Review – EA Sports FC 26

The long -awaited annual release for a lot has finally arrived! The spear now in September is a bold proposal by offering two distinct football experiences in a single game. After years of criticism of the lack of differentiation between modes and persistent gameplay problems, the developer finally seems to have heard her community and decided to bet all the chips in an approach that can redefine the future of the franchise.

This review was made possible in partnership with, a store specializing in digital credits, which gave us credits via gift card to check out the Ultimate edition of EA Sports FC 26.

With many game modes and gigantic content to enjoy, FC 26 explains why many players only buy this game to enjoy throughout the year. The diversity of game is so great, even if it is just football, that you will often forget some modes or even get lost by the menus. For those who enjoy, for sure and Sports FC 26 is the game of the year and justifies the investment of Ultimate Edition, with even more benefits to your player or technician profile.

From the relegation zone to the top of the table

The highlight of FC 26 is the introduction of two completely different gameplay predicts, with competitive gameplay developed specifically for online modes such as Ultimate Team, Clubs and Rivals, prioritizing responsiveness, direct control and rapid pace. Authentic gameplay focuses on the realism and immersion of offline modes, especially career mode, with more cadenced rhythm and greater participation in artificial intelligence.

Another significant novelty is archetypes, a system of progression inspired by real football stars that allows you to unlock, evolve and customize 13 different classes of players. This system replaces the old model of players creation in club modes and athlete career, bringing more depth and strategy for customization.

Since we are talking about evolution, live manager revolutionizes the consolidated career mode by introducing dynamic challenges ranging from half -season scenarios to historical achievements. These challenges can last a few minutes or extend by multiple seasons, offering rewards such as cosmetic items and season points.

However, do not expect monetization to be far from this edition, as EA Sports FC 26 only loses to Tigrinho’s game when it comes to the use of currency, whether at stake or real money. And if the doubt is still if this edition could be just a DLC, perhaps in many years we have real content and investment with enough news to justify the purchase of a new game rather than extra content or update.

The differences between editions 25 and 26

The evolution of FC 25 to FC 26 can be summarized in one word: listening. While the previous edition was widely criticized by gameplay problems, excessive automatic defense and inconsistent goalkeepers, the new game positions itself as a direct response to community requests.

The least automatic defense is one of the most noticeable changes, requiring the player’s greater manual skill to effectively mark, going far beyond L2 or R2 + X to chase the ball. The goalkeepers were completely reformulated with volumetric animations based on real motion capture, resulting in fewer unnecessary rebounds and smarter but still easy to outdated. This reduction in automatic marking meets years of criticism of the simplicity of defense, as well as the reformulation of the Playstyles that eliminated skills that broke the realism of the game.

The Ultimate Team received a complete restructuring with the introduction of live events, offering thematic competitions with custom rules and specific cast restrictions. Clubs has been long requested by the community, such as the possibility of participating in up to three clubs simultaneously and live events on Clubs Rush. Career mode benefits from in -depth simulation, allowing you to select up to five additional alloys to track detailed statistics and market movements. The technicians market now simulates hiring based on reputation and tactical style, including interim technicians.

Even with a easy -to -learn menu system, but equally confused until you understand, and Sports FC 26 surprised me by significant accessibility improvements, including high contrast mode for competitive games, field saturation control and customizable shadow options. Even subtitles offer different text sizes and five color options.

For people who play far from the competitive (like me), the simplified feint system allows you to perform complex dribbles with simple right analog movements, making the game more accessible, and have in the dynamic driving of the player with the ball. Although players often seem to be in a soap bathtub, slipping everywhere, the game seems to be much more responsive.

The in -depth simulation in career mode, my favorite game mode, both manager or athlete, allows you to follow up to five alloys simultaneously with real historical statistics of the 2024 and 25 season, with the technicians market simulating realistic reputation and tactical compatibility movements, also allowing a professional known to fans.

Same Engine with new tricks

Visually, FC 26 keeps Engine Hypermotion V of the previous edition, focusing on fine adjustments instead of risking changes, after all in a team that is gaining does not move. The way this reality of players is passed to the game, including the camera from a point of view in moments of replay, further enhance the experience. In PlayStation 5, a version used for this review, the game offers two options, with quality/graphs mode and resolution mode, featuring lighting and scenes improvements. However, graphic evolutions have a small jump and can be perceived more in the goalkeeper’s animations and the most fluid movement of players than in the rest of the moments.

The soundtrack impresses as always, bringing over 100 tracks from over 30 countries. Brazilian artists such as Alok, Papatinho, Naldo and Ebony represent the country, highlighting the carioca funk “to respect”. Names of world music, such as Ed Sheeran brought an unprecedented song to the game, alongside Blackpink, Fred Again, Young Miko and The Cure, which complete a plural selection as well as the FC community. For those who enjoy a good sound, the trail is also available on streaming platforms.

Finally, after many hours of play in early mode and with some attempts on online competitive multiplayer, the EA Sports FC 26 represents an EA courageous bet to satisfy different audiences through a double experience. By clearly separating what expects competitive online players from those looking for offline realistic simulation, the developer may finally have found the formula to please her diverse fan base, but we are increasingly a bigger jump or changes that can justify the annual investment. Only time will say whether these strategies will be able to keep the players’ confidence.