Team Play Is Back In Madden 18 With “MUT Squads”

Jake Stein, a Madden Producer for Madden Ultimate Team, revealed today on Operation Sports that the fan-favorite online team play is back in Madden 18, but it’s not what anyone expected.

 

Stein says that the mode, “MUT Squads,” will be a 3 vs. 3 online cooperative experience where one player controls the quarterback and calls plays on offense (Offense Captain), one player calls plays on defense (Defense Captain), and one player handles timeouts and determines whether or not they accept penalties (Head Coach). But the catch, which is clear from the name, is that you use your Ultimate Team roster. Here is how it goes, according to Stein:

 

Offense Captain:

• Brings in all players from Offense and Special Teams for that user’s MUT Lineup
• Brings in the offensive playbook and calls every play on Offense
• When on Offense, you control the QB at the start of every play
• However they are not player-locked to the QB post-snap. If you call a run play and neither of the other two human-controlled players are on the HB, the player controlling the QB will immediately switch and become the ball carrier
• Controls all audibles and adjustments on Offense
• When on Defense, the user can control any of the 11 players on the field not controlled by another user
• There is no locking into only linebackers, defensive line, or secondary

Defense Captain:

• Brings in all players from Defense for that user’s MUT Lineup
• Brings in the defensive playbook and calls every play on Defense
• When on Defense, the user can control any of the 11 players on the field not controlled by another user
• There is no locking into only linebackers, defensive line, or secondary
• Controls all audibles and adjustments on Defense
• When on Offense, the user can control anyone besides the QB at the start of any given play

Head Coach:

• Brings in the Head Coach, Stadium, and Uniforms for that user’s MUT Lineup
• Calls timeouts and determines the results of penalties for the Squad
• When on Offense, the user can control anyone besides the QB at the start of any given play
• When on Defense, the user can control any of the 11 players on the field not controlled by another user
• There is no locking into only linebackers, defensive line, or secondary

 

EA is clearly taking advantage of their literally hundred-million-dollar mode by aiming to get more people to play it, but there is definite concern that kids in particular will be pressured into spending money on their squad so they don’t “hold their friends back.”

 

What would really make this a bad thing would be no real improvements to Connected Franchise Mode (CFM) or a sub-par Story Mode. At least if other areas of the game are good, people could simply avoid MUT. We probably shouldn’t get our hopes up too much, but hopefully EA Sports actually makes an effort outside of money-making modes.

 

What do you think of MUT Squads in Madden 18? Let us know in the comments below!