Madden NFL 16's first patch is live, so feel free to start a Connected Franchise now

Madden NFL 16's first post-launch patch is now available, addressing a number of gameplay bugs and other issues that were detrimental to the Connected Franchise mode, publisher EA Sports announced today.

The patch is live on PlayStation 4 (749 MB) and Xbox One (732 MB). At the top of the list of fixes is the strange encroachment bug, wherein CPU defenders would sometimes bump into offensive linemen and cause encroachment penalties. The update also addresses some notable problems with Connected Franchise, such as the simulation engine generating an absurd amount of rushing attempts for pocket quarterbacks. Another issue was that players' confidence rating could sometimes eclipse 100, causing a short-term attribute boost.

The Connected Franchise problems were serious enough that EA Tiburon had been advising players not to start a Connected Franchise until after the patch was released. People who have already begun the mode won't need to restart in order to see most of the fixes, according to EA. But the company told Operation Sports that a patch can't retroactively change the current draft class, because the game generates draft classes randomly.

EA Tiburon expects to release the first roster update of the NFL season this Friday, according to Madden creative director Rex Dickson. To EA Tiburon's credit, the company has been supporting Madden 16 well, with this patch going out just 15 days after the launch of the game. The studio also released a tuning update last week that tweaked the ability of receivers to haul in deep passes.

For more on Madden NFL 16, check out our review, in which we said EA delivered "a truly consistent, understandable and enjoyable game after a decade in the wilderness."