EA Sports FC 26 Review (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch 2, Switch, & PC)

It’s that time of the year when the 2025-26 Premier League season is underway, and the counterpart EA Sports FC 26 follows suit. And I bet you’re one of two people: the staunch fanbase, always buying every new iteration as soon as it’s made available on the store shelves, or the casual player who hops in and out of the series whenever you feel like it. Or the third bunch, to be thorough, of the folks who couldn’t be bothered by anything FIFA. For the latter two, I’ll say EA Sports FC 26 is the best the series has ever been. Yet for casual players, you won’t be missing much by sticking to your copy of EA Sports FC 25 or, heck, even a copy of EA Sports FC 24. 

Much like any other annual franchise, EA Sports FC and it’s former FIFA series seldom change much. Save for EA’s 2024 Frostbite engine overhaul, the fundamental core gameplay often remains the same. And I’m not mad at it, to be honest. It’s a system that works, and if it ain’t broke, there’s no need to fix it. Still, EA has been meticulous about the changes it brings to a new iteration. And EA Sports FC 26 isn’t any different. They always put their best foot forward, delivering the most seamless and lag-free experience players will enjoy by updating graphics, the physics engine, adding new animations, improving AI, and refining crisp controls. And it’s these incremental changes that make the latest entry the best title yet. 

Let’s take a look at these in our EA Sports FC 26 review below.

Of Two Minds

EA Sports has, in the past, struggled to strike the right balance between realism and fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay. While the former cements you in a more authentic football experience, the latter is more fun to compete with friends. A few iterations of adjusting the movement sliders and EA finally decided to offer both as a gameplay choice. Right off the bat, you’re asked to choose between the Authentic and Competitive gameplay experience. At launch, the Authentic option focuses on offline play, while the Competitive option defaults to online game modes. It makes sense, given that Authentic plays more methodologically. Players’ movement is slower and more deliberate, as in real life, with more room to experiment with formations and tactical play. 

You’re not just sprinting to the goal post, but actually considering your next step, whether to pass to a forward or dribble more aggressively past a defender. Feels like actual TV matches, with player animations that feel more natural. Authentic adds a layer of unpredictability to play, where you experiment with various strategies the opponent won’t see coming. And with smarter AI, the opponent responds in similarly more dynamic ways.

Yet, EA must have thought that Authentic would take away the rivalry in online modes, as Competitive, on the other hand, plays a lot more pinball-like, as with past entries. It’s faster-paced, focusing on breezing past opponents with less focus on accuracy and precision. The goal is to score as many balls as possible, and your players will deliver on that urgency and time-sensitive task, briskly moving forward in a more arcade-like manner. Each gameplay option has its perks, depending on your preference, and they each play out smoothly. So, overall, it’s nice that you have both options, whether a more strategic or frantic approach to matches. 

RPG System

Another of the more impressive changes is the flexibility to experiment with other genres. Take the upgraded Archetypes system, working just as you’d expect in a role-playing game. You have 13 different Archetypes for your players, including Magicians, Targets, Sparks, Bosses, and more. Each Archetype comes with unique signature play styles and progression paths. You earn XP for each archetype through playing them in matches and completing objectives. And further, unlock more play styles and upgrades. Based on each archetype’s strengths and weaknesses, you want to assign them to the best position that they’ll thrive in. However, when certain matches require shifting your team around, you might need to switch up your archetype, which might still be at the basic level. 

On the one hand, switching archetypes encourages experimentation. But the inability to carry over your progress to another archetype feels like wasted effort when you have to start again from scratch. 

Dynamic Live Events are another way EA Sports FC 26 borrows from mission-based games, though not entirely a new idea in the franchise. It curates time-limited competitive events across Gauntlet and Tournament matches. The former is pretty grand for encouraging switching up your squad for each match across five matches. In contrast, Tournaments have always cultivated steamy gaming sessions between pro players.

For every Event, the challenge and theme change, demanding that you switch up your squad. And the variety between Gauntlet, Tournament, and Regular matches ensures competitions remain refreshing. From winning a specific cup to unexpected transfers within your team and going back to the start when you lose a match, the varied challenges keep sessions intense and engaging.

New Dawn

Otherwise, the core game modes you’re used to have received new updates and changes that expand their fundamental offering even further. The enhanced goalkeeper AI might be the most appreciated, where they actually respond in more natural ways, as in real-life football. Forget rage-quitting from errors, super saves, and bounce back to the forwards. Now, they react in smarter ways, positioning themselves more strategically, cutting off angles smartly, and using varied animations for saves. There are even hilarious fingertip saves you’ll quite enjoy. At least now, scoring can feel more satisfying. 

Overall, dribbling is so much better, and animations are more lifelike. The changes might go unnoticed to most. But for veterans who’ve stuck with EA Sports FC since the days of FIFA, they will appreciate how far the franchise has come. Polish, like the satellite Google Earth images zooming in on stadiums, will surely please fans. And the commentaries, while not quite there yet, entertain.

Now, the crowd looks more realistic in 3D and gives off that revered feeling of stadium glory. Every League has its own mood and atmosphere, whether it’s the fireworks of MLS or the floating bubbles of West Ham. And for additional immersion, you even have fans tuning in from various bars in Europe, looking all chipper to cheer on their best teams. 

Wishful Thinking

Even with all of these changes, you’re still left wishing there was more. After all, EA Sports FC 26 will still launch at full price, and yet, it will have much of the same game modes and experience as its predecessor. The Ultimate Team and Online Play modes haven’t changed much. If anything, the greatest changes come attached to the Competitive gameplay option, and even then, it’s much the same arcade style of play the series has always had, only snappier. Player and Manager Career modes are more or less the same, save for the Archetypes. Compared to other sports simulation games, EA Sports FC 26 may still have a long way to go to reach the level of depth and progression of its counterparts. 

Fortunately, you have the trial run to ascertain whether the new changes truly are for you. In the end, however small the changes, it still remains an absolute joy to execute perfect formations, break down beast defenses, and defeat tough AI opponents. It still feels like the best FC experience you’re going to get for both offline and online grinders.

Verdict

EA Sports FC 26 has come from quite far. And that literally means that it’s been a long journey full of ups and downs. For a franchise that hundreds of millions of players buy every year, the pressure is surely on for Electronic Arts. And this time, they’ve taken the wise step to incorporate player feedback above all else. They’ve catered to the needs of its fanbase, however split they may be on the best way forward, ensuring there are both Authentic and Competitive gameplay styles for everyone to feel catered to. 

Each gameplay style offers its distinct perks, from the more realistic and immersive nature of Authentic to the faster-paced and smarter AI of Competitive. If you want to play real-world soccer, Authentic is the way to go. But if you’re looking to grind out Ultimate Team and eSports, you’d much rather the Competitive. Further, the controls feel sharper, and animations are more lifelike, particularly with the goalkeepers, who are finally more strategic and realistic. They cut off smart angles and make satisfying saves. With Archetypes, you enjoy tactical depth, and the AI meets your advanced strategies with intelligence. Still, EA Sports FC has never looked better, with impeccable immersion. 

So, as much as when EA Sports FC 26 is placed side-by-side to EA Sports FC 25, it reveals not much difference, whip out your magnifying glasses, and you’ll notice minor tweaks here and there that overall make the newest entry a superior experience.