Madden NFL 25's next-gen app is a 'step' into EA's future SmartGlass use

Madden NFL 25's second-screen defense app, CoachGlass, is a "great step" toward how the developer plans to use SmartGlass with next-gen consoles and in the future, according to producer Thomas Singleton.

CoachGlass allows players to act as a defensive coordinator by providing three different levels of interaction and data pulled from thousands of Madden online games. During our interview, Singleton explained that the app makes players begin to think about football "before the snap" of a game's start. It adds a strategic element that, according to the producer, enhances gameplay without the pitfalls so many other companion apps fall into.

"We didn't want to do what other companion apps have done, where it's a passive, unengaging experience," Singleton said. "It's another viewport of a viewport that you've already got. Instead, we wanted to create an experience that was immersive, one that was authentic to the sport of football. Something that we feel people are truly going to use in an area where we wanted them to have more control. It's the sport of football in nutshell."

The app also opens up possibilities for cooperative play in a whole new way. A player can essentially act as the game's coach while using the app, while another hits the game directly by running plays. Singleton added that the app's new levels of strategy fulfilled what the Madden team set out to create.

"We definitely delivered on what we wanted to do from start to finish," Singleton said. "From the onset, we started to think about offensive play calling and defensive play calling in this year-one iteration of the experience. I think we definitely concentrated on the right area. It's not too confusing, too much going on."

For more on CoachGlass, check out our preview of the feature from earlier this year.