Review – EA Sports FC 26
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 ideal one. It’s still far from its best days, but FC 26 is a clear improvement over its handful of previous installments.
No matter the difficulty setting, no matter the gameplay style, Manchester United will still be a shambolic team.
And no, it’s not because of a few new licenses here or there, or the addition of a team comprised entirely of Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing on all positions, as well as being the manager, as hilarious as it was to see. It was not the improvements in the visual department, with player faces having reached a downright shocking (and unnecessary, considering how we even play football games) level of realism. Nope, the biggest improvement in FC 26 is… physics. Kinda anticlimatic, but I’ll explain.
The last few editions of EA Sports FC were criticised for feeling too fast-paced and too arcadey. Sure, that is still an appealing factor to a handful of people who want to play a fun football simulation, but people looking for something more “realistic” had nowhere else to look for. They had to adhere to an unrealistic take on what used to be the closest to a true football simulator there was in the industry, or just stick to Football Manager (not that this has ever been a bad idea, mind you). Instead of trying to re-tweak its physics engine once again, EA Sports just decided to develop two different playstyles. Enter the “Autenthic” mode.
Zlatan FC is a fever dream.
If there’s anything that would be considered a “game changer” in EA Sports FC 26, that would be the Authentic physics mode. For some people, it will be something to avoid like the plague. For me, it was the ideal experience. “Authentic” is slower paced, heavier, which values a more tactical approach, as you can’t simply just run and dribble everyone as if you were controlling a team of 11 Garrinchas. It feels a bit more realistic (still not 100%, but close) than before, and a bit more lenient for newcomers. But at the end of the day, it’s something that will end up being more of a personal taste decision. FUT will still adhere mostly to the arcadey physics mode, and I know this is still what people will play the most, but in my case, ew, no. Get away from me, icky stuff.
Authentic mode isn’t a true game changer, but it’s a tremendously welcoming feature.
The minute improvements seen in EA Sports FC 26 were enough to make it feel superior to its handful of predecessors. Most importantly, the addition of the simulation-focused, more realistic “Authentic” mode, with its heavier physics and less competitive-minded gameplay. Slight touches in its visuals, music selection, and control responsiveness aren’t as noticeable, but are still worth mentioning. I still don’t think this is a game changer in the franchise, or in football gaming as a whole, but after years of diminishing returns, seeing the slightest of improvements instead of just more of the same is already enough to make me recommend EA Sports FC 26 over a good chunk of its predecessors.
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Graphics: 8.0 Slight improvements over the past few years, with player faces reaching a shocking level of realism. That being said, you’ll stick to looking at player models from afar for the most part, and each and every non-gameplay section has its framerate cut to 30fps. |
Gameplay: 8.0 The inclusion of the “Authentic” physics mode adds an optional layer of realism and weight to the gameplay, whilst still keeping an option to make EA Sports FC 26 feel fast-paced and arcadey. I would have loved for the usage of the haptic triggers to remain, but I think all developers have already forgotten about that feature by now. |
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Sound: 7.5 Even if the commentary is weaker than before, the music selection has improved in terms of variety and overall quality. At the end of the day, a small but noticeable improvement. |
Fun Factor: 7.5 It’s still more of the same, but with an additional physics option that actually made me enjoy it a lot more than I could have anticipated. Lots of modes are still present to make me avoid FUT like the absolute plague as well. |
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Final Verdict: 8.0
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EA Sports FC 26 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Switch, Switch 2 and PC.
Reviewed on PS5.
A copy of EA Sports FC 26 was provided by the publisher.
Great review of FC 26! I’ve been playing it too, and I think ea sports reviews are spot on when they praise the new “competitive” vs “authentic” presets — choosing your vibe really changes each match. The goalkeeper AI feels smarter, passing is cleaner, and matches flow better than last year. Sure, there are still nagging monetization bits in Ultimate Team, but the core feel is stronger. My favorite moment so far was a last-minute comeback using a custom archetype build — it felt earned. Overall, it’s not perfect, but it’s easily the most fun FC entry in years.