Ultimate Team remains a core part of most EA Sports games and Madden NFL 26 won't be an exception. For the upcoming iteration's Ultimate Team mode, EA seems to be implementing a few learnings from across its catalog, which also prominently feature in EA FC 26 -- and one of these is to cater to both solo and online players.
For MUT, this means that every major content drop will not only feature a head-to-head mode, but also one allowing players to gain rewards from playing against the AI.
Additionally, major changes to solo play are aimed at making this way of experiencing MUT more attractive. The reward structure for solo play has been reworked completely to offer the players more meaningful progression. The new Solo Champions mode will feature a 12-game gauntlet every week in which players need to tackle challenges with escalating difficulty. This gauntlet will be the primary stomping ground for solo players' Ultimate Team and provide the necessary rewards to progress it further.
On top of Solo Champions, The League will offer solo players the opportunity to shine. In this mode, players take on a full NFL season comprising half games. Winning ten of these means getting into the playoffs, where every contest will be a full game -- as is the Super Bowl.
Solo seasons will be replaced with The Run, which offers four levels with five challenges each.
EA Sports has promised a higher update cadence for solo modes in Madden 26, which should keep things fresh along the way. Players can also take part in competitive campaigns, which will feature online leaderboards, by playing solo modes, as reaching objectives there will generate points to put them on the board.
These changes come alongside quality-of-life improvements, a card redesign, and many other adjustments to MUT.