Another year, another iPhone… sorry, another FIFA. Or at least that’s what it feels like. Just like Apple’s yearly launch cycle, EA Sports FC 26 arrives with promises of shinier animations, slicker gameplay, and a fresh coat of paint to justify the upgrade. You don’t need the new iPhone unless you’re an Apple diehard… and, truth be told, you don’t need every new EA Sports FC either. Last year’s FC 25 proved that painfully: a sluggish, frustrating entry that left me walking away after only two months, which was a first for me after decades of FIFA/EA Sports FC.
So, where does that leave EA Sports FC 26? Is it another overpriced yearly refresh, or can EA finally earn back the faith of fans who just want a football game that feels fun again? After spending time across multiple modes, the good news is that FC 26 is at least a step up. The bad news: the shadow of monetisation still hangs heavy over the pitch.
Competitive vs Authentic
Booting up FC 26 for the first time, I realised something quickly: anyone who’s played FIFA in the last five years will feel right at home. I picked up the controller after a ten-month break and immediately fell back into my usual style. Within a few matches, I even bumped the difficulty higher. So don’t expect a revolution here. The real change is in how EA now splits gameplay into two distinct flavours: Competitive and Authentic. Competitive is used across online modes: Ultimate Team, Clubs, and Rivals. Authentic is the default for offline play like Career Mode.
And honestly? For me, Competitive is where the fun lives. It’s fast-paced, snappy, and brings back that frantic, end-to-end energy that made older FIFAs so addictive. Passing feels sharper, runs are smarter, and with reduced auto-blocking and improved keeper positioning, matches flow with a bit more dynamism. It’s not perfect, but it’s entertaining in a way FC 25 never was.
Authentic, meanwhile, slows the game down dramatically. Build-up play is methodical, triangles and safe passes dominate, and the whole thing feels almost like playing at half speed. In theory it’s more realistic — and it does nail some of the scrappy build-up moments you’d expect in a real match — but for me it veered too far toward tedium. A nil-nil with 40 sideways passes isn’t what I want from a ten-minute game. Still, for Career Mode purists, Authentic will have its fans.
EA’s promise of better AI positioning, more natural animations, and simplified skill moves all ring true in small doses. Goalkeepers do parry more realistically, and one-touch passing is crisper. But don’t let the marketing fool you: at its core, FC 26 plays very similarly to its predecessors. The difference is that Competitive finally makes it feel fun again.
Career mode got a pulse again
Career Mode has been the neglected stepchild of the series for too long, but FC 26 finally injects some variety. Manager Live Challenges introduce short and long-term scenarios, like fighting relegation or chasing a treble, with themed objectives and rewards. “Unexpected Events” spice things up further: player unrest, sudden injuries, or even ownership changes can alter your season on the fly. These additions don’t rival the depth of Football Manager, but they break up the monotony of endless calendar scrolling.
The new Manager Market is another smart touch, with AI managers now switching clubs and altering tactical identities over time. It makes long careers feel less static. On the Player Career side, Archetypes add a welcome progression system, letting you carve out unique builds with perks inspired by real football legends.
For me personally, Career Mode still struggles to hold attention long-term; I’m too hooked on Ultimate Team for that, but fans who’ve begged for more depth should be pleasantly surprised.
Ultimate team is still addictive, but also still exploitative
Let’s be honest: Ultimate Team is the reason this franchise sells like hotcakes. FC 26 doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, but it does throw in some interesting wrinkles.
Tournaments return with knockout formats.
Gauntlet Mode (not yet live at the time of review) forces you to use different squads each match, a clever way to reward club depth.
Bounties spice up Rivals matches with extra rewards for challenges like “score first” or “win by two.”
Evolutions return, now including goalkeepers, with more cosmetic flexibility.
Rush is still around, though thankfully less intrusive this year.
Menus have been overhauled too, and it’s a big improvement: cleaner, less cluttered, and more logical. It’s the most user-friendly FUT has looked in years.
But here’s the kicker: Ultimate Team is still EA’s money-printing machine. Packs, promos, special cards… It’s all still there, and it’s still pay-to-win at the top levels. Worse, EA has doubled down with a purchasable Season Pass offering better rewards for the grind. If you’re allergic to monetisation schemes, you’ll find little relief here. FUT remains an addictive mode wrapped around a business model that too often feels predatory.
Clubs revamp and more authenticity
Clubs finally got a bit of love this year, and it shows. The new Archetypes system gives player progression real identity, and multi-club affiliation means you’re no longer locked to one squad. Combined with new Live Events and tweaks to Rush, Clubs feels fresher than it has in years. I’m not a Clubs diehard myself, but I could see myself dipping back in more often now.
Beyond that, the package is familiar: presentation is sharp, player likenesses are excellent, and EA still has the unmatched edge in licensing. Women’s football continues to expand, with multiple leagues included. The one caveat? Some clubs, like Juventus and Atalanta, remain without proper names or crests due to licensing disputes, which chips away at EA’s “unrivalled authenticity” claims.
Conclusion
EA Sports FC 26 may not reinvent the wheel, but compared to last year’s misstep, it feels like a genuine recovery: Competitive gameplay finally makes matches fun again, Career Mode has more bite, Clubs sees long-overdue updates, and Ultimate Team, though still shackled by pay-to-win monetisation, benefits from smart tweaks and a cleaner UI. It’s the same yearly iPhone-style upgrade, but this time the package plays better, and for now at least, that makes it worth stepping back onto the pitch.
