to start as an established team and play a significant amount before even having the option to relocate to another city.

Even once relocation is completed, players are left with predetermined team names and cities, and what Madden 22 really needs is true customization.

Being able to choose your own team name, logo, and location isn't exactly a complicated request, as other games (even previous versions of Madden) did it handily.

Face of the Franchise, but better

While there's clearly been work put into the mode in recent years, Face of the Franchise remains one of the least played parts of the Madden series.

If things don't change significantly, that's likely going to ring true in Madden 22 once again, even with them adding the chance to play as a linebacker.

Face of the Franchise needs to provide an engaging experience that feels unique, doesn't confine players without options, and has at least some replayability value.

Madden 22 needs their own Neighborhood or City

Taking a cue from competitor 2K Sports and their upcoming NBA 2K22, Madden 22 needs to implement their own version of an online space like The Neighborhood and The City in the NBA 2K series.

Expecting something to the level of The City this late in the game might be a bit much, but there may be hope to see The Yard change things up thanks to integration with Face of the Franchise.

If that connection between the modes is executed properly, it may finally pull players into online play that's outside of Ultimate Team, but that's an area where they also need some work.

MUT 22 events with less powerful cards

It might seem counterintuitive at a glance to want things to be less powerful in Ultimate Team, but it's an important element of pulling in new players.

As soon as power creep starts to happen and you see stronger and stronger cards get a bit easier to acquire, it becomes overwhelming for new players to get involved and feel like they have a chance to compete.

If your squad is people with 72 OVR ratings but every single card you see released or event you see is 95+, it's going to feel like there's no way you can catch up.

MLB The Show 21 has done this well with events requiring less powerful cards that level the playing field in a specific game mode and can help newer or less skilled players still have fun and feel like they have a chance.

Face-to-face contract negotiations in Franchise

This is something that's not uncommon for games, including MLB The Show and EA's other primary "football" title FIFA.

As Franchise Mode gets more and more upgrades, one thing that would have the option of spicing up some of the nuances of the experience would be a proper contract negotiation experience.

Direct face-to-face dialogue between either a Coach or GM, potentially even a coordinator considering the Staff Management upgrades in Madden 22, talking to a player and trying to convince them to sign with your team.

With Franchise aiming to offer a properly customizable sandbox, this is also a feature that players could have the option to turn off if they'd rather not bother with it.

Overall, it's not entirely clear what Madden 22 has in store for us after EA Play Live and their big Scouting Spotlight earlier this week, but we're hoping for more.