Franchise Mode Guide: How to Play and New Features

Franchise mode lets you take on the role of Owner or Coach of a team throughout several seasons in Madden NFL 25. Learn how to play Franchise Mode, the best tips for Franchise Mode, the differences between Owner and Coach role, and all the new features of Franchise Mode in this guide!

How to Play Franchise Mode

How to Play Franchise Mode
Set Up Roster Type Choose a Team Choose Between Owner or Coach Role

Set Up Roster Type

Before beginning Franchise Mode, you will have to choose between Weekly NFL Roster or Roster File.

Weekly NFL Roster allows you to pick a specific NFL week to start in. Roster File lets you start during Week 1 of the Preseason or Regular Season, or hold a Fantasy Draft before starting the game mode. Starting at Week 1 of the Regular Season also lets you import Draft Classes.

Best Roster Size

Choose a Team

In Franchise Mode, you can select any existing NFL team that you want to manage or coach. Alternatively, you can import a custom-made team using the Team Builder feature.

Best Teams to Use in Franchise Mode

Choose Between Owner or Coach Role

Choose between the role of Owner or Coach. As an Owner, you have the full authority of managing the team's roster and staff, maintaining the stadium, as well as filling in the role of the coach.

As a Coach, you also have the responsibilities of handling the roster and staff, but you won't be able to set prices on merchandise and other products that your team is selling, and you won't be able to upgrade the stadium's facilities and amenities. You will however, have access to relocating the stadium.

Best Franchise Mode Role: Coach or Owner?

Select a Backstory for a Starting Advantage

There are 3 Owner backstories that you can choose from, with each providing you a starting advantage in money or overall happiness. Meanwhile, Coaches have 2 backstories and each one will unlock a certain starting talent depending on the backstory that you picked.

Play as an Existing Coach (Optional)

Alternatively, you can choose to play as an existing real-life Head Coach in Franchise Mode. The major advantage to this is that you will already have some pre-existing Talents unlocked compared to a coach that you created from scratch.

Franchise Mode Tips

Franchise Mode Tips
Upgrade Attributes of Players Upgrade, Rebuild, or Relocate Stadium Complete Season Goals Complete Staff Goals Improve Attributes in Training Camps Maintain Fan Happiness Take Part in Storylines for Bonuses Choose a Good Playbook and Scheme Acquire Players You Need via Trading

Upgrade Attributes of Players

Skill Points are earned after playing a game, and you can use them to upgrade a player's attributes and increase their OVR rating.

All Stats and Attributes Explained

Upgrade, Rebuild, or Relocate Stadium

You can upgrade and renovate your team's stadium facilities and amenities to increase happiness. You can even rebuild it to increase seating capacity, which generates more money as more fans would be able to attend games.

To attract even more fans, you can relocate the stadium to a city where football is a major interest among its population.

All Relocation Cities and Teams

Complete Season Goals

During Week 1 of the Regular Season, Head Coaches can pick a Season Goal that they want to fulfill before the season ends. These usually include achieving a certain number of wins. Completing these will earn you Staff Points that you can use to unlock Talents for yourself and your fellow staff members.

The harder a Season Goal, the greater the risk of you getting fired for not completing it.

Complete Staff Goals

Talent Points are earned by choosing a Staff Goal for each staff member and fulfilling them. You can use these points to unlock Talents in their Talent Tree. Most of the available talents benefit the players' growth by boosting their Attribute ratings and XP rates, as well as increasing the likelihood of Free Agents to sign into your team.

Improve Attributes in Training Camps

Before the season officially begins, you can hold training camps for your team where you'll be playing mini games to improve their ratings and attributes. The higher the score you get in these mini games, the more XP you will earn for your players.

Maintain Fan Happiness

Generally, the happier your fans are, the more merchandise, concessions, and tickets they will buy, which means more money for you to earn and spend.

Keep fans happy by selling tickets at reasonable prices, upgrading stadium facilities, winning games, and signing popular players on your team.

Take Part in Storylines for Bonuses

When playing as a Coach, always participate in an available Storyline since these can positively impact the team's morale, player growth, and will sometimes provide a boost to a certain player's attribute for a few games.

Choose a Good Playbook and Scheme

In Franchise Mode, you're free to select a Playbook of any NFL team. Another thing to think about are Schemes, which affect how your players will run the play. Be sure to pick a scheme with a high Scheme Fit percentage in order to get the best results.

Best Franchise Playbooks and Schemes

Acquire Players You Need via Trading

You can trade with other teams to acquire players that you need. Try getting players who play Positions that your team is sorely lacking, or young players who have a lot of potential to become future stars of your franchise.

How to Make Good Trades in Franchise Mode

Franchise Mode Owner and Coach Differences

Owners Can Set Prices and Upgrade Stadium

Owners have the ability to set prices on merchandise, concessions, and tickets, which give them full control over their finances. They also have the ability to upgrade facilities and amenities of their team's stadiums to increase Fan Happiness.

While Coaches can also manage Stadiums, they are only limited to relocating and rebuilding them, not upgrading each facility.

Coaches Can Participate in Storylines

Coaches on the other hand, can take part in Dynamic Storylines, a new feature in Madden NFL 25 which puts you in a choice-driven mini-story where your answers can positively or negatively impact player morale and growth.

Franchise Mode New Features

NFL Draft Night

The NFL Draft Night is a new feature in Madden NFL 25's Franchise mode, which allows you to choose rookies to join your team and witness them walking on the stage holding up their new jersey. An all new Prospect Board has also been added and drafting players are made easier since you can now easily navigate through their Attributes and where they excel at.

Best Players to Draft in Franchise Mode

Dynamic Storylines

Dynamic Storylines in Franchise mode will affect your relationship with players, their overall growth and morale, and the team's culture.

Import a Team From Team Builder

Team Builder lets you create your own team from the ground up and use that team in Franchise Mode. Some neat features include designing your team's logo, an option to create each player on the roster, as well as personalizing uniforms, helmets, stadium, and on-field logos!

In addition, you can upload your custom-made team online, or download another player's team and import them in your Franchise mode.

Team Builder Guide

Madden NFL 25 Related Guides

List of All Game Modes

All Game Modes

All Franchise Mode Guides

All Superstar Mode Guides

All Ultimate Team Mode Guides