(This story has been updated to add new information.)
The latest deep dive into College Football 26 is here, and it’s one players have been eagerly anticipating. EA Sports revealed details into its Road to Glory mode, which lets gamers create a player and bring him up through a high school recruit into a college football champion or Heisman Trophy winner.
Fans of the popular video game have been clamoring for details since the Orlando-based company announced a high school football component would be part of CFB 26. There won’t be full games or any real high school teams in the game — though you could create one in Team Builder — but players will be able to make their highlight tape to land a spot on the college team of their choice.
“In listening to our players, a few clear themes emerged,” EA Sports said in its Campus Huddle news release. “First, players wanted a more meaningful recruiting experience — more agency in deciding where they go to school, and more control over the moments that lead there. Second, while Coach Trust was a strong foundation for getting on the field, players wanted more tension, more rewards, and more to chase once they earned the starting job. And third, players wanted a better way to track their achievements and celebrate everything they’d earned across their career.”
After they play their way through their on- and off-field journey in college, players can choose to continue their careers in the NFL by exporting them to Superstar mode of Madden 26.
Watch College Football 26 Road to Glory deep dive
Here’s a look at the new features in Road to Glory:
Road to Glory create-a-player options
Players can choose start anywhere from an elite five-star recruit to an unheralded two-star who will have to work his way up to stardom. There are five positions available with a variety of archetypes for each:
Your player type and choice in high school will determine what schools will be interested in recruiting you. Teams in your player’s home state will have higher interest.
There are more customization options when creating your player, including more than 40 throw styles and different ways for players to run and carry the ball.
High school football in College Football 26
Road to Glory begins with your player building his college recruiting tape. Players will play five high school games made up of four moments with specific goals. How well you perform in those moments, as well as how you answer questions from coaches scouting you, will determine how successful you will be in getting a scholarship offer from the college of your choice.
Here’s how it works:
Road to Glory recruiting, signing day in College Football 26
Initial scholarship offers in CFB 26 can improve or deteriorate depending on how players perform over the course of the high school portion. Higher-tier scholarships come with more bonuses in college, both on and off the field. Offers can be revoked if your play diminishes or if the school gets a commitment from another player at your position.
To secure a scholarship tier from a school, you can verbally commit to their offer. After that, bonuses can’t change for better or worse. You can decommit to improve your bonuses, but it will increase the Tape Score required for the next school to extend its offer.
When the player has selected their top three colleges and have their Signing Day ceremony, they can choose to just pick up the hat of their choice, fake out the audience or even make a big show before finally heading off to the college portion of Road to Glory.
New Road to Glory features: Coach happiness, wear and tear
In college, there are a host of new features, especially in the off-field portions. Here’s a rundown:
College Football 26 release date
College Football 26 will have its wide release Thursday, July 10. Early access will be available for those who pre-order the Deluxe Edition or MVP Bundle on Monday, July 7.
College Football 26 price
The Standard Edition of College Football 26 will cost $69.99. The Deluxe Edition costs $99.99, and the MVP Bundle, which includes the Deluxe Edition of both CFB 26 and Madden 26, is $149.99.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: College Football 26 releases Road to Glory details. Here’s what we learned
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
