EA Sports FC 26: First impressions of a gameplay that received a total revamp

The launch of a sports game always brings tweaks and innovations. When a franchise as big and long-lived as EA Sports’ soccer franchise comes to an end, there is a lot of attention to detail and many areas of opportunity to improve year after year. On a recent trip to the Electronic Arts offices in Vancouver, Canada, we had the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the new details that will get the ball rolling in EA Sports FC 26. On this occasion, we analyzed all the changes introduced in the gameplay.

Core Gameplay Fundamentals Refined

Building on player feedback, FC 26 introduces substantial improvements to several key areas, aiming to elevate the on-pitch experience. Players will immediately notice a difference in dribbling, which has been redesigned for greater consistency and responsiveness. This is achieved through more frequent dribble touches, allowing for finer control, as well as faster player movement and quicker, more agile turns. These changes are set to make the game’s best dribblers stand out even more, creating new attacking avenues and refreshing the overall feel.

Goalkeepers are also receiving a significant upgrade, becoming far more intelligent in their decision-making. Utilizing machine learning, their positioning has been optimized, and new volumetric capture animations provide enhanced coverage. Crucially, the team has implemented greater control over deflections, addressing a long-standing community concern about balls bouncing back dangerously to opponents.

Defensive play sees improvements with cleaner tackles and interceptions. EA has focused on improving “tackle box” situations, ensuring defenders are more likely to retain possession after a successful challenge, rather than the ball rebounding away. Similarly, when a player successfully reads and intercepts a pass, the ball will now more consistently remain in their possession, leading to a smoother and more fluid game, especially in congested midfield battles.

Player locomotion and run curves have been re-tuned to make players feel more explosive on the pitch. This translates to faster acceleration and deceleration, making player movement more dynamic and responsive. Adjustments to turning agility and jockeying have also been made to perfectly complement the new, more fluid dribbling mechanics.

Finally, physicality in FC 26 is getting a renewed emphasis. The game now better communicates raw strength, allowing players to control space more effectively through body positioning and power. This includes consistent shielding both on and off the ball, new contested box-out mechanics, and the introduction of an “Enforcer” PlayStyle. An underlying upgrade to the physics engine also addresses previous issues where players might get “stuck” when colliding, ensuring smoother, more natural interactions.

Introducing Authentic and Competitive Gameplay Modes

A major new addition to FC 26 is the introduction of distinct Authentic and Competitive gameplay tunings, a significant departure designed to cater to the varied preferences of the player base.

The Competitive Mode is tailor-made for online play, particularly modes like Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs, where head-to-head competition is paramount. This tuning prioritizes a fast, responsive, and user-skill-driven experience, ensuring consistent outcomes determined by player ability rather than in-game systems. To this end, the sanctity of manual defending is protected, and the fatigue mechanic has been redesigned so that players maintain consistent responsiveness from the first minute to the ninetieth, regardless of their energy levels.

In contrast, the Authentic Mode is designed for offline career players and those seeking a true-to-life football simulation. This mode emphasizes realism and strategic depth, allowing for more unpredictable outcomes that mirror the real world of football, where a game can turn on a single bounce of the ball. To achieve this, EA has added five new simulation sliders for granular tuning and implemented custom mechanics, such as ensuring AI teammates are more positionally sound, providing a more immersive and realistic simulation experience.

Expanding Accessibility and Tackling Input Delay

EA Sports is making significant strides in both player accessibility and addressing the persistent issue of online gameplay responsiveness.

Following extensive consultations with their accessibility council, FC 26 introduces a comprehensive suite of accessibility features. These options are available from the very first boot-up of the game and include the ability to toggle off front-end video playback (beneficial for those experiencing motion sickness), expanded subtitle options, and, crucially, simplified skill moves. This new function allows players to execute complex skill moves with a single, contextual right-stick click, making a fundamental and enjoyable part of the game accessible to a wider audience. Perhaps the most impactful addition is a fully customizable high-contrast mode, allowing players to adjust colors for kits, goalkeepers, referees, the ball, pitch saturation, and shadows. This level of customization ensures that whatever a player’s accessibility needs, the game can meet them, even within competitive online play.

On the critical front of online gameplay responsiveness and input delay, the development team has undertaken an extensive investigation. Collaborating with their design council, internal quality council, pro players, and content creators, they’ve gathered data and personally experienced various forms of delay. They confirm that input delay is a complex issue with multiple sources, often experienced differently by players, and can occur in both offline and online scenarios. While recommending practical steps like switching from Wi-Fi to Ethernet and optimizing TV settings (e.g., using game mode), significant in-game fixes have been implemented. This includes adding numerous new animations to provide better coverage for player actions, ensuring smoother transitions without impacting game speed.

Dozens of animation system bugs that could cause delayed inputs or undesirable action choices have been rectified. The team is also working to find a better balance between animation variability (for authenticity) and player desire for greater consistency in responsiveness. A highlight of this effort is the introduction of one-frame first-time passes and shots, allowing players to transition almost instantly from controlling the ball to passing or shooting, ensuring market-leading responsiveness. For pro players, peer-to-peer connections for FC Pro Connections are expected to deliver a faster and smoother experience, and an improved in-game overlay will provide better visibility into connection issues. EA Sports emphasized that the fight against input delay is a continuous initiative, with ongoing commitment to community feedback and further improvements until the game’s launch on September 19th.

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