EA Sports FC 26 Review: The series’ least revolutionary entry in years

The initial reviews for EA Sports FC 26 are in, and the consensus is a familiar, bittersweet melody for fans of the world’s biggest sports video game franchise. While on-pitch gameplay has taken a definitive step forward, major modes and the core monetization mechanics remain disappointingly stagnant, leading many critics to echo the sentiment: “The entry that was supposed to fix everything fails to impress.”

The overall verdict is that FC 26 is by default the best football game on the market, but it is also one of the “least revolutionary games in the series in years.”

The Game Changer: Gameplay Presets

The most significant and universally praised update in EA Sports FC 26 is the introduction of two distinct gameplay presets:

• Competitive: This is tuned for the fast-paced, highly responsive action demanded by the online community in modes like Ultimate Team and Clubs. It favors skill moves, high-scoring matches, and twitch reflexes.
• Authentic: Designed for single-player modes like Career Mode and Kick-Off, this preset slows the match tempo, increases realism, and makes tactical formations and player roles more impactful. Reviewers called this a “masterstroke” and a genuine improvement for the purists seeking a simulation experience.

The Major Caveat: Unfortunately, the “Authentic” mode is locked out of online competitive modes, meaning the highly-lucrative Ultimate Team is still restricted to the arcade-like Competitive style, which prioritizes attack over defensive realism.

Ultimate Team: Aggressive Monetization and Slower Rewards

The engine that powers the franchise’s billion-dollar success—Ultimate Team (FUT)—is where the most cynical changes are noted.

• Reduced Rewards: Reviewers and players quickly noticed that the rewards for playing the game have been “greatly reduced,” leading to fewer packs and a much slower pace of progression for free-to-play (F2P) users. This unsubtle change is criticized as making the mode even more geared toward pay-to-win players.
• Locking Off-Field Content: A controversial move is the introduction of a new Season Pass model that not only impacts Ultimate Team but also locks sought-after content—specifically ICONs and Heroes—behind a paywall in offline Manager Career Mode, a feature that was previously entirely free to players.

This shift in the microtransaction strategy is the source of significant user outrage, confirming that while EA listened to gameplay feedback, it intensified its focus on premium content monetization.

Stagnation in Core Modes

Despite the overhaul to on-pitch gameplay, the popular but long-neglected non-Ultimate Team modes feel largely untouched:

• Career Mode: Despite new features like “Manager Live Challenges” and “Deeper Simulation,” the mode is described as feeling “stale” and “phoned in.” Core complaints about the shallow personality system, outdated text-bubble interactions, and clumsy transfer negotiations remain unaddressed.
• Clubs: The game’s social mode is recognized as the most rapidly growing segment of the game and has received minor welcome updates, such as the new “Archetypes” for player building. However, the experience still features the same fundamental elements, with no major revolutionary additions.

Final Takeaway: A Solid, But Safe, Step

The critical reaction to EA Sports FC 26 suggests that the game is a tale of two separate experiences:

1. On the Pitch: Gameplay is the crispest and most responsive it has been in years, especially with the game-changing “Authentic” mode providing a true simulation feel for offline play.
2. Off the Pitch: The experience is tarnished by an increasingly aggressive, even “icky,” monetization strategy that further marginalizes the F2P player base and extends its reach into offline modes. Legacy modes like Career Mode are still in desperate need of a complete structural redesign.

Ultimately, the title fails to live up to the promise of being the revolutionary entry that would resolve all long-standing issues. It is a refinement, not a revolution, and the cynical changes to Ultimate Team may sour the experience for many. If you only care about the feel of the ball at your feet, FC 26 is an improvement. If you hoped for fundamental change to the franchise’s business model or other modes, you’ll likely be disappointed.