***UPDATE: Title Update #1 has been released for Madden NFL 18!Here are the full patch notes***
Madden NFL 18’s first post-release update/patch isexpected to arrive in mid-September. As the first official patch since release (not counting the day one update), this is widely considered the largest, most important patch of the Madden lifecycle, and usually the one people wait for before beginning their Connected Franchise. So what can we expect to be fixed or changed with the September update?
While EA has not yet released official patch notes, Madden Creative Director Rex Dickson has essentially created a running change-log via responses on Twitter. It’s important to note that his responses are in no way official patch notes, but they do give us a good indication of what changes and fixes will be included in the patch.
Here are some of the fixes we can expect with Madden NFL 18’s September Update:
Defensive Improvements
Zone Defense and Pass Rush will be “tuned up slightly.” This is the “main gameplay tuning focus,” according to Rex. Here’s an example of broken coverage:
Watch the left CB. Why would he react that way? @RexDEAFootball @AWhite_73 @SickNastySykes Dime Cover 3 Match from MIN playbook I believe pic.twitter.com/ZoO9YxZiws
— Mike Peters (@realmajesty95) August 28, 2017
That Ridiculous Wildcat Formation and Pancaking Your Defenders
By now, you’ve probably all seen videos of the wildcat formation. This year’s biggest “cheese” formation where the offense lines up in the Shotgun with only two offensive lineman at the line of scrimmage, with the rest spread out. This causes your defense to spread out automatically, making it impossible to defend the forthcoming play. This is apparently a bug and it will be fixed in the update! In the meantime, Rex suggests putting 8 in the box and Base align .
Trade Logic
Madden NFL 18 was supposed to improve AI trade logic to prevent unfair trades. It only took minutes for players to find loopholes. EA is “working on a fix,” according to Rex.
So about that CFM trade tuning… Took all of five minutes to get Aaron Rodgers and likely #1 pick in upcoming draft. pic.twitter.com/iY9LXCLlhm
— Deuce Douglas (@DeuceDouglas) August 28, 2017
Overpowered Jukes
Ball carrier Jukes are WAY too overpowered at the moment. They are being toned down a little. It’s apparently “on the list.”
That’s on the list.
— Rex Dickson (@RexDEAFootball) August 28, 2017
Upgrades/Traits in CFM
There’s apparently a bug where players can not buy traits for their players in Connected Franchise Mode. They are getting the “package cannot be purchased” message. EA is aware of and working on a fix.
Kickoff Returns for TDs
There’s an insane number of kickoffs being returned for Touchdowns, way above the NFL average. The team is working on toning that down.
Once again, this is just a rough running list of fixes and changes we will hopefully see with Madden NFL 18’s title update, which is targeted to release in mid-September.
If you know of any other fixes that EA has mentioned, let us know in the comments and we’ll add them!
