It takes a lot of guts for a developer to admit that its previous game missed the mark, but that’s the message EA Vancouver is sending right out of the gate withEA Sports FC 26. The studio wants to let its players know that the team has taken the community’s feedback seriously and has taken big strides to address it with this year’s game. Where past EA Sports soccer games might have focused on a few marquee features,FC 26feels more like a top-to-bottom overhaul, and for fans, that is very exciting.
Game Rant was invited to EA Vancouver to hear about all the changes andimprovements the studio is making forEA Sports FC 26and to see those put into action with hands-on gameplay. While some of the finer points of modes like Ultimate Team and Career will have to wait until a later date, I can share my first impressions ofEA Sports FC 26’s gameplay based off of a very quick session. In a word: this year’s game feels faster, with a pace of play that requires stronger instincts and whose AI better matches real-life teammates.
That isn’t to say thatEA Sports FC 26opponents won’t make a questionable decision or two, but there is an obvious sense that thecompetition level has been brought closer to realism than ever before. You feel the pressure almost instantaneously when you receive a pass, you struggle to gain positioning if an opponent beats you to the ball, and the goalkeeper will make some stunning saves that feel less like mind-reading and more like how a real keeper might react.A lot of the unpredictable nature of past games has been revampedto create an experience that allows your team to feel like a cohesive unit and for your opponents to feel less like a pushover.
FC 26’s Authentic and Competitive Presets Will Offer Players Different Play Styles
EA Sports FC 26is splitting its approach into two separate segments: authentic and competitive. Authentic gameplay is what you will see in offline modes like Kickoff and in Career, while Competitive has been tuned for the game’s online modes like Ultimate Team and Clubs.
Authentic Gameplay takes into account the randomness of AI teammates and, as a result, feels methodical and a little slower paced. It emphasizes strategy and realism, but is also somewhat unpredictable. Competitive, on the other hand, gives the player more agency and is more responsive and faster-paced. It’s up to the player to dictate their defensive strategies, but they will be rewarded with fewer unpredictable situations, like a goalkeeper deflecting a shot right back at their opponent.
For our hands-on preview, we didn’t get to spend enough time with either Authentic or Competitive, so full thoughts will have to wait until a later date. What we did play felt more in line with what a true soccer experience should look like, though.Dribbling was more responsive and accurate, animations were fluid and matched the skill level of that particular player, one-time passes hit their intended target more often than not, goalkeepers felt smarter in terms of their positioning, and the return of the low-driven shot made for satisfying goals.
The amount of attention EA Vancouver has put into every single element ofFC 26is truly impressive.
But perhaps the most impressive element was the positioning animations and interactions, which saw defensive players better blocking out their opponents and stronger attackers being able to keep their defender off the ball. Player collisions have long been a tricky part of the FC formula, but it feels like EA Vancouver found a sweet spot here.Maybe the interactions aren’t always realistic, but they feel fair.
There’s an unbelievable amount of attention that has been paid to so many aspects ofEA Sports FC 26that it feels overwhelming. After spending hours in the studio listening to developers break down as many of the changes as they could – and still leaving stuff out – one thing is clear: the team has listened.Every change or improvement is motivated by feedback from the communityand has been invigorating for the developers to implement. It had to have been humbling to admit that a prior product didn’t meet expectations, but that has also been freeing for EA Vancouver. Opening up a line of communication that has influenced the development of EA Sports FC 26 should result in a more satisfying game, even if it doesn’t have those flashy, back-of-the-box features.
The changes aren’t just in any one area. It’s in the dribbling, the movement, the shooting, the tackling, the goalkeepers, the presentation, the menus, the accessibility, the archetypes – the list goes on and on. Typically, an experience with a new EA Sports game boils down to those handful of new features that are easily summed up in a few buzzwords, but this year, it is impossible to succinctly describe even just one element of the game, let alone the whole package. There is so much going on that I’m headed back to spend another day in the studio to play even more.
EA Sports FC 26 Early Access starts Jul 04, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, before thegame officially releases on September 26.
EA Sports FC 26
WHERE TO PLAY
The Club is Yours in EA SPORTS FC™ 26.Play your way with an overhauled gameplay experience powered by community feedback. The new Authentic Gameplay option delivers the most true-to-football experience ever in Career, while the Competitive Gameplay option—driven by refined fundamentals, added consistency, and enhanced responsiveness—is tailor-made for play in Football Ultimate Team™ and Clubs.Put your dream squad to the test in Football Ultimate Team™ with new Live Events and Tournament modes, as well as a refreshed Rivals and Champs experience.Experience Manager Career like never before with all-new Manager Live Challenges. Earn rewards throughout the new season by taking on a variety of real-world scenarios and alternative storylines – ranging from a few minutes of play to multiple seasons.Archetypes inspired by the greats of the game introduce new classes to Clubs and Player Career, bringing more individuality to your player. Develop your abilities by upgrading attributes and unlocking Archetype Perks to give your player a distinct feel on the pitch.Experience The World’s Game like never before in EA SPORTS FC™ 26, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering 20,000+ authentic players.This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
