Madden NFL 22 hasn't officially been confirmed, but it seems as close to certain as one can be that it will be coming this year. While an argument can be made that Electronic Arts should take a year off from the Madden NFL series, there's very little chance that will actually happen. Assuming there is going to be another chapter in the franchise, there should be a concerted effort when it comes to the quality of the game. In short, whatever is offered in Madden NFL 22, it needs to be a big debut compared to how Madden NFL 21 was launched.

The launch of Madden NFL 21 led to quite a bit of outcry from the series' community. Among complaints about the last installment in the franchise for last-gen consoles was that there simply wasn't enough new content there. While there were tweaks to game modes, there wasn't a big addition to the game. That led to some claiming the game was little more than a "reskin" of Madden NFL 20. Others claimed it was some degree of a $60 roster update. With Madden NFL 22 being the first in the series that will most likely be aimed for the Xbox Series X/S and PS5, it needs to be more than another iteration for the newest consoles.

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Since the game hasn't officially been announced, there is a question about just when Madden NFL 22 is going to get an official reveal. The fact that no one seems to know when EA is going to unveil the game might mean something. It might mean nothing. It's presumably still quite early on for the development team to shed any light on the game. Still, after some rumors sparked up earlier this year, it's been quiet in terms of Madden NFL 22 news. Could that mean that this year's game is going to be coming later than its usual August arrival date?

The pandemic has caused quite a few games over the last year or two to get pushed back. While last year's installment was released during the usual time of year, it makes some sense to expect Madden NFL 22 later in the fall. While some fans of the franchise might be quite frustrated if the game doesn't arrive well before the regular season, a later release can be a good thing. It could mean EA is working on some things it needs extra time, in order to put the finishing touches on something that will win those fans that have grown frustrated about the state of the franchise.

While Madden NFL 22's launch needs to be a big win over what EA saw last year, that doesn't mean there needs to be some massive new mode. Quite a few people who are unhappy with the direction of the franchise aren't necessarily asking for something ambitious. In fact, the argument could be made that it's a focus on modes like Face of the Franchise that has led development in the wrong direction. Certainly, making that mode better and more intriguing will help. Not everyone wants to play the franchise mode or Ultimate team all the time.

There also may not be a mode that more obviously needs an improvement in Madden NFL 22 than Face of the Franchise. It doesn't need to be built from the ground up, it just needs to have more attention paid to it. EA had a good idea when it offered up the ability to take a player from high school and college to the pros. When the mode debuted in Madden NFL 20, it seemed like a very good, if unfinished step. Then last year's version seemed to be a big step back. A souped-up, improved version of that mode will go a long way towards making Madden NFL 22's launch a big win over it's predecessor.

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While Face of the Franchise could use some help, the franchise mode is always the one at the center of controversy when the game's community is angry. Like the former game mode, it doesn't need to be rebuilt from the ground up. What it does need is some quality of life updates in order to make the launch of the new game successful. It would help if EA paid the same kind of attention to realism that MLB The Show does with its franchise mode. The Show doesn't do anything particularly flashy, but the game mode functions as though they really are running a major league front office.

The Madden NFL series used to be similar in feel with its franchise mode. In fact, it was so good that it actually birthed a whole other game that allowed people to feel as though they were the head coach and general manager. Oddly, that seems to be about the time when the mode in Madden games dropped off a bit. EA seems to understand that it needs to bring the rain when it comes to the franchise mode. It said as much this fall when the community expressed its disappointment over Madden NFL 21.

One change that could be coming down the pike is the arrival of Madden NFL 22 on the Nintendo Switch. Last year, Madden NFL 21 came late to Google Stadia. Certainly having more platforms to play the game is going to help its popularity, but not if what's offered on those platforms is just the "same old, same old." A new platform is a big change, especially since it would mark the first time the series is on a Nintendo console in more than a decade. However, the focus needs to be on what's in the game, rather than where it can be played in order for Madden NFL 22 to grab a launch day score.

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