Celebrating a score or big play is part and parcel of the NFL. Burning the defense for a significant gain or sacking the quarterback for a huge loss demands a dance, flex, or signature move. And there are celebrations aplenty on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in Madden 23.
Though some things remain the same this year, others are slightly different from what veteran players may be used to. With that in mind, this guide will tell you how to showboat while running down the field, how to dive into the end zone in style, and how to execute the other celebrations triggered by less explosive plays.
Celebration Loco (aka the Classic Showboat Taunt)
Celebration Loco is an old-school showboat mechanic with a new name that sees you dancing, spinning, or high-stepping (among many other animations governed by RNG) your way toward the goalposts. There’s an entire training module on this method of taunting your opponent in the Basic Offense section of the Skills Trainer, but here’s how to do the celebration run you haven’t looked there already:
- PlayStation: Hold L2+R2+X.
- Xbox: Hold LT+RT+A.
Keep in mind that Celebration Loco slows your player considerably, making them an easy target for pursuing safeties and cornerbacks — or speedy wide receivers if you’ve scooped a fumble or nabbed a pick. Make sure you’re well beyond any tacklers and close enough to the end zone to score, lest you find yourself on the other end of a hit-stick with the ball on the ground.
How to Dive Into the End Zone With Style
There are also a handful of animations for when you break away from defenders and dive into the end zone near the pylons. To pull off these high-flying theatrics, get within diving distance of the plane of the end zone (about 2 yards out) and:
- Hold Square on Playstation.
- Hold X on Xbox.
Like Celebration Loco, the animations for these celebrations are also governed by a bit of RNG. Sometimes you’ll spin like a top, others you’ll soar over defenders like a flying squirrel, arms and legs in every direction.
Other Madden 23 Celebrations
It’s not just deep bombs or breakaway runs that trigger celebratory moves. Being generally successful on offense and defense will often bring up a radial menu with four options to choose from by pushing the right stick up, down, left, or right.
There are six to choose from on offense, and they vary based on the play. Defensive players always have the same four.
- Offense
- First Down
- Dance
- Signature
- Team
- Spike
- Swagger
- Defense
- Signature
- Swagger
- Dance
- Flex
Plays that trigger celebrations include:
- Sacks
- TFLs
- Big hits
- Interceptions
- Fumble recoveries
- First downs (sometimes)
- Touchdowns
- Long receptions
- Other clutch plays
And that’s basically all you need to know about how to celebrate in Madden 23. Remember that all of these celebrations ought to be used in good fun when facing other real players. If you’re playing the CPU, go wild. For more tips, check out our other Madden 23 content here.
