Spectacle is part of the NFL’s DNA and Madden NFL 26 seems to understand the assignment, as EA Sports has put a lot of effort into upgrading the series’ presentation.

A significant item on the agenda is the reintroduction of mascots and their faithful recreation, for which EA has visited the Pro Bowl to conduct full-body scans. Some teams even sent their costumes to the dev team in Orlando for detailed scans, ensuring that the beloved characters will be at their best. At launch, fans will find 18 NFL mascots represented in Madden 26:

Additional characters will join the fun in a post-launch update, EA confirmed. It’s a similar case for the motion graphics used in teams’ stadiums, of which 26 will be available at launch:

For Madden 26, EA has updated its sound library to replace outdated sound effects, including the Chargers’ electric zap, and expand the available chants and crowd reactions. EA has worked with teams, NFL Films, and ESPN to get its hands on recordings, ensuring that only authentic sounds make it into the game.

The NFL is also a competition steeped in tradition, and many of these pre-game rituals will be represented in Madden 26, from Rob Gronkowski ringing the bell in New England as the Keeper of the Light to Greg Olsen returning to Carolina to bang the Keep Pounding drum. Additionally, full broadcast packages will elevate the gameday presentation in Franchise Mode.

Finally, EA has revealed that the likenesses of many fresh coaches and rookies will be in the game at launch. For the coaches, Ben Johnson, Brian Schottenheimer, Liam Coen, Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel, Kellen Moore, and Aaron Glenn will be on the sidelines.

Here’s a list of notable rookies that will be represented in the game with their likenesses:

Similar to the mascots and other visuals, more likenesses are set to arrive throughout the season.