The Franchise Mode Weekly Recap Is a Step Back EA

This year’s Franchise Mode Weekly Recap feels like a hollow afterthought—nothing like the gold standard ESPN NFL 2K5 show that still sets the bar for how a recap should look and feel. Back in 2004, NFL 2K5 delivered dynamic camera angles, real-time storylines, and sharp, context-driven commentary that made you feel every pivotal moment. Madden 26’s recap, by contrast, slaps together generic clips, robotic voice-overs, and templated stats with zero insight. It’s obvious EA once again took the lazy route.

EA’s focus isn’t on giving us an immersive Franchise Mode experience; it’s on milking the so-called “cancer” that is Ultimate Team. Every microtransaction, player pack, and daily coin grind screams loud and clear: “We don’t want to build the best game, we just want more revenue.” Meanwhile, the dev teams who once crafted deep strategic options and compelling story arcs are sidelined to pump out yet another pack sale.

But we, the gamers, aren’t innocent in this cycle. By pre-ordering unfinished games and funneling cash into Ultimate Team, we’ve built EA’s business model around half-baked features and endless monetisation. If we truly want to see Franchise Mode flourish again, it’s time to hit EA where it hurts in their bottom line. No more early access cheerleading. No more weekly UT spending.

Imagine the message we’d send if thousands of players held their wallets: “We won’t reward lazy updates or pay for recycled features.” When Ultimate Team revenue dips, EA’s higher-ups will finally realize that stripping resources from core game modes costs them more than a few pack sales ever will.

Let’s demand the return of the real weekly recap a showcase of in-depth analysis, meaningful story arcs, and polished production values like we saw in NFL 2K5. If enough of us refuse to fund unfinished games and toxic microtransactions, we can push Madden back onto the shoulders of its devs instead of EA’s finance team.