Hi Folks,
I’m excited to bring another update on what we’ve been working on for Axis Football 2026! In this update, we’ll be discussing the new Franchise Mode features and changes!
Trading Draft Picks
Draft Picks could be traded in previous versions of Axis Football. The problem is that the underlying system that managed the picks was not sophisticated enough to track or differentiate traded picks beyond the first trade. So if a user wanted to trade a pick that they acquired from another team, there was no way to differentiate between their original pick and the one that they received from another team. This left trading picks near or during the draft as problematic and frustrating. In Axis 2026, we are happy to announce that users will have control over the specific picks they wish to trade.
When selecting draft picks to trade, users will be shown how many picks a team has available for each round. If more than one pick is available, a secondary window will appear that shows the history and origin of each pick, so users can select the exact pick they want. Additionally, several windows in the draft screen have been adjusted to show the origins of picks that have been traded to other teams. Note that picks can be traded an indefinite number of times. So if Pittsburgh traded their pick to Arizona, then Arizona traded that pick to Dallas, the pick would show: PIT > ARI > DAL. Finally, Axis 26 will allow trading picks during the live draft. (Trading was previously disabled during the draft due to the limitations of the previous system.) So now, users can exit the draft in progress to trade up for a pick!
Simulation Engine Upgrades
This is a smaller change, but one we felt was worth fixing and mentioning. The off-field simulation engine in Axis 2026 will now take a team’s play calling weights into consideration when simulating the game. Previously, a generic play calling strategy was used, but if a team is more run- or pass-focused, they could be at a disadvantage in the simulation. This change will allow teams a lot more individual identity and have that identity reflected in their team and individual stats.
Franchise Salary Cap
Most professional sport leagues employ the use of salary caps to help balance the talent levels across the league. In Axis Football 2026, users will have the option to enable salary caps to do just that. Cap space will be visible in a few different places to allow the user to make informed decisions regarding the management of their team. The salary cap feature is completely optional and may be disabled in the settings.
Trade Requests
This feature might be the one I am most excited about, and judging by the number of times it gets suggested in feedback, I think users are going to like it, too! Axis Football 2026 will feature trade requests from AI-controlled teams. We spent a significant amount of time writing the logic for teams to offer trades that made sense for both parties. This involved ensuring that a reasonable number of requests were generated, the trades were relatively fair, and that the requests targeted players or draft picks that were consistent with both team’s goals. To that end, we added logic to determine whether a team felt like it was competing for a championship, whether it was in a rebuilding phase, or somewhere in between. Teams in championship mode are more likely to sacrifice future success for a better chance to win now, and teams in a rebuilding phase are likely to do the opposite. The trades offered will be commensurate with these goals.
Trade requests will be generated each week, and may be available only for that week or for several. (Teams can decide to rescind their trade.) When a trade request is available, a green exclamation point will show next to the Personnel tab on the Franchise Dashboard. When viewing the Personnel tab, the Trading Card will indicate that a trade request is available. Once the trading window is open, there will now be two tabs: one for offering trades, and one for viewing trade requests from other teams. Trade requests can be accepted, rejected, or countered. Counting a trade loads the offer into the trade window and allows the user to make modifications. Finally, no trade requests will be made during the playoffs, but trade requests will resume again during the offseason as teams go through the draft and free agency periods.
Draft & Free Agency Player Pool Strength
Recently, one of the more consistent pieces of feedback we’ve been working with is in relation to the draft classes and free agency player pool strengths. Some users note that the pools were too weak, while others say they were filled with too many good players. Both were correct, which means there was too much randomness in the generation script, so we decided to start from scratch. The previous algorithm tended to generate binary players that were either superstars or average. It could generate ‘B’ or ‘B+’ players, but they were rare, and it’s these B players that make up a lot of the second and third rounds of real drafts. Axis 26 will feature a brand new algorithm that does a much better job of creating a balance of players in the proper proportions. Additionally, we felt like the strength of the players in both the draft and free agency should be in the hands of the user, so we added two settings to allow control over the strength of the players in both pools. These changes should make for a much more realistic and exciting draft and free agency period.
Franchise Settings
We respect and appreciate the amount of time users invest into their franchises. Hours and hours of playtime can make up a single season, and we built the game to be able to extend into the future indefinitely. Franchise Mode in Axis Football offers a variety of settings, but in previous versions, these settings were available only at the start of a franchise. Several users have requested the ability to change some of the settings in their franchise after it’s been created. To that end, we added a settings window where all of the editable settings can be adjusted. These franchise settings will be saved along with the franchise itself, so you could have one franchise that uses 5:00 quarters and another that uses 10:00. Additionally, you can toggle unlimited funds or salary caps on and off as you desire or adjust the strength of the draft or free agency pools. We hope these quality of life improvements makes it easier for users to engage with their franchise!
If these updates have you excited for Axis Football 2026, please go ahead and add it to your wish list!
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Best,
Danny Jugan
Founder & Lead Developer, Axis Games