Madden NFL 26
Superstar Redesign, Sphere of Influence
I led the redesign of Madden NFL 26’s Superstar Center and created Sphere of Influence, a progression system where relationships with coaches, teammates, and agents directly affect gameplay. The new design simplified the hub into clear top tabs and added approval meters that unlock bonuses, trigger penalties, and make relationships feel meaningful.
Title
Madden NFL 26
Focus Area
Progression systems
UI/UX design
Player experience
Contributions
Led visual redesign of Superstar Center and Sphere of Influence
Collaborators
Andrew McMillen, Daniel Castaroni, Domingo Rodriguez
Release
Shipped with Madden NFL 26 (2025)
Superstar Center In Game Capture. Shipped with Madden NFL 26 (2025)Problem
The core game was fun, but the menus and progression felt confusing:
Players had to jump between too many different screens just to play or manage their career.
The “hub” where everything connected (Superstar Center) felt more like a maze of menus than a true home base.
Relationships with teammates, coaches, and agents didn’t feel meaningful, nothing really changed if you ignored them.
Objective
Make Superstar Center the one true home for a player’s career.
Bring relationships to life by showing how they affect your journey in clear, visual ways.
Cut down menu layers so it’s faster to get to the things players care about (play a game, train, check stats, interact with characters).
Solution
We restructured Superstar Center and added a new progression system called Sphere of Influence.
Superstar Center: The Hub
Simplified top tabs: Play, Character, Skills, Store.
Contextual pop-ups and notifications let you know what’s important without forcing you into a different menu.
Visual backgrounds change with themes (like your team, the weekly matchup, or even weather) to keep it immersive.
Sphere of Influence
Every key character (coach, teammate, agent, mentor) has an approval meter.
Doing well raises approval → unlocks bonuses (better catching, unique abilities, more influence).
Failing lowers approval → triggers penalties (reduced stats, risk of being benched or traded).
If approval maxes out, that character becomes part of your “Inner Circle” — a permanent reward.
Outcome
Players now have a clear, centralized hub (Superstar Center) instead of bouncing around menus.
Relationships feel alive and meaningful — every win, loss, or choice shifts how others see you.
The system scales easily: from one coach to dozens of teammates, without losing clarity.
It’s both systemic and emotional: stats change, but so does the feeling of building trust and influence.