Madden NFL 15

Cover vote

EA Sports organized a smaller bracket than in previous years, featuring 169 offensive and defensive players. On June 6, 2014, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was announced as the cover athlete. Other players in the bracket included Alshon Jeffery, Jimmy Graham, Demaryius Thomas, Luke Kuechly, Colin Kaepernick, Nick Foles, Cam Newton, Antonio Brown, Jamaal Charles, A. J. Green, LeSean McCoy, T. Y. Hilton, Andrew Luck, Eddie Lacy, and Alfred Morris. The official cover image was released on the NFL's Instagram page.

Development

The game was announced in late April 2014 with a release video featuring Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. At Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014, improvements to defensive play were emphasized. Creative director Rex Dickson noted that many players had difficulties with the pass rush and tackling. The "player lock" camera from NCAA Football 14 was added, along with a cone to determine whether a player can make a non-aggressive tackle from their current location.

Brian Murray, mentored by NFL Films' Steve Sabol and a consultant on previous editions, was given the role of Presentation Director. A new "global dynamic camera system" enhanced the game's broadcasts, replacing pre-rendered post-play cut scenes with dynamic scenes featuring natural player interactions. The halftime show was revived, and Jumbotrons displayed scenes generated by the dynamic cameras. Following Ray Rice's indefinite suspension on September 8, 2014, EA Sports announced his complete removal from the game; his Madden Ultimate Team card was renamed Baltimore Halfback #25.

Reception

Madden NFL 15 received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, the Xbox One version scored 80 and the PlayStation 4 version scored 82, both higher than Madden NFL 25's respective scores of 73 and 74. IGN gave the game 8.7/10, praising the graphics and improved gameplay while noting mediocre commentary. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions faced backlash for removing features, notably online team play, which forced users to play only 1v1 games. Destructoid's Steven Hansen called the last-gen versions an "extra scummy ripoff" with slow loading times and a clunky UI, and noted the absence of defensive view and player lock features. The game was nominated for "Sports Game of the Year" at the 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. It was the second best-selling retail game in the United States in 2014, behind Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.