EA has officially responded to players’ feedback with a promise to deliver an improved gameplay experience in EA Sports FC 26.
Following last week’s full gameplay reveal, today’s deep-dive showcase dives into the key changes players can expect from the upcoming game.
EA’s statement starts off with a confident message: the company is focusing this year on responding to player demands to ‘make gameplay better.’ The entire experience is getting an overhaul, and EA ensures the gameplay will be ‘responsive, rewarding, and powered by your feedback.’ One of the biggest changes is the introduction of two distinct gameplay presets: Competitive and Authentic.
The Competitive preset is designed for online modes, such as Football Ultimate Team (FUT) and Clubs, emphasizing responsive player movement and control for a more fast-paced, competitive feel. On the other hand, the Authentic preset is geared towards offline modes, like Manager Mode and Player Career, prioritizing a more realistic, simulation-based experience.
Both presets also come with refinements in gameplay fundamentals, touching on key aspects such as tackling, pace, passing, saves, player physicality, shooting, and agility. Essentially, every gameplay element has been either fine-tuned or significantly changed. Competitive mode focuses on ‘responsiveness, consistency, and control,’ while Authentic mode leans more into the simulation-style gameplay.
While online and offline modes will default to their respective presets, players will have the freedom to switch between Competitive and Authentic to tailor the experience to their preference. EA’s gameplay deep-dive also highlighted the company’s efforts to address longstanding player complaints. Paul Parsons, gameplay producer, walked viewers through various issues players had raised in the past and explained how the team had worked to fix them. This attempt to resolve players’ pain points is a clear indication that EA is serious about improving the game.
We’ll find out if EA can truly deliver on these ambitious promises when EA Sports FC 26 launches on September 26, 2025, across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC.