The August 28 title update for Madden NFL 26 will include some gameplay changes on defense along with a new playbook, according to the patch notes released by EA Sports. The upcoming Madden NFL 26 title update is the first since the game's launch and will also give players three new stadiums to choose from, based on venues in Germany, Spain, and Ireland.
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The title update will be *Madden NFL 26'*s first content patch since its August 14 launch on all modern platforms. The launch of EA Sports' latest entry in its football simulator franchise also marked its return to Nintendo consoles for the first time in a decade, as Madden NFL 26 is also available on Nintendo Switch 2. However, some graphical compromises were made on the Switch 2 version of Madden NFL 26 compared to other ports, and physical editions are only available as Game-Key Cards that require downloading 65 GB before the game can be played.
Nearly two weeks after the launch of Madden NFL 26, EA Sports is giving players a glimpse at the features coming in the first major title update. Once the new Madden NFL 26 content patch is released on August 28, defensive playbooks that make use of Cover 2 and Cover 4 schemes will see some changes. In the Cover 2 Tampa setup, middle defenders will now maintain their coverage leverage a bit better against wide receivers that can go deep in 3rd and long situations. Additionally, zone coverage defenders will drop back faster when using the overtop coverage option. An issue with the graphics obscuring offensive play call formations will also be addressed in Madden NFL 26's new update. Players will also have the option to play in three international stadiums in Play Now, Franchise, and Superstar modes, each one based on venues in Germany, Ireland, and Spain.
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Madden NFL 26's August 28 content update will also mark the beginning of a new partnership with former quarterback turned Madden NFL content creator Kurt Benkert. The new partnership comes in the form of a new playbook called Benkert's Dimes that can be selected in Play Now mode as an offensive playbook option. However, the new playbook's content currently remains a mystery.
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Benkert stated on Twitter that the playbook will be updated throughout the 2025-26 NFL season, and asked Madden NFL players which plays and formations they would like to see in later updates. Additional changes to Ultimate Team's Play A Friend mode now also allow each user's individual passing settings to be respected.
Madden NFL 26 Title Update Patch Notes (August 27, 2025)
Gameplay
Cover 2 Tampa - The middle defender now gets deeper, maintaining better leverage position against deep threats, especially vs. 3x1 formations.
Cover 2 Hard Flats - Addressed an issue with Hard Flats where defenders were dropping too deep and too far inside before reacting to flat routes. Defenders now drop more accurately with their zone responsibilities, improving coverage consistency in the shallow flats.
Cover 3 Match: Logic improvements for Defenders when reacting to Slot WRs attempting to outleverage the defense on deep routes. This includes Buzz Mable and Zone Blitz 3 playcalls
Cover 6 & Cover 4 Palms - Fixed an issue where Outside Quarters CBs in Cover 6 and Cover 4 Palms were oftentimes losing the press giving up easy touchdowns. We adjusted the CBs alignment so they will no longer attempt to press the WR.
Zone coverage defenders now drop back quicker when shading coverage ‘overtop’.
Fixed a post play animation defect where a defender would do “read steps” when standing in place after the whistle.
Addressed a visual issue around the previous play graphic obscuring the offensive play call formation.
We’ve also added a completely customized playbook in partnership with Kurt Benkert called “Benkert’s Dimes” - you can find it in Play Now when selecting your playbook. Stay tuned to EAMaddenNFL on X to learn more on what we’re doing with this playbook!
Presentation
Added 3 international stadiums to Play Now, Franchise, and Superstar:Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
Dublin Stadium in Ireland
Fixed crash and stability issues.
Franchise
Addressed our UI Transitions surrounding the Player Card. Reducing the transition time it takes to go into the Player Card.Dev Notes: This current fix only addresses going into the Player Card. Our resolution for exiting out of the player card back to the Franchise Main Menu will be in our next TU.
Resolved an issue allowing commissioners to send multiple league invites simultaneously.
Addressed an issue that prevented Edge Players from adding Pass Rushing Traits
Addressed an issue during the Draft where the Draft Board was improperly transparent, showing through to the background.
DEV NOTE: Here’s some of the issues we’re aware of and working on a fix in a future Title Update:
Class Import Process incorrectly modifying Player Body Types, specifically Offensive Linemen.
Players on IR unable to be peeled off the IR list.
Nose Tackle archetypes displaying a different OVR in the front end.
Superstar Mode
Fumble rate chance has been decreased in Snow Games.
Fixed an issue where players would play in the wrong position.
Fixed a rare issue where players’ knees would be invisible during the NFL Combine.
Several stability fixes.
Ultimate Team
Play A Friend will now respect each individual users passing settings
Remedied an issue where opening a Fantasy Pack after a H2H game caused visual artifacts during the pack open
Fixed an issue where rewards images failed to appear on some screens
Fixed multiple occasions where players were navigated to the wrong menu
Fixed a text issue where “Rank Down” appeared instead of “Rank Up”
Fixed an issue where progress in Ranked was not visually displaying
Fixed multiple occasions of overlapping text
Fixed an occasional crash when returning to lobbies
Items displayed during presentation did not always match their actual rarity
Audio
Fixed an issue where commentary referred to a few rookies by an incorrect last name.