Madden NFL 25: Difficulty Settings Explained (2024)

Madden NFL 25 is the latest entry in the long-running sports franchise. With so many games under its belt, a lot of returning fans will know what to expect and will be able to play the game at a higher level of difficulty than those who are new to the Madden NFL game franchise.

There are various different difficulty options for players to select, and each of them comes with an increased level of challenge compared to the previous option. Fans tend to have burning questions on their minds, and one might be what the differences are between Rookie, Pro, All-Pro, and All-Madden.

All Madden NFL 25 Difficulty Settings Explained

Madden NFL 25 outlines the various degrees of challenges that players will experience with each difficulty setting when they first start up the game. Though players might feel compelled to select an easier mode, they will be able to change the difficulty at any time in the game’s settings. Players will see there are different stats under each difficulty. Here is what to expect from them:

• Win Frequency will be how often players can expect to beat non-human opponents in matches.
• Stick Skills will determine how important a player's finessing will be for their players. (Being just shy of contact with an opponent player can mean a successful touchdown for the player or a touchdown made against them.)
• Strategy will affect how well players will need to know playbooks and which calls to make.
• AI Difficulty will be how effectively CPU opponents will be able to shut down player’s plans, using more complicated strategies of their own to score touchdowns.

Rookie

Rookie is the easiest difficulty offered in Madden NFL 25, and it is what new players should start with. This difficulty offers the highest Win Frequency in the game, along with the lowest Stick Skills, Strategy, and AI Difficulty. This allows players to really enjoy all the amazing new BOOM tech physics of the game without being challenged too much.

Pro

Pro is the second-easiest difficulty option, and it is perfect for players who started their Madden Journey with Madden NFL 23 or Madden NFL 24 — or gamers who have been playing Rookie and have gotten their bearings. This difficulty offers a slightly lower Win Frequency, along with slightly higher Stick Skills, Strategy, and AI Difficulty.

All-Pro

All-Pro should not be attempted by players from the get go. While there are a lot of returning features, Madden NFL 25 is still a new game. As such, it will have a learning curve. The AI difficulty and Stick Skills are quite demanding in All-Pro, and players will need to have a deep understanding of Strategy when calling plays. There is little room for error with this difficulty setting.

All-Madden

All-Madden is the highest challenge the game offers, with AI Difficulty, Stick Skills, and Strategy at their maximum levels. This, in turn, leaves the Win Frequency at its lowest level. One wrong call is all it takes to begin fighting an uphill battle against the game’s AI. The game itself recommends that the only players trying this mode need years of Madden NFL experience under their belts.

How To Change Difficulty In Madden NFL 25

If a Madden NFL 25 player chooses All-Pro and realizes that they may have jumped the gun a little, they can easily rectify things. They just need to go to the main menu, select Settings, and scroll down while in Game Options. Here, they will be able to find both Skill Level and Game Style under Difficulty. Game Style will affect the gameplay itself more than the difficulty players face, but some might find these more loose rules an easier experience.

However, players using the Arcade Game Style may find that things become harder when they play ranked games, which use the Competitive Game Style. They will also not be accustomed to dealing with injuries, but there are also plenty of tweakable options further down this list, such as Gameplay Helpers that can act as training wheels for areas players are struggling in. On top of that, the slider settings can be tweaked to provide a very realistic experience.

Madden NFL 25

Sports

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Platform(s)

PlayStation 5 , PlayStation 4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC

Released

August 16, 2024

Developer(s)

EA Tiburon