Madden 23 tips with 7 tricks to know before you play

Madden 23 tips are already proving useful at this early stage of the new season. With franchise mode tweaked again and Ultimate Team always packing surprises, we've rounded up the key Madden 23 intel below. There's also an explanation of sliders, a look at the new passing system, and other essential nuggets to steer you towards Gridiron glory. Bookmark GR’s Madden 23 tips guide to stay on course for a Hall of Fame year.

1. Use sliders to get the Madden that suits you

No Madden game is perfect but, instead of tossing the disc aside in a rage, there’s a simple way to help ‘fix’ any issues you might have.

For many Madden vets, this will feel as automatic as a Brady/Gronk touchdown – but it’s worth flagging all the same: head into the settings on the main menu (or in the Franchise menu) to bring up in-game sliders (from 1 to 100) that affect everything from QB accuracy to how tired players get. Practically every element of the game can be tinkered in some way.

Feel free to experiment while you’re under the hood, but we’d recommend upping the Fumbles rating on both CPU and Player Skill so they occur less frequently. Lowering the QB accuracy (to stop the CPU turning Mariota into Mahomes) and increasing the various specific penalty ratings will immediately make the game a less frustrating experience. Feel free to dial up the quarter length to around 9-10 minutes in Franchise mode, too, for a more realistic stat line.

It’s not an exact science, but it’s one that can alleviate a lot of headaches as you get used to the new game. In truth, it should be the first port of call for Madden users every year.

2. Don’t be afraid to try the new passing system

Change is good. Honest. In Madden 23, EA offers players three ways to pass: the classic method (which is the same as last year’s game), plus two skill-based passing control schemes: Placement and Power & Placement and Accuracy.

The latter two turn passing into a mini-game-of-sorts that requires your QB to hold down the power meter in the Power scheme or to get the timing right in a swing meter – not too dissimilar to field goals – for Accuracy. On top of that, there’s also a Free-Form Passing mode with L2/LT that lets receivers break off from their routes – perfect for busted coverage.

Our best advice is to get very comfortable with the new passing system(s) in the tutorials before going into gameday. Once you’re up to speed, the Accuracy mode in particular helps give a greater degree of freedom to your passing, and even makes curl routes a more viable option this year rather than the risky throw of recent years. Better yet, if you don’t click with the new system then you can go back to the tried-and-tested classic mode.

3. Don’t use up all your salary cap in the first season

It may be tempting to spend the big bucks to get your dynasty off to a quick start in Franchise Mode, but a subtle change to the financial system – to mirror real-life – means it pays to hold off on mega deals in the first season.

Cap space now rolls over to the second season. That gives you a perfect opportunity to hoover up Free Agents in the offseason. We’ve found Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow can be signed up in 2025 if you’re thinking about snagging a franchise QB a few seasons in with the spare cash.

4. Get to grips with Player Tags – and new motivations

Player Tags are one of the most important new features to come to Franchise Mode in years. In essence, these players will get a label – Day 1 Starter, Award Winner, Franchise QB, and so on – that helps shake up NFL teams and makes both yours and the AI’s roster builds far more realistic.

Mentor is one of the best Player Tags we’ve used so far. Having one (or more) on your team allows every player in that position to gain extra XP during weekly training. That, when coupled with the new motivations feature – a series of specific conditions from team prestige to location that can convince a player to sign during negotiations – makes building a complete roster far more challenging and satisfying this year.

5. Your first contract matters in Face of the Franchise

Face of the Franchise has changed in Madden 23. Instead of fighting for snaps as a rookie, you’re parachuted in as an automatic fifth-year free agent and starter. Of course, you can pick your favorite team but we’d recommend opting for whoever has the biggest signing bonus to begin with. More Rep, more points to play with when building your player from the jump – which is essential if you’re trying out the tricky new Cornerback position.

6. MUT Champions should be your Ultimate Team home – and you can play it whenever

Goodbye Weekend League, hello MUT Champions. Progress far enough in the new battle pass-style Competitive Pass and you’ll be able to snap a Champs Entry Token. Far from the sugar rush of a weekend binge of years past, MUT Champions gives you the freedom to play 25 games in a week across all seven days. It’s by far the best – and most fulfilling – method to get the big rewards early on MUT this year, so be sure to put all your hours into that when you can.

7. Mash the A/X button when running downhill

Tackle Battles – the act of mashing A (or X on PlayStation 4 and 5) when met with a conservative tackle – are back in Madden 23. When playing with big, burlier running backs, it should become second nature to start hammering on the button to drag your player on for those extra yards. It can be the difference between a crucial first down or going three-and-out.

If you’re struggling to stop a runner on the other side of the ball, you can use R2/RT at the line of scrimmage to sidestep a block and come in hard on whoever is carrying the football with a big hit stick tackle. Ordinary tackles will get punished more this year – and players can often slip free for big gains.