When you log into Madden 19 today you'll be greeted with a 1.8GB Title Update that fixes things like Ice the Kicker, Cover 3 Match principles, and more. Check out the full notes about this Title Update from EA below:
Key Highlights
Gameplay
- Additional Cover 3 logic
- Ice the Kicker improvements
- Defensive AI play calling update
Franchise
- Return of the Franchise Player-lock Camera
Madden Ultimate Team
- Added Play-a-Friend to MUT Squads via password matchmaking
Change Log
- General stability improvements
Franchise Updates
- Re-implemented previous version of Franchise Player-lock Camera
- DEV NOTE: Due to community feedback about difficulties seeing the backfield action as a defensive player with the MUT Squads camera, we have reverted back to the legacy player-lock camera that views the field from the defensive perspective for Franchise mode and player-lock.
- Addressed a save file crash
- Fixed an issue where some players were missing Career Stats data
- Addressed an issue where Supersim could become stuck after a CPU player timeout
- Addressed an issue with mouse selection not functioning throughout the Customize Your Season flow, after continuing from a Play Now game
Gameplay Updates
Playbooks
- Updated defensive play call AI for CPU-controlled teams
- DEV NOTE: AI-defensive play calling will now more closely match the tendencies each NFL team has shown over the course of the season up to this point.
- Addressed an issue causing defenders to sometimes line up offsides during no-huddle offense
Tuning
- Increased fumble chance when hit with a Hit Stick tackle during a steerable spin ball carrier move – this applies to all Game Styles and difficulty levels
- Fixed an issue causing a fumble when the QB would break a sack during the throw animation – the ball will now be released and will result in an incomplete pass
Special Teams
- Added logic for Ice the Kicker so that when the kicker is iced by the opponent, the iced state will remain intact for the remainder of that drive
- DEV NOTE: This is an improvement to the Ice the Kicker logic to prevent the offense from running a wasted play or calling a timeout of their own to remove the iced state and does so by simulating the assumption that continuing to run a kicker on and off the field multiple times before a critical kick would in and of itself put him in a pressure-kick state.
- Added logic for Field Goal blocks to prevent players from spamming the Off the Line mechanic on RT/R2 to achieve a perfect jump on the snap; mistiming the button press will result in an early jump animation, a stamina penalty to that player, and possibly an offsides penalty – this new logic applies to all Game Styles and difficulty levels
Pass Coverage
- Pass Coverage
- Fixed an issue with Cover 3 Match where the outside third defender didn't always convert to man coverage against certain vertical routes
- Added logic for Cover 3 Match to prevent the Hook-Curl defender from converting to man coverage on receivers running short crossing routes
- Added logic for Cover 3 Match for the Seam Flat defender to search for and quickly match routes going to the flats after the Hook-Curl defender avoids matching
- Added logic for the Seam Flat defender in Cover 3 to match wheel routes
- Tuned Cover 3 Match to speed up the reaction of the Hook-Curl defender when the #3 receiver to his side runs a route to the flat underneath two vertical routes
- Fixed an issue in Cover 4 Quarters to properly cover the inside-most receiver vs. Hail Mary Trio
Blocking
- Addressed an issue that would sometimes cause an RB hot routed to pass block on play-action plays to run past the line of scrimmage before entering his pass block assignment
PC Updates
- Fixed an incorrect button prompt for the Open-field celebration mechanic in Skills Trainer
Madden Ultimate Team Updates
- Added the ability to play Squads vs. Friends
- DEV NOTE: Squads Play-a-Friend is a new tile on the Squads hub. You first choose if you want to play in a 2v2 or 3v3 game. A team of two cannot match up against a team of three. Once you select the event, the party leader will be prompted to enter a password when they ready-up. Coordinate with your opponents and have them use the same password. Once you begin matchmaking, you will only match against another team using the same password.
What are your first thoughts about the December Title Update?
Exactly what we want. A skill gap. Madden gives too many handouts to players. Creating a skill gap is what is needed. Learn how to hit that last gauge marker.
Nah. The "skill" is knowing how to block that kick or not have allowed the offense into position in the first place. Ice the kicker mechanic is an extra chance to make up for not getting the job done.
But the standard MUT modes isn't on all Madden, is it?
Reddit says cover 3 now doesn’t work against crossers and hb wheel.
Even after this patch my wr still stands there with his hands in the air waiting for idk what just standing and shrugging his shoulders. Meanwhile the defender is picking it off and running it back while my guy glitches out with his shoulders shrugged. What a joke this game and developers are never listening to anything broken in this game
Make a patch and don't even fix a major problem. Sad day at the office for ea again.
Madden seriously focuses on the dumbest and most irrelevant things in the game. In real life if the other team calls a time out and your team wanted to run another play, that kicker can easily go back to the sideline and stay warm during the entire duration of that timeout and the next play
I don't have troubles with the iced kicks. Considering the fact that we use the kick meter thousands of times a year, the timing is really easy to get down. I don't remember the last time I missed a FG because I was iced. I sail 50+ yard FG's right down the middle of the uprights. Try to remember to time the cadence in your head. I promise it will become very easy to hit. It's all about timing. I don't have a problem with it on any difficulty. The only part about the kick meter that I don't like, is when the damn thing lags, because that obviously throws off the timing. Luckily, I can't remember a time where it lagged when I happened to be iced on the kick. Just remember to time the cadence, I promise it will make the iced kicks easy to hit.
Glad they fixed the defensive offsides.
Players would line up offsides and there was no way to know it until the foul was called.
I couldn't believe it the first time it was called and went back and checked instant replay. The DT was clearly offsides at the snap but you coudn't tell from the usual observation position. Only by looking straight down the line on replay.
Just an FYI in case anyone from ea actually reads this but the defensive players who lineup offside problem is not fixed it literally happened to me the first time hurry up was run!🤦♂️
My first thoughts for any title update are about crossing routes. There shouldn’t be a route that none of your defenses can cover without adjustments. Palms does a good job, but it’s because there are defenders that aren’t responsible for a man so they simply cover whoever crosses them. Cloud flats with no route underneath should play crossers. Vertical hooks should as well.
There is is now more creativity on defense after the 3-3-5 odd patch. The creativity will come back on offense with a fix for crossing patterns.
LOL...oh bull shit. It's guessing. It's a stupid feature to begin with and the game is skill to begin with. And it's not going to end up doing anything to create a "skill gap," it's simply going to get people who spend money on the game to get a kicker with the chem to counter it. That's the only thing that's gonna happen.
And by the way, who is this "we?" This is a douche way of trying to just throw in there that you think you're a great MUT player.
I agree, it's like they're trying to make it harder artificially.
Everyone on here is complaining, but I'm extremely excited about squads adding play a friend. Now my friends and I can team up and settle the trash talk amongst each other. Be happy people.
EA how bout fixing real issues that actually cause problems instead of listening to those with no skill? for instance how bout fixing where on certain plays when you audible out of a run play like inside zone to say PA Crosser for instance and for some reason your Guard and inside WR switch positions which leads to 2 players doing nothing and an easy sack for the opponent. Or if you want to fix an issue with iceing the kicker how bout fixing the issue where the opponent can pause the game after you choose said FG kick and it leads to you having a delay on your button response and causes you to boutch your attempt and miss. These are just a few of the issues that you constantly push to the side, but yet are what will lead to fair playing. The Whole calling Time Out to ice the kicker is a chance thing, if you want to fix it then link it to something in their abilities or better yet do some research on the kickers on each ones percentage of pressure kicks and base the likelihood of icing the kicker off of that per kicker. Or how bout fixing the Pass interference calls? I've only seen it called once on an opponent I've gone against since you claimed it was going to be getting called more frequently in H2H, but yet I still have opponents that will purposely user a DB or LB and run into receivers 10+ yards down the field in order to cause an incomplete pass or get an interception on key down and plays.
Don't spend money on these God awful football games. You guys wanna know why nobody plays this or 2k? Because it's trash. The only people left are the whales, which is pathetic considering it's a 60 "FULL" game experience that has FREE TO PLAY mechanics. Wisen up people, you are being used.
I think the amount of penalties may also have something to do with who is on your offensive line and if they have a disciplined penalty trait, undisciplined, or normal. But that may be bs I really don’t know.
Thia isn't true. I've labbed it. If you're opponent had aggro blocking on all game he'd get at least 4-5+ holding calls. Who's on your D line?
Yeah, I missed a lot of deep throws when I had TOTW Cam at QB. You have to use some common sense and understand these guys attributes. Vick....even in this game isn't very accurate. But you can run for 50-60 yards a game with him and he had 88 speed at the start of the game.
Cam came along...he wasn't quite as fast, but he had better break sack and carrying. But he also wasn't very accurate. Both of these reflect real life. Especially Cam who is usually WAY below the league average in accuracy. So just because you have a 91 overall, doesn't mean you're not gonna drop passes or make every play. It just means....you have a good team. Sometimes...it's just YOUR fault.
The game is a series of 1's and 0's. It's code. There's not a company personally out to get you on a 3rd down play they couldn't give a shite about.
I don't know that you can. I think it's just a way to complain that you're pass rushers aren't getting home. The only way I can tell is by how many holding calls there are.