Hurricanes fans can unleash Cam Ward’s signature “Zombieland” touchdown celebration in the highly anticipated EA Sports College Football 26. The animation mirrors the viral gesture Ward made famous last season.
Cam Ward’s signature celebration is in College Football 26 🟧🟩
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) July 4, 2025
(H/T @Da12thMan) pic.twitter.com/A3nBfzX0rN
The celebration, triggered by holding R1 on PlayStation (RB on Xbox) and flicking the right stick, joins a lineup of twelve scripted animations in the game’s celebration system, including crowd favorites like 'Reach Low Flex' and 'Two‑Step Shuffle'. Dubbed “Blinded” within the game’s menu, the move (if you have been living under a rock) involves placing one hand over the mouth while extending the other arm, which is a mirror image of Ward’s real-life celebration.
The celebration brings more personality to the game and shows Ward’s cultural imprint from his 2024 season at Miami. Last season he led the team to a 10–3 record, earned ACC Player of the Year honors, and secured both the Manning and Davey O’Brien awards.
Early gameplay also confirms head coach Mario Cristobal will be absent, one of 12 Division I coaches omitted from CFB 26. Cristobal is not alone in coaches deciding to opt out of the game. Below is the full list of coaches who decided — for reasons that are unknown for each — to opt out of the game.
- Bill Belichick (North Carolina)
- Deion Sanders (Colorado)
- Mark Carney (Kent State)
- Mario Cristobal (Miami)
- Trent Dilfer (UAB)
- Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
- Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky)
- Jason Eck (New Mexico)
- Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State)
- Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State)
- Bryant Vincent (ULM)
- Frank Reich (Stanford)
Cristobal's decision to opt out is interesting but the main task at hand for the Hurricanes is to build off of 2024 and that starts on Labor Day weekend against Notre Dame. CFB 26 will officially be released worldwide on July 10 but it is available now through early access.