Madden 26 Season 3 Beginner’s Guide: Essential First Steps

Season 3 of Madden 26 is officially here, and if you’re jumping in, it’s important to know where to start. Between new Season 3 players, upgrade tokens, and the revamped Field Pass, there’s plenty to tackle. This guide breaks down everything you should do first to make sure you don’t fall behind.

1. Check Out the New Season 3 Upgrade Players

As always, the new season comes with a fresh lineup of upgradeable players. This time around, the headliners are Will Anderson, Jesse Bates, Cooper Kupp, Creed Humphrey, and Kyle Juszczyk. While some of these cards are more “filler” than franchise cornerstones, a few stand out as must-haves.

Creed Humphrey (C): A balanced center with great strength, pass blocking, and run blocking. Centers don’t always get the love they deserve, but Creed anchors both the run and pass game extremely well.

Kyle Juszczyk (FB): Solid but unspectacular. With 89 speed at 92 overall, he’s reliable for theme teams but not game-changing.

Cooper Kupp (WR): Crisp route running and dependable hands, but his 89-speed rating at the 90 overall mark is underwhelming compared to other WRs this late in the year.

Jesse Bates (FS): Excellent coverage safety with 90 speed at 90 overall and 91 zone. He’s tall (6'2") and plays the ball well in deep zones — a nice upgrade for many defenses.

Will Anderson (EDGE): The clear standout. With 89 speed, 93 block shed, and 93 finesse move fully maxed, Anderson is a menace off the edge. He also gets Double or Nothing, making him the top pick from this group.

If you’re only upgrading one player early, go with Will Anderson — he’s the difference-maker of the batch.

2. Claim Your NFL Rivalries Welcome Pack

When you log in to MUT, you’ll get an NFL Rivalries Welcome Pack containing several 85-overall players who can be upgraded like the Season 3 players. The star of this set is Maxwell Hariston (CB) — a hidden gem.

At full upgrade, Hariston hits 92 speed and has elite coverage ratings across the board. Even at his base 90, he’s got 90 speed and excellent man and zone stats. At 6'0", he’s the perfect CB1 for most teams this season. Upgrade him using Season 3 tokens — the same ones used for other Season 3 players — and you’ll have a lockdown corner for weeks to come.

To fully upgrade one of these players from 85 to 90, you’ll need about 2,280 Season Tickets, which is roughly the equivalent of opening a few Boomer-or-Bust packs — a fair price for a high-end starter.

3. Exchange Your Season XP Tokens

Next, head to your binder and filter by the Season Pass tab. If you’ve earned any Season 3 XP Tokens, use them immediately. Add them to the Season 3 XP Exchange set to start progressing your Field Pass levels.

If you can’t find the set in the Sets menu, you can still access it directly through your binder — select the token, choose “Add to Set,” and complete it that way. Every little bit of XP counts early, and these tokens can bump you several levels right away.

4. Work Through the Season 3 Field Pass

This is where a lot of value lies. The Season 3 Field Pass includes tickets, upgrade tokens, and premium packs.

If you’re someone who spends small amounts of money on Madden, consider buying the Premium Field Pass. For about $10, it’s arguably the best deal in the game. You’ll earn back far more Mut 26 coins and packs than the cost of entry, and the premium rewards are better than most special offers in the store.

If you’re playing no-money-spent, aim to reach Level 45 on the free track. That’s where you’ll get the best combination of packs, tokens, and upgrade materials. For Premium Pass holders, Level 46 is a strong target. Anything beyond that is great, but those levels are where the biggest rewards sit.

5. Earn XP Efficiently

Leveling up your Field Pass quickly is key to keeping up with the competition. While you’ll get XP from daily missions, the Program Objectives are the true XP goldmine.

When EA drops new promos — like Most Feared or others — the objectives tied to them will often give 80–100K XP, compared to the 40–50K from weekly missions. So always prioritize those promo objectives once they’re live.

Keep up with your dailies, of course, but when new events appear, focus your grind there for faster leveling.

6. Convert Old Players for Tickets

Don’t forget to recycle your Season 2 cards. You can quicksell Season 2 players and downgrade their upgrade levels to reclaim tickets. For example, downgrading Khalil Mack or Dre Greenlaw can net several hundred tickets each, which can then be used toward Season 3 upgrades.

A fully downgraded Mack returns around 500 tickets, which is about a quarter of what you need to max out a new 90-overall Will Anderson — an excellent value if you’re not using those older cards anymore.

7. Use Your Saved Packs and Rewards

If you saved any unopened Epic or Premium packs from the previous season, open them now. Their odds will refresh to reflect the current season, giving you a better shot at pulling higher-overall players. Even if you don’t get elite items, the coin value from quicksells is solid — Premium Platinum packs, for example, can yield well over 100K Madden 26 coins in value.

Final Thoughts

Season 3 of Madden 26 brings new upgrade paths, better defensive players, and solid Field Pass rewards. Start by upgrading Will Anderson or Maxwell Hariston, complete your XP exchanges, and grind the Field Pass efficiently through objectives and daily missions.

For spenders, the Premium Pass remains the best use of Madden Cash. For no-money-spent players, smart upgrades, quicksells, and efficient XP grinding will keep your roster competitive.