EA Sports FC 26 Reviews

FC 26 is fine for a while, but the longer I played, the more I became annoyed with the control scheme. The AI was a big fun killing factor, and no matter how many times I changed the game's difficulty, it never got better. Still, I had fun with a few of the game modes and love the training games.

As a lifelong soccer fan and avid player, I have a strange love-hate relationship with the virtual version of my favorite sport. Each year, I go in expecting significant changes, only to be disappointed by what feels like simple roster updates. While EA Sports FC 26 doesn't drastically change the game or its fundamentals, it does just enough to feel like a solid change of pace this time around.

EA Sports FC 26 promised to address long-standing fan feedback, and to its credit, several key areas are refreshed. The new gameplay presets border on game-changing, and the franchise’s impressive authenticity remains unrivalled in the sports video game scene. Sadly, FUT rewards extra player spending more than ever, and the menu design is awful.

Phenomenal on-the-pitch gameplay is marred by an awkward UI and lots of faff.

Outside of the name change to EA Sports FC, EA Sports’ football series had stagnated. With each passing entry, the community has grown increasingly concerned about the lack of significant changes to the annualized franchise. But after spending several hours with EA Sports FC 26’s many modes, I emerged impressed by the strides EA Sports took with this year’s entry.

EA heard all our complaints about FC 25. I and many others lamented that last year’s game was far too similar to FC 24 and was lacking major changes, and it certainly feels like EA took note of this. EA Sports FC 26, then, comes with some changes that do make it play differently to the previous FC games, though a lot of familiarity (and poor defending) remains.

EA Sports FC 26 tries to right some of the wrongs of last year, and while it's a superb football title with plenty of depth, there are some frustrations with its gameplay.

The EA Sports FC series has found itself in a similar position to many sports titles, where the on-field product remains as authentic and compelling as ever. However, the lack of major changes across various game modes has led to a consistent decline in the series’ performance on this latest generation of consoles.

First things first, let me preface that I have long given up on complaining about Ultimate Team modes in sports games, so that kind of rant will be absent in this review of EA Sports FC 26. At this point, I’m just trying to stay positive and enjoy the franchise for the many, many, MANY other modes it has to offer. So I was looking forward to playing more footy matches after having decided to skip on last year’s FC 25. And I guess the decision to pick up EA Sports FC 26 instead was the ide...

You won't find any major changes or new additions to modes in EA Sports FC 26, but what you will find is gameplay that's improved across the board. On top of that, you have presets which allow you to choose between a more competitive or authentic experience, though the latter's unfortunately not available in online modes.

EA Sports FC 26 is truly a game of two halves. The defending doesn't feel nearly as good as attacking, but that's a worthwhile trade off if it remains as fun as it is right now, once updates and balancing changes have been made.

EA Sports FC 26’s on-pitch gameplay is the best it's been in a long time, but its overly aggressive Season Pass is also EA at its most money-hungry yet.

EA Sports FC 26 is the best the series has been in years, thanks to a host of gameplay changes that deliver Ballon d’Or-worthy football. Like Arteta’s Arsenal, you could accuse it of lacking ambition with some modes in need of an overhaul, but it proves that stability off the pitch brings success on it.

EA Sports FC 26 suffers from a few growing pains with its shift to two distinct playstyles, but there are enough improvements throughout to consider it a positive step forward for the long-running series

EA's Switch 2 football debut is a night-and-day difference from its half-hearted Switch one, setting a great precedent for the future of the series. EA Sports FC 26 delivers a fully-featured version of the game, and while it only runs at 30fps and has a gated-off Ultimate Team mode which doesn't tap into the series' larger crossplay community, it still plays a fantastic game of football and offers more game modes than you'll ever know what to do with.

We suppose you could say EA Sports FC 26 is a game of two halves.

EA SPORTS FC 26 provides, without doubt, the best and most authentic gameplay experience in franchise history, even though it’s not quite perfect. The improvements and revamps across many modes offer refreshing play options that enhance replayability more than ever before. It’s just a shame that Player Career Mode didn’t receive the same level of care and attention. Ultimately, EA FC 26 is an easy recommendation and has given me the best experience I’ve had with the franchise in over a decade.

EA Sports FC 26 refines the formula with Authentic mode and better defending, making it a strong entry for fans. Still, it’s an iterative release with limited appeal for newcomers or those seeking major changes.

EA Sports FC 26 is the game that fantastic refinement to the norm with excellent visuals and improvements, although online AI defense can be suspect.

EA Sports FC 26 is a fine entry to the annual football title from EA, featuring responsive gameplay and in-depth menus, but it’s not necessarily enough to make everyone happy.

There is plenty to enjoy in EA Sports FC 26 for soccer fans of all backgrounds, creating a truly excellent experience. Minor changes going forward will only help turn a very good game into something special.

The yearly nature of EA Sports FC typically gets in the way of selling new copies because of just how similar the versions are. FC 26 bucks that trend by giving the single-player side of things the love it had been badly craving for years. Without the shadow of multiplayer balancing looming over things, you have gameplay that is likely to stay the same until FC 27 inevitably comes along. I've been having a blast with the current implementation, and was quick to uninstall FC 25 after a single match. If you like to play it slow, pass around, and fist-pump after tight wins, this is the football game for you.

No summary available

EA Sports FC 26 is the epitome of marginal gains. Every aspect of play has been tweaked and refined to improve your time on the pitch. Small details, shaped by community feedback, address long-standing concerns that have followed the series for years. Splitting gameplay into different modes is a smart choice, giving players the freedom to choose the style that best fits them. However, the inability to play Authentic online is a major drawback for those who prefer that experience. And while on-pitch gameplay feels sharper than ever, the surrounding modes remain too familiar to past iterations, weighed down further by aggressive monetization through FUT’s premium season pass. EA Sports FC 26 takes meaningful steps forward on the pitch, but it still needs bolder changes off it to truly move the series ahead.