Madden NFL 25 – New Gameplay Controls

While most of the controls remain the same, EA SPORTS has added some new elements that give you more control of the players on the screen than ever before. By understanding not only which new buttons to press, but when, you will be racking up more wins. There are some new ways not only to gain yardage but to take down the ball carrier.
FOR A FULL LIST OF CONTROLS, CHECK OUT THE IN-GAME MANUAL.

5 ACCELERATION BURST

PlayStation 3: R2
Xbox 360: RT

WHEN CHANGING DIRECTION, USE THE ACCELERATION BURST TO QUICKLY GET BACK UP TO SPEED!

Gone are the days of speed burst or turbo! By using the Acceleration Burst button, gamers will simply get their player running to top speed sooner. If you are a running back who is looking to hit the hole, use this button to accelerate to 100 percent of your max speed. This is great for running plays like the toss, where the player needs to wait for his blocks to be set up before going to top gear. Although the game has featured “auto-sprint” the last few seasons, you are now in full control!

4 STUMBLE RECOVERY

Pull up on the right stick when your player is falling down and the icon flashes on his player ring.

A SUCCESSFUL STUMBLE RECOVERY WILL MAKE THE RING FLASH GREEN; BAD TIMING WILL MAKE IT FLASH RED.

With the new Infinity Engine 2 in Madden NFL 25, gamers will experience their players starting to fall after taking a hit. Now that you are no longer stuck in an animation, you will sometimes be able to fight the fall and recover your balance! When this happens, a ring appears underneath your player and you have to react quickly! If you can get the timing down, your runner may recover his balance by placing a hand down on the ground. This is a great way to make highlight reel runs after the defense thinks they have already taken you down. Even if you don’t fully recover, you can still stumble forward for extra yards!

3 HEAT SEEKER

PlayStation 3: [square] while using the left stick to steer
Xbox 360: X while using the left stick to steer

IF YOU’RE ABOUT TO TAKE ON A BLOCKER, TAP THE TACKLE BUTTON TO TRY TO DIVE AROUND HIM AND BLOW UP THE PLAY!

Heat seeker is a great option for players who are looking to make the leap from beginner to average. When you’re going for tackles in Madden NFL 25, heat seeker allows you to hold down the Tackle button and continue steering the player towards the ball carrier. This is huge for beginner players who used to control defensive linemen but now want to move towards controlling a linebacker. Controlling a linebacker gives the user more control of the defense and allows for big plays all over the field. Much like ballhawk last season, heat seeker makes it easier for players to control defenders and improve their game! It works by holding down the Hit Stick or the Tackle button. Learn which situation is the best time to go for the big hit or to make the safe tackle!

2 PRECISION MOVES

PlayStation 3: L2
Xbox 360: LT

USING A PRECISION HURDLE IS THE ONLY WAY TO LEAP OVER A TACKLER IN MADDEN NFL 25!

For the first time in Madden NFL 25, gamers have more than 30 running moves to utilize. By holding down the precision modifier, gamers can unleash special moves that will leave defenders scratching their heads. Research your players’ ratings to find out what 90-plus ratings they have for certain moves. Remember that not just RBs can pull off these moves—WRs who make catches in the open field can use these moves to pick up yards after the catch!

1 COMBO MOVES

PlayStation 3: right stick
Xbox 360: right stick

TRY ROLLING THE STICK IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS TO COMBINE MOVES LIKE A TRUCK AND A SPIN!

We talked about the new hard cuts in the run game, but we can’t overlook combo moves. The ability to string together moves using the right stick opens up the running game in Madden NFL 25. A great combo move to use when a defender is approaching you at an angle is to start with a juke towards the middle and keep rolling the stick forward to lower your head for a truck. There are so many combos you can pull off in the game that it is wise to leave your thumb on the right stick when running free in Madden NFL 25! Don’t forget to try to turn precision moves into combo moves to really make highlight runs!

Ready for more? Get the complete, official guide to Madden NFL 25!

Read more New Gameplay Tips for Madden NFL 25