Having raucous home crowds is part of what makes sports so special and exciting, and the impact those crowds have on a game can now be felt in Madden NFL 22. On current-gen only, the all-new Home Field Advantage brings the host stadium to life and truly changes the game. In previous years, road trips were part of the game, but getting to select heads or tails for the coin flip was the only tangible difference compared to playing at home. Now, Home Field Advantage makes it much more difficult to go into environments like the 12th Man in Seattle and come out with a victory.
Home Field Advantage goes hand-in-hand with the new momentum meter to bring a unique feel to each and every game of Madden 22. Both teams in every game have two, tiered advantages they can unlock by building momentum with positive plays and filling their half of the momentum meter. Every NFL team in Madden 22 has a unique, additional advantage in the middle of the meter that they start the game with when they are the home team.
While the home team gets an extra advantage, they aren't guaranteed to keep it the whole game. The momentum meter works like Tug of War. If the road team gets off to a hot start, they can negate the home field advantage and gain some perks of their own. However, a few big plays in a row from the home squad can turn on all three of their advantages and make things very tough on the visitors. This feature is present in all modes, including Madden NFL 22's Campus Legends event.
How Home Field Advantages Work In Madden NFL 22
Several teams have similar Home Field Advantages in Madden 22 to those that they have in real life. For example, teams visiting the Bears and Soldier Field in Chicago will have their kicking meter move quicker to make field goals more difficult. After dealing with Patrick Mahomes and his team, the Chiefs' visiting opponents are in for another challenge while they have the ball. In the cauldron of noise that is Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, for example, the crowd noise leads to a chance of offensive audibles failing.
When playing at the Denver Broncos, the away team will have less stamina on every play. This helps simulate the visitors acclimating to lower oxygen levels in the Mile High City. Not every advantage in Madden 22 is individualized for the home team, however. The two regular perks each team can unlock are randomized each game. Distractions like scrambled play art or disappearing receiver buttons can make throwing the ball against the team with momentum very difficult.
Intimidating atmospheres like KC's Arrowhead Stadium or the Superdome in New Orleans make winning on the road in the NFL a grueling task. However, it looks like EA Sports was finally able to capture that in the form of Home Field Advantage. Home turf is more valuable than ever in Madden NFL 22.