Celebration dances have become a staple of the NFL and, in turn, each new iteration of the Madden franchise. Whether players are celebrating a kickoff return for a touchdown or a pick-six, the different celebration dances available to Madden players have evolved tremendously over the years. The dances are usually in line with what’s popular in the NFL, but developer EA Sports have also taken the liberty of creating some new celebrations over the years. In Madden 23, the developers implemented both popular NFL player celebrations along with some classics. However, there’s also a new way to celebrate in Madden 23, and it might mess up some veteran players who have committed the old celebration button combination to memory.
In this guide, we’ll go over exactly how to perform a celebration in Madden 23, the possible pitfalls of performing one, and the different dances that are available to players when they want to showboat.
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Now Playing: Madden NFL 23 – Everything To Know
How to celebrate and showboat in Madden 23
Before players can choose what kind of celebration they want to do, they need to know exactly when they can celebrate and what buttons to press to do so. In short, there are a few different times that players are able to do a celebration in Madden 23.
The main celebration that players will likely be able to pull off in-game is when they’re striding into the endzone. This is called a showboat, and it’s one of the best ways to humiliate an opponent in Madden 23. To showboat before your player hits the endzone, or just in general, you need to hit the following button combinations:
PlayStation: L2 + R2 + XXbox: LT + RT + A
It’s important to remember you need to hit all of these buttons at the same time to perform a showboat. For veterans of Madden, you’ll notice that this is a different button combination than in previous years. So you’ll need to get used to holding all three buttons compared to just holding one button like in years past.
As always, you also need to remember that showboating is one of the most dangerous things you can do on the field. If a defender catches up to you while you’re in the middle of a showboat, then you will always fumble the ball. You also move slower while showboating, so you need to be wary of any defenders behind you. Of course, some players have used the showboating system to out-maneuver opponents on the field as well, so it’s up to your best judgment when to use the mechanic.
The second kind of celebration that players can do is right before entering the endzone. This is simply known as the celebration dive, and players can pull it off just steps before they reach the goal line. In order to perform the dive, all players need to do is hold Square on PlayStation or X on Xbox. This will trigger a celebratory dive, which is different than a normal dive.
The final kind of celebration that players can perform in Madden 23 happens directly after a big play has occurred. Whether it’s after a sack, touchdown, or interception, players will see a prompt appear on-screen that gives them an option on which celebration they can perform. This is a timed event, so if players don’t hit the necessary buttons in time, they will lose the ability to celebrate that play. The different kinds of celebrations and their button assignments are listed below.
Dance – Move the right stick to the rightSpike – Move the right stick downSignature – Move the right stick to the leftSwagger – Move the right stick upwards
This system has been included in Madden for years, so veterans should know these dances by heart. Newcomers might have to get accustomed to remembering to move the right stick after a big play, though.
The new dance
In addition to the regular showboat dances and other celebrations, Madden 23 has also added one of the most popular current dances in the NFL: the Griddy. This dance was made popular by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and has since become a worldwide phenomenon. Numerous athletes and even social media influencers have put their own spin on the dance since it was made popular.
To give players the chance to perform the dance on their own, EA Esports has included it as a celebration dance in Madden 23. To pull off the Griddy, players can use the following button combination, but only while playing as Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, or DJ Chark. It’s an LSU thing, I guess.
PlayStation: Hold R2 and flick the right stick up twiceXbox: Hold RT and flitch the right stick up twice
It’s safe to say the Griddy celebration will get the bulk of players’ attention when Madden 23 officially launches on Aug. 19. For more Madden 23 content, players can take a look at the full list of X-Factors and Superstars or how to unlock Bonus Coins in Madden Ultimate Team.