Madden 26 Guide: Positional Heroes Release One

This guide covers everything you need to know about Positional Heroes Release One: which cards to get, which sets to skip, and how to claim the best free rewards. If you find yourself short on currency to complete sets or purchase players from the auction house, you can always buy Madden 26 coins from trusted platforms to accelerate your team building.

Part 1: Release Overview

Positional Heroes is a two-part program. Release One launches today at approximately 1:30 PM Eastern Time and features only AFC players. Release Two arrives next Thursday with NFC players at every position.

Twitch Drops: Watch EA's Twitch channel at 8:00 PM Eastern Time for the Madden 27 reveal. Watch 90 minutes to earn a Positional Heroes Fantasy Pack containing set pieces for Release One and Two.

Part 2: Welcome Pack – Long Snappers

Logging in gives you a free Welcome Pack with two long snapper options: Andrew Dapola and Reed Ferguson. Choose one. Both receive three team chemistry buckets and upgrade via tokens found in the Field Pass.

Part 3: Set Exclusive Players – Skip These

Adam Vinatieri, Ryan Rekhow, and Reggie Gilliam are available only through sets requiring 20-30 fullbacks at various overalls.

Why to skip: These cards provide Team Chemistry x7 for AFC teams and can boost older cards from 96 to 99. But at this stage, most players already have full 99 lineups. Abilities matter more than attributes. A 99 with poor abilities is worse than a 96 with elite abilities. These sets require too much content for too little value. Only complete them if you need the chemistry to reach 100x theme team (see Part 8).

Part 4: Release One Champions – AFC Players

One champion exists at every AFC position. The set structure is excessive. Using Josh Allen as an example, you need his 97, 95, and 93 overall Positional Heroes cards plus several 90-91 overall quarterbacks (any quarterbacks work).

Better approach: Pull from packs or buy from the auction house. Prices will be high at launch and likely won't settle until Saturday morning when new Golden Tickets and Ultimate Legends drop.

Ability structure for all champions: Tier 1 and 2 buckets are heavily discounted. Tier 3 is a Season 9 zero AP bucket. Cards receive one passive X-Factor bucket.

Comparison to Theme Team Surge: Surge cards get Vanguard for 3 AP and double passive X-Factor buckets. Unless Positional Heroes champions get Vanguard for less AP, they are worse for abilities.

When they are worth it: Only when you need the Team Chemistry x7 to reach 100x theme team chemistry, which grants +1 height to all players on that theme team.

Part 5: Limited Time Cards (LTDs) – Do Not Target

Andrew Luck: Secondary position at Tight End. Without baked-on abilities, he cannot beat Golden Ticket quarterbacks like Bryce Young, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, or Anthony Richardson. Not worth it.

Joe Alt: 6'8" at Sam Linebacker. Intriguing size, but LTDs are very rare and will be expensive without gameplay justification. Do not target.

Part 6: Field Pass Rewards – Free Derell Rivas

The Field Pass offers free rewards as you earn XP. Because this is a multi-part program, not all rewards are available today.

Final reward – Derell Rivas (99 BND): 99 in all key attributes. Play Recognition and Awareness are 99. He likely gets Universal Coverage as a passive X-Factor. This is an excellent free card, but you cannot obtain him until Part Two launches next week.

Part 7: College Overtime – Brandon Marshall or AJ Brown

The head-to-head event is College Overtime. You likely need 10 wins before 2 losses (no tiered rewards this time).

Rewards: Brandon Marshall (99 overall) plus a Season 9 Event Token.

Using the token: Trade it for Brandon Marshall or AJ Brown from last week's Theme Team Surge drop.

Which to choose: AJ Brown is better for abilities because he gets more X-Factor buckets. He was previously 4-5 million coins. College Overtime will put more tokens into circulation, dropping his price significantly.

Coin opportunity: If you are among the first to finish, check auction house prices. Take the more expensive option, sell it, and buy the other.

Part 8: CPU Event – Derrick Henry

For offline players, the CPU event uses tiered rewards: 5 wins for Tier Two, 5 more for Tier Three (10 total).

Reward: Derrick Henry as a Mike linebacker. He should get Avalanche as his best passive X-Factor.

Hold the pack: If you don't want Derrick Henry, earn the pack but do not open it. Wait until next week to see the new CPU event player. You can then open the pack for that player instead. Playing the event twice lets you get both players.

Part 9: Solo Challenges – Travis Hunter

Solo challenges are straightforward and not time-consuming. Reach Tier Seven to earn Travis Hunter (99 overall wide receiver). He has 99s everywhere that matters.

Why he could be the best free card all year: If his Break Tackle is at least 98, he gets YAC-em-Up as a passive X-Factor. YAC-em-Up is one of the most valuable receiver abilities.

Part 10: 100x Theme Team Chemistry

When the Collector Series ended, EA introduced 100x theme team chemistry. Reaching 100x gives +1 height to all players on that theme team.

Positional Heroes cards provide Team Chemistry x7 for AFC teams. If you are close to 100x, these cards can help you cross the threshold. This is their only legitimate use case.

Part 11: Rookie Premiere Timeline

Rookie Premiere is expected at the end of Season 9: early to mid July. Use Surge currency to build your team now. Sell non-Golden Ticket players to stack coins for Rookie Premiere.

Part 12: Step-by-Step Action Plan

1. Claim your free Welcome Pack – Choose a long snapper.

2. Check your theme team chemistry – If you are within 7 points of 100x, consider targeting champions. Otherwise, skip sets entirely.

3. Complete solo challenges – Prioritize Travis Hunter.

4. Play College Overtime – If you finish early, sell the more expensive option between Brandon Marshall and AJ Brown.

5. Grind Field Pass XP – Derell Rivas unlocks next week.

6. Do not complete sets – Buy champions from the auction house after prices settle on Saturday.

7. Watch for Twitch drops – 90 minutes watched earns a Positional Heroes Fantasy Pack.