Madden 21: Every X-Factor & Superstar ability

With Madden 21 ratings week, behind us, the big reveals have moved on to X-Factor abilities. This is our list of leaked X-Factor abilities that were released, but we are updating it with verification from EA’s official reveals as they come.

Quarterback X-Factor abilities

Pro Reads highlights the first open receiver from the pocket. Bazooka adds 15 yards to a players maximum throwing distance, up to 80 yards. Gambler players cannot be intercepted by AI defenders. This is ideal for Franchise Mode. Truzz this new X-Factor ability means the player cannot fumble when being tackled. Blitz Radar highlights all blitzing players outside of defensive linemen.

Running back X-Factor abilities

First One Free increases the fakeout rate of a players next juke, spin, or hurdle.

• Saquon Barkley
• Dalvin Cook

READ MORE: Madden 21 The Yard: What is the new game mode? Freight Train increases the chance to break the next tackle.

• Ezekiel Elliott
• Derrick Henry

Wrecking Ball gives players a high success rate on the next three trucks or stiff-arms. Ankle Breaker increases fakeout rates on spin, juke, and hurdles after the catch.

Wide receiver & tight end X-Factor abilities

Double Me means these players win aggressive catches against single coverage.

• Travis Kelce
• Mike Evans
• DeAndre Hopkins
• Julio Jones
• Davante Adams
• Adam Thielen

RAC ‘Em Up means these players win RAC catches against single coverage. Max Security means these players have a high success rate on possession catches.

• Keenan Allen
• Amari Cooper
• Michael Thomas

YAC ‘Em Up increases the chance to break the first post-catch tackle.

Defensive X-Factor abilities

Unstoppable Force increases the win rate and block shed speed against one-on-one pass blocks.

• Khalil Mack
• Myles Garrett
• Joey Bosa
• Demarcus Lawrence
• Cameron Jordan
• TJ Watt
• Danielle Hunter

Fearmonger applies significant pressure on QBs even when the X-Factor player is engaged with blockers.

• Fletcher Cox
• Chandler Jones

Relentless players get their first rush move attempt for free. Reinforcement increased the chance of defeating run blocks and disrupting catches via tackles.

• Derwin James
• Harrison Smith

Avalanche guarantees that a successful hit-stick when running towards the line of scrimmage will result in a fumble. Blitz players make all opposing blockers have their resistance bars wiped out. Run Stuffer increases the win rate and block shed speed against one-on-one run blocks. Momentum Shift knocks all on-field opponents out of the zone, and loses any progression they had toward the zone. Shutdown allows tighter coverage and more frequent interceptions on contested catches.

• Tre’Davious White
• Tyrann Mathieu
• Richard Sherman
• Jaire Alexander
• Stephon Gilmore

READ MORE: Madden 21 Gameplay: New features, skill stick & more Zone Hawk increases the rate of catch knockouts and interceptions while in zone coverage. Bottleneck makes it highly likely to dominate and win any man press encounter

Unassigned X-Factor abilities

Hi-Lo Deadeye all high and low passes are thrown with perfect accuracy. Run N Gun has perfet accuracy while throwing on the run. Brick Wall passers are almost guaranteed to break the first sack attempt by any blitzing defender. Omaha passers have full vision of the secondary’s defensive coverage before the snap. Mossed players have greatly increased success rates on aggressive catches of 55+ yards regardless of coverage. Wrecking Ball running backs have increased success rate on the next three trucks or stiff arms. Grab And Smash receivers have an increased success chance on stiff arm and truck attempts after the catch. Vanguard blockers are nearly guaranteed dominant impact block wins. Selfless players allow all on-field teammates to enter the zone as well. Universal Coverage defenders are nearly guaranteed knockouts.

Superstar abilities

Brace yourself, there are a LOT of Superstar abilities in Madden 21.

Quarterback Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
Fearless	Immune to throw penalties caused by pressure when feet are set in the pocket	Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan
Hot Route Master	Access to four extra hot routes during pre-play	Tom Brady
Set Feet Lead	Increased throw power on bullet precision passes made while their feet are set	Tom Brady
Conductor	Able to make all hot route & blocking adjustments twice as fast	Tom Brady
Escape Artist	Faster and more responsive to input while rolling out of the pocket	Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson
Quick Draw	Faster throwing animations when under pressure	Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, Lamar Jackson
Dashing Deadeye	Perfect accuracy on all throws under 40 yards while running outside the pocket	Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers
Red Zone Deadeye	Perfect accuracy on all unpressured throws inside the red zone	Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees
No-Look Deadeye	Perfect accuracy on all cross-body throws up to 20 yards	Patrick Mahomes
Anchored Extender	While in the pocket, almost guaranteed to break the first sack attempt by a DB	Dak Prescott
Gutsy Scrambler	Immune to throw penalties caused by pressure while on the run	Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson
Sideline Deadeye	Perfect accuracy on all throws outside the numbers	Carson Wentz
Sleight of Hand	High chance of success on pump fakes and double moves	Matt Ryan
Roaming Deadeye	Perfect Accuracy on all unpressured throws while feet are set outside the pocket	Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson
Gunslinger	Faster passing animations and increased velocity on bullet passes	Aaron Rodgers
Fastbreak	Immediately respond to user input (and defenders react more slowly) on designed QB runs	Lamar Jackson
Tight Out	Improve the catching prowess of all tight ends who are open	Lamar Jackson
Lofting Deadeye	Perfect accuracy on all lob or touch passes	Drew Brees
Indoor Baller	Easier zone targets when playing indoors	Drew Brees
Safety Valve	Improved catching for all running backs who are open	Drew Brees
Clutch	Midway through the 4th quarter in close games, players can easily enter (and remain in) the zone	Tom Brady, Russell Wilson
Agile Extender	Almost guaranteed to evade the first sack attempt by a blitzing DB in the pocket	Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson
Juke Box	Steerable juke animations	Lamar Jackson
Long Range Deadeye	Perfect accuracy on all deep throws with their feet set	Russell Wilson

READ MORE: Madden 21 Face of the Franchise – Rise to Fame

Running back Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
Arm Bar	More powerful stiff arm animations	Joe Mixon, Derrick Henry
Balance Beam	Avoid stumbling when carrying the ball	Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Dalvin Cook
Bruiser	More powerful truck and stiff arm animations	Nick Chubb
Reach For It	Frequently attempt to gain extra yards while being tackled	Nick Chubb, Ezekiel Elliott
Leap Frog	Will hold onto the ball if tackled during a hurdle	Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Chistian McCaffrey
Energizer	Replenish a portion of their stamina upon successfully performing any skill move	Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook
Evasive	Steerable juke & spin animations	Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey
Backfield Mismatch	Better catch in traffic and route running when coming out against LBs or DL	Saquon Barkley, Kyle Juszczyk
Tank	Break almost any hit-stick tackle	Leonard Fournette, Derrick Henry
Backfield Master	Four additional hot routes, better route running, and improved catching vs LB & DL	Chrstian McCaffrey
Playmaker	Immediate and precisc reactions to playmaker inputs	Christian McCaffrey
Second Wind	replenish their stamina once per play, when its half depleted	Josh Jacobs
Bulldozer	More powerful truck animations	Josh Jacobs
Matchup Nightmare	Sharper cuts and frequently win contested catches when covered by LBs & DL	Alvin Kamara
RB Apprentice	Four additional hot routes when lined up at RB	Alvin Kamara
Closer	Reduced zone objectives in the 2nd half	Derrick Henry
Juke Box	Steerable juke animations	Dalvin Cook
Nasty Streak	Frequently attempt & win impact blocks against LBs & DBs when playing lineman or fullback	Kyle Juszczyk

READ MORE: Madden 21 Pre-Order NOW: Editions, Prices, & Bonus Content

Wide receiver & tight end Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
Short In Elite	More consistency catching passes less than 10 yards from the LoS, inside the numbers	DeAndre Hopkins, George Kittle, Michael Thomas
Mid In Elite	More consistency catching passes 10-20 yards from LoS, inside the numbers	Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz, Julian Edelman
Deep In Elite	More consistency catching passes 20+ yards from LoS, inside the numbers	Stefon Diggs
Short Out Elite	More consistency catching passes less than 10 yards from the LoS, outside the numbers	Tyreek Hill, George Kittle, DJ Moore, Michael Thomas
Mid Out Elite	More consistency catching passes 10-20 yards from the LoS, outside the numbers	Keenan Allen, Julio Jones, Kenny Golladay, DJ Moore, Adam Thielen
Deep Out Elite	More consistency catching passes 20 +yards from the LoS, outside the numbers	Allen Robinson, Mike Evans, Travis Kelce, TY Hilton, Amari Cooper
Outside Apprentice	When lined up outside have access to four additional hot routes	Allen Robinson, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Davante Adams
Juke Box	Steerable juke animations	Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham, Tyreek Hill
Grab-N-Go	Quickly shift momentum, change direction, and turn the corner without losing speed	Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham, Tyreek Hill
Return Man	Quickly shift momentum, change direction, and turn the corner without losing speed on kick and punt returns	Cordarelle Patterson, Andre Roberts
Red Zone Threat	When in the red zone, better chance to win contested catches against single coverage	Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Kenny Golladay, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp
Second Wind	Chance to replenish their stamina once per play, when its half depleted	Chris Godwin
Route Technician	High success rate when creating separation on the last cut of any route	TY Hilton, Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Michael Thomas
Tank	Will break almost any hit-stick tackle	Rob Gronkowski
TE Apprentice	Four additional hot routes when lined up at TE	Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz
Leap Frog	Will hold onto the ball if tackled during a hurdle	Travis Kelce
Route Apprentice	Four additional hot routes regardless of where they line up	Goerge Kittle

READ MORE: Madden needs to abandon 99 OVR and move to FIFA’s system

Offensive lineman Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
All Day	Allow less frequent shed attempts	Mitchell Schwartz, Tyron Smith, David Bakhtiari
Edge Protector	Reduce an edge rushers chance of using a quick shed move	Mitchell Schwartz, Tyron Smith, Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari, Ryan Ramczyk
Screen Protector	Will dominantly win impact block on screen plays	Zack Martin, Jason Kelce, Trent Williams
Post Up	Almost guaranteed to win any double team block they are engaged in	Zack Martin, Brandon Brooks, Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff
Nasty Streak	Will frequently attempt and win impact blocks against LB & DB	Quenton Nelson, Lane Johnson, Trent Brown
Unspun	Defend against spin pass rush moves as if they had an additional resistance point	Andrew Whitworth
Lifeguard	Ability to defend against swim/club pass rush moves as if they had an additional resistance point	Brandon Brooks, Ronnie Stanley
Tough Nut	Increased number of blocker resistance points	Terron Armstead
Puller Elite	Frequently attempt and win pull blocks	Quenton Nelson, David DeCastro
Matador	Stronger protection against bull rush	Rodney Hudson, Brandon Scherff
Tear Proof	Ability to defend against rips as if they had an additional resistance point	David DeCastro
Fool Me Once	Gain blocker resistance points at a faster rate	Lane Johnson, Ryan Ramczyk
Natural Talent	Start every new blocking encounter with built-in resistance	Jason Kelce

Pass rush/run defense Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
Swim Club	Ignore one bar of blocker resistance when attempting swim/club pass rush moves	Joey Bosa, Demarcus Lawrence, Arik Armstead, JJ Watt
Edge Threat	Faster, more dominant pass rush moves off the edge	Khalil Mack, Von Miller, Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa, Demarcus Lawrence, Nick Bosa, Calais Campbell, TJ Watt
No Outsiders	Faster run shed moves against outside zone plays	Khalil Mack, Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Aaron Donald, Cameron Jordan, TJ Watt
Under Pressure	Apply pressure to the QB from a greater distance	Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, Demarcuse Lawrence, Fletcher Cox, Aaron Donald
B.O.G.O	Free pass rush move once per play after spending a pass rush point	Shaquil Barrett, Josh Allen
Run Stopper	Do not need to spend a point on shed attempts during a run play	Calais Campbell, JJ Watt
Inside Stuff	Faster run shed moves against inside zone plays	Grady Jarrett, Kenny Clark, Aaron Donald, Calais Campbell, Cameron Heyward
Edge Threat Elite	Faster, more dominant pass rush moves and apply significant pressure off the edge	Chandler Jones, Za’Darius Smith, Cameron Jordan, Danielle Hunter
Instant Rebate	Refunded a pass rush point when successfully shed blocks	Kenny Clark, Cameron Jordan
El Toro	Dominant bull rush wins when their pass rush points are full	Myles Garrett, Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, Fletcher Cox, Grady Jarrett, Aaron Donald, JJ Watt
Speedster	Ignore one bar of blocker resistance when attempting speed rush moves	Nick Bosa, Danielle Hunter
Extra Credit	Granted an additional maximum pass rush move point	Nick Bosa, Danielle Hunter
Strip Specialist	Still tackle effectively when trying to strip the ball	Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, Shaquil Barrett, Chandler Jones, TJ Watt
Unpredictable	Less likely to increase their blockers resistance bars when performing shed wins	Cameron Heyward
Reach Elite	Reach out of engaged blocks to tackle/sack nearby ball carriers	Geno Atkins, Chandler Jones, Ryan Kerrigan
Ripper	Ignore one bar of blocker resistance when attempting rip moves	Geno Atkins
Goal Line Stuff	Quicker run sheds near the goal line	Chris Jones
Secure Tackler	Higher success rate on conservative tackles	Fletcher Cox
Defensive Rally	Grant a bonus pass rush point to all DL on any 3rd & 4th down	Arik Armstead
Adrenalin Rush	All pass rush points restored after sacking the QB	Von Miller
Out My Way	Dominant impact block wins against WR, HB, or TE	Za’Darius Smith
Mr Big Stop	Start 3rd & 4th down with at least half ot ehr maximum pass rush points	Za’Darius Smith

Off-ball linebacker & defensive back Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
Out My Way	Dominant impact block wins against WR, HB, or TE	Bobby Wagner
Lurker	Can make jumping, 180-degree interceptions while lurking in a zone in the middle of the field	Lavonte David, Eric Kendricks
Outmatched	Highly likely to win contested catches against running backs	Fred Warner
Tackle Supreme	Better conservative/dive tackling, are rarely faked out by ball carrier moves, and cannot be faked out when user controlled	Bobby Wagner
Short Route KO	Force more catch tackle knockouts in man-to-man vs short routes less than 10 yards from the LoS	Chris Harris Jr, Tyrann Mathieu, Jaire Alexander, Marlon Humphrey
Medium Route KO	Force more catch tackle knockouts in man-to-man vs medium routes, 10-20 yards from the LoS	Micah Hyde, Justin Simmons
Deep Route KO	Force more catch tackle knockouts in man-to-man vs long routes, 20+ yards from LoS	Darius Slay, Jaire Alexander, Marlon Humphrey
Flat Zone KO	Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in any flat zone coverage, less than 10 yards from LoS & outside hashes	Derwin James, Tyrann Mathieu, Richard Sherman, Jamal Adams, Stephon Gilmore, Harrison Smith
Mid Zone KO	Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in any midfield zone coverage, less than 20 yards from LoS inside the numbers, and 10-20 outside	Lavonte David, Budda Baker, Fred Warner, Eric Kendricks
Deep In Zone KO	Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in deep zone coverage, 20+ yards from the LoS and inside the numbers	Justin Simmons, Devin McCourty, Earl Thomas, Kevin Byard
Deep Out Zone KO	Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in deep zone coverage, 20+ yards from LoS and outside the hashes	Tre’Davious White, Richard Sherman
Acrobat	Increased range on pass breakups and interceptions	Tre’Davious White, Chris Harris, Darious Slay, Jaire Alexander, Stephon Gilmore, Jalen Ramsey
One Step Ahead	React much faster to receiver cut moves when in man coverage	Stephon Gilmore, Jalen Ramsey
Pick Artist	Higher chance to catch uncontested interceptions, and unlimited stamina on the return (until using a special move or breaking a tackle)	Tre’Davious White, Micah Hyde, Stephon Gilmore, Devin McCourty, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kevin Byard
Bench Press	Apply bonus fatigue to their man coverage target after a successful press win	Jalen Ramsey
Chuck Out	Slow down their target after a successful zone chuck	Byron Jones, Richard Sherman
Stone Wall	Frequently prevent additional yardage gains while tackling	Budda Baker, Jamal Adams, Earl THomas, Harrison
Tip Drill	Increased chance to catch passes that have been tipped into the air	Minkah Fitzpatrick
Unfakeable	Rarely faked out by ball carrier moves (cannot be faked out when user-controlled)	Derwin James, Devin McCourty
Lumberjack	Do not allow broken tackles and cause more fumbles when cut-sticking ballcarriers	Derwin James
Enforcer	Don’t allow broken tackles when hit-sticking ball carriers – regardless of the runner’s size or power	Jamal Adams, Bobby Wagner, Harrison Smith

Kicker & punter Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Players
Focused Kicker	Slower kicking meter for better power and accuracy	Josh Lambo, Johnny Hekker
Clutch Kicker	Immune to the ‘Ice The Kicker’ effect that occurs after the opponents call timeouts in critical situations	Justin Tucker

Unassigned Superstar abilities

Name	Ability	Positions
Homer	Easier zone targets at home	Any
Protected	QBs receive better pass blocking from all OL	QB
Human Joystick	Ball carriers can change direction & turn without losing speed	QB, WR, TE, HB