Has Draft Champions Lost Its Luster?

Feature Article

Submitted on: 10/26/2016 by Danny Webster

Draft Champions was a breath of fresh air in Madden 16.

It was an entirely different way to play the game. Last year, I called it the best mode in the game, and it was the mode to play well after the season ended.

But now almost two months into Madden 17, and almost halfway through the NFL season, Draft Champions seems to have lost an edge in popularity, at least for me.

The mode has not taken a dive, at least from the efforts EA Sports has put into the mode. There's the Tuesday Night Draft Champions event every week, where you have the opportunity to win badges for your ultimate team. There's also the level of unpredictability each time you draft, hoping for legends in multiple rounds.

Draft Champions can be fun, but the excitement from last year has certainly cooled down for me.

I'm not saying this goes for everyone. Based off last year alone, I'm sure Draft Champions still has a strong crowd, with the bulk of that support stemming from the Ultimate Team fans. (Also, a side note: EA Sports has done a great job tailoring the commentary of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis to each specific mode. That is absolutely brilliant.)

But even with that, I've hardly touched Draft Champions this year. The hype put into Connected Franchise is being met. While the intricacies of CFM are the same as in past years, there's something refreshing about franchise that makes it more enjoyable than before. Maybe it's the fact that I don't have to hear Jim Nantz and Phil Simms every game, but franchise mode has never been this exciting. It's even fun to win playoff games with fake field goals.

Ultimate Team has also had its moments of fun this year. While that sounds like a bass-ackwards way of downplaying Draft Champions, building the team the old fashioned way has been fun. Even online ranked matches are solid. I could spend all day playing with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, until Tony Romo returns and leads the Dallas Cowboys to a Super Bowl -- duh.

But maybe I'm wrong about Draft Champions. For those who play Draft Champions, what do you think about it this year? Is it more of the same? Has it been tweaked enough to make it a tad more fun? So far, I'm not feeling it. Convince me otherwise, if possible. I could use an excuse to get back into it.

Member Comments

# 1 bwright25 @ 10/26/16 11:24 AM

IMO the base players that you dont draft are just way too bad. It makes for a frustrating experience when your 3rd CB constantly gets burnt, 2nd wr drops everything or a olineman cant block anyone. I played a couple games yesterday until I threw a redzone pass to a wide open wr in the flat and the ball hits him square in the helmet. It deflects into the air and gets picked off for six. Rage quit and f that game mode.

# 2 howboutdat @ 10/26/16 11:35 AM

As for Draft Champions, to me , it feels like there is not a great enough variance in the coaches, and players you are able to pick from. It seems like most of the time I try to play it, im playing against someone with half or more the same team I have.Between that and playing the lobby style , run a few plays from youtube and rotate them once I catch on to one, kinda really makes it not that enjoyable of a mode ( Yes i know i can play a friend, but not ranked, and most my friends dont play it because they feel the same way about it,not enough variance in what they offer)

If they really want to make it what it can be, they need to add in a ton more coaches, styles, schemes and add in a ton more players to rotate and pick from.After you play it a couple times in a week, you end up just picking about the same team after a while, thats just boring.Then you end up facing half your team in each of your opponents. Why cant there be alot more variance? How many players have played in NFL or still playing they could put in there? There is no need in it being so stale.

# 3 Hjkflannel @ 10/26/16 12:13 PM

One things that really irks me about Draft Champions is if you want to play it offline you still need a Gold/Plus subscription to even access the mode.

# 4 TheWolf1113 @ 10/26/16 12:48 PM

I've always hated playing people online in the past for a few reasons....cheese plays, lag, ratings don't matter, and non SIM going for every 4th down etc....but draft champions has changed that for me

1. I love the fact that the base players are mostly horrible, that's the point...it reminds me of all pro 2k8
2. The lag has been cleaned up so much it feels like I'm playing offline about 90% of the time
3. Someone mentioned not enough variety in teams? I go into each draft with a different mindset. Ex. I'm going to build a power run team, or a stock secondary with huge pass rushers to force mistakes, etc...I've had tons of different teams and variety across the board, it's very addictive...
4. In the past opponents would convert all 4th DOWNS around 80% even fourth and 20s....this year it's more like 10% and I welcome it every time they try....I've made so many people just rage quit who don't play SIM like
5. The majority of people I've played though really do play realistic football especially in ranked, its very nice to finally play that way against random people
6. I'm mostly strictly offline cfm so to have an additional game mode I consistently get into is good value to me. I don't play ultimate team but I have a heck of a lineup from all My draft champions winnings
7. I like the Tuesday night and Friday night drafts, additional rewards and double legend rounds adds some more strategy to shake things up

For me it's been my favorite new addition since last year, I absolutely hope they keep building to this mode...I'm always down to play a friend if anyone wants to play on xbox....TheWolf1113

# 5 Datninja619 @ 10/26/16 01:14 PM

The whole #1 WR vs #2 CB and lack of defensive assignments made it a turn off for me.

I understand it's my fault for not drafting 2 CBs for each side, but if I draft a legend CB I shouldn't have to be forced for him to cover one side of the field.

Basically I love the game mode, but the game play gets annoying.

# 6 snc237 @ 10/26/16 01:33 PM

I think it's the best mode to play vs friends. But to the comment above, it gets annoying having your best CB not covering the #1 receiver.

# 7 T4VERTS @ 10/26/16 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snc237


	I think it's the best mode to play vs friends. But to the comment above, it gets annoying having your best CB not covering the #1 receiver.

This is one of my biggest frustrations this year. I mentioned this issue to Rex in the last interview. He said QA keeps telling him it's correct and same as last year, but the whole community is telling him otherwise. Not sure how that hasn't been fixed.

# 8 TheWolf1113 @ 10/26/16 03:50 PM

Yes that needs to be fixed but for now I always put my number one in the two slot....its a small fix for now

# 9 shadowkaga @ 10/26/16 06:16 PM

I dont get all the people wanting to match 1s with 1s. In the NFL teams usually put their #1 CB on an island with the #2 receiver and then double the #1 WR with their second corner and a safety.

# 10 jfsolo @ 10/26/16 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowkaga


	I dont get all the people wanting to match 1s with 1s. In the NFL teams usually put their #1 CB on an island with the #2 receiver and then double the #1 WR with their second corner and a safety.

All teams don't do it though, and the option to go 1's vs 1's flat out needs to be in.

I don't play online, but I would probably play DC if there was a Sim server/lobby or the like, where I knew the game would be about strategy and managing personnel and not classic Madden Wild Wild West tactics.

# 11 bleevable @ 10/26/16 11:07 PM

I couldn't agree with you more. Draft Champions and MUT are two game modes I don't even try to play. If they would cut them out and focused more on Franchise Mode and other game improvements, I really think the game would be nearly flawless.

# 12 Juve @ 10/26/16 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hjkflannel


	One things that really irks me about Draft Champions is if you want to play it offline you still need a Gold/Plus subscription to even access the mode.

This. 100%.

I don't understand why I can play mut without a subscription, but need one for draft champions. I don't play online enough to warrant the money to get playstation plus, but would love to play draft champions. It's disappointing

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

# 13 depravedking @ 10/27/16 03:49 PM

Draft Champions seems like a waste to me. They could use all that energy into upgrading other parts of the game. Madden could be so much more.

# 14 Fear The Clown @ 10/28/16 10:16 AM

I hated MUT before this year like some of you but i love it now. you do have to grind a bit to get a good team but you don't have to spend any cash. I just hit 1000 packs and haven't spent a penny.

# 15 Nemesis Enforcer @ 10/28/16 12:53 PM

It seems more confusing getting started this year as it somehow loaded up MuT within the mode. The drafts are fun. Be nice if there was a trade or free agency option between games with big risk/reward.
Still a fun mode

# 16 Fist Of Kings @ 10/28/16 06:17 PM

I stay away from draft champions and ultimate team and will continue to do so until they put in player tendencies or some sort of badge system like 2k. To me, there's no point in those modes since the players don't play like their real life counterparts.

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