Best passing & gameplay settings in Madden 25

Aryan Singh
Christian McCaffrey evading a defender in Madden 25

Before facing other players online in Madden 25, it’s worth checking out the best settings for passing and defense to get an edge over the competition.

Every new entry in the franchise introduces new elements to the gameplay, with this year’s focus being on BOOM Tech and improvements to tackling. It’s important to use the ideal settings for both passing and defense to make the most out of these changes since the game offers multiple options.

Best passing settings in Madden 25

  • Passing Type: Placement & Accuracy
  • Passing Showdown: Off
  • Pass Lead Increase: Small
  • Reticle Speed: 7
  • Reticle Visibility: User Only
  • Meter Visibility: User Only
Best passing settings in Madden 25
Madden 25 doesn’t have the Revamped Passing option from CFB25.

Placement & Accuracy is the best passing type in the game. This setting gives you control over the power of your throws and their accuracy through visual feedback in the form of an on-screen meter. You’ll also find that the accuracy of your passes relies less on player ratings as compared to other other options.

As for the Reticle Speed, this usually comes down to personal preference although 7 seems to be the sweet spot.

Best gameplay settings in Madden 25

Best defense settings

  • Auto Flip Defensive Play Call: On
  • Defensive Ball Hawk: On
  • Defensive Heat Seeker Assist: On
  • Defensive Heat Seeker Window Size: 100%
  • Defensive Switch Assist: Off
  • Controlled Player Art: Off
  • Coach Mode: Off
Best defense settings in Madden 25
Defensive Heat Seeker Assist makes tackling a bit easier.

Auto Flip Defensive Play Call should always be toggled on since it’ll flip your defensive alignment to match the offense automatically, saving you a bit of unnecessary manual work.

Defensive Heat Seeker Assist is another useful setting that should be flipped on. This option steers user-controlled defenders toward ball carriers, giving you better angles for tackling. If you’re a newcomer to the franchise, Defensive Switch Assist is worth turning on. But for experienced players, we recommend turning it off to have more control over the players you switch to while defending.

Kicking settings

  • Kick Meter Style: Classic Madden Meter
  • Control Scheme: Tap and Hold
Kicking settings in Madden 25
Classic meter lets you pick between different kick types.

Classic meter is the way to go if you’ve played previous Madden titles and are comfortable with the lock-in system. If you liked College Football 25’s Kicking meter, switch to Multi-Meter for a similar horizon and vertical system.

Playbooks

You can manually choose the default offensive and defensive playbooks to use across all game modes. If you want to use the best ones at all times, make sure to check out our guide on the best playbooks in the game. To get a taste of what every team has to offer, set the toggle to ‘Team Specific.’

Before you hit the gridiron in Madden 25, make sure to brush up on all important controls and the best camera settings.