Community ManagerFC 26 Gameplay Feedback – The Game Has Become Actively Unfun
I’ve played this series for years, but right now I genuinely hate what the gameplay has become.
This isn’t just a small balance issue or something that needs a minor patch. A lot of the core mechanics feel like they actively work against creativity and player control. Instead of rewarding football decisions and skill, the game often rewards exploiting certain mechanics.
The biggest problem is that the gameplay simply isn’t fun anymore.
Dribbling – which should be one of the most enjoyable parts of a football game – has been almost completely destroyed by negative mechanics. Players turn slowly, skill moves feel delayed, and the slightest contact from a defender can instantly take the ball away. Meanwhile defenders can stick out a leg from behind or make a heavy physical challenge and somehow win the ball cleanly.
It feels like creative play is constantly punished.
Trying to dribble, create space, or beat a defender often ends in a clumsy collision, an animation lock, or the ball magically bouncing back to the opponent. Meanwhile players who spam certain mechanics — especially incisive passes — are often rewarded. Instead of varied football, matches start to feel repetitive and mechanical.
Passing logic is another huge issue. The game frequently ignores the obvious target or lane and sends the ball somewhere completely different. Simple passes become unnecessarily risky, while certain through passes are far too effective and get spammed constantly.
Then there are the bounce-back tackles. You time a tackle perfectly, clearly win the ball, and it instantly ricochets back to the attacker. Instead of rewarding good defending, it often feels like the game is forcing the attack to continue.
AI behaviour also causes constant problems. Defenders abandon the defensive line for no clear reason, midfielders run past players with the ball instead of pressing, and attackers make runs straight into defenders or offside positions. These situations happen so often that it stops feeling like user error and starts feeling like broken logic.
Corners are another example. A single clearance frequently turns into an immediate 3v2 or 4v2 counterattack because the team shape completely collapses and recovery AI never triggers properly.
Goalkeepers also feel inconsistent. They concede from impossible tight angles but then pull off unrealistic saves from point-blank range. There’s no clear logic to when they perform well and when they don’t.
On top of the gameplay issues, the reward structure can feel discouraging. Some modes require extremely high win rates to earn full rewards, which locks a large part of the player base out. When the gameplay itself is already frustrating, this makes the overall experience even worse.
Server responsiveness is another major factor. Gameplay often feels heavy and delayed. Inputs don’t register instantly, players turn slowly, and dribbling responsiveness is nowhere near what it should be. Whether it’s server issues or animation delays, it makes matches feel inconsistent and unresponsive.
When a football game stops rewarding:
• good dribbling
• smart passing
• proper defending
• creative attacking play
…and instead rewards exploit mechanics and chaotic situations, something has gone seriously wrong.
The most disappointing part of all this is simple: the game just isn’t enjoyable right now.
Football games should feel fluid, responsive, and rewarding when you play well. At the moment, too many mechanics feel like they’re working against the player instead of supporting good football.
I really hope the developers take a serious look at these core gameplay systems. Because right now, FC 26 doesn’t feel like a football simulation — it feels like a game where the mechanics are fighting the player.
And that’s why so many matches end up feeling more frustrating than fun.
On a final note i would just like to say. Congratulations on sucking all the fun out of the game. I will not be back next year. This is terrible
