A FC 27 pitch for EA: bring back what made it special

Dear EA

• FIFA was never just a game.
• For an entire generation, including myself, it was where football culture was lived rather than watched.
• It shaped how we experienced:

• Football
• Competition
• Community
• Friendship

• We remember:

• Late night matches
• Weekend League chaos
• Last minute winners
• The unforgettable feeling of packing a Team of the Year or an Icon

• At its peak, FIFA was a global cultural event every time it loaded up.
• That identity made the franchise dominant.

Where the Franchise Has Gone Wrong

Gameplay

• Across FC 24, FC 25, and FC 26, many players feel FIFA has lost its identity.
• Common frustrations include:

• Less responsive gameplay
• Animation driven outcomes
• Reduced player control
• Gameplay that feels inconsistent

• Instead of rewarding skill, outcomes often feel dictated by systems.

Ultimate Team

• Rising pack costs
• Low chances of packing elite players
• Too many promotions throughout the year
• Good cards become outdated too quickly
• "When everything is special, nothing feels special."

Systems

• Playstyles have become too influential.
• Evolutions have added unnecessary complexity.
• The game encourages following the meta rather than playing creative football.

What Made FIFA Great

The most loved games in the franchise, particularly FIFA 17, FIFA 18, and FIFA 23, all shared one thing:

They were fun first.

FIFA 17 remains one of the most celebrated entries because it offered:

• Responsive gameplay
• Rewarding attacking football
• Balanced mechanics
• Natural football flow
• Skill deciding matches rather than gameplay systems

That philosophy should become the blueprint for FIFA 27.

The Cultural Impact

FIFA became far bigger than football.

Creators such as Castro1021, Bateson87, and AA9Skillz helped build one of gaming's biggest communities.

They turned:

• Pack openings into global events
• Road to Glory into stories
• FUT Champions into entertainment

Millions of players, myself included, grew up watching these moments.

People celebrated impossible pack pulls.

Friends gathered to watch rewards.

Entire communities were built around FIFA.

That magic still exists.

It simply needs to be rediscovered.

What FIFA 27 Needs

Gameplay

• Prioritise responsiveness above everything else.
• Reward skill and decision making.
• Reduce or remove playstyles.
• Remove evolutions.
• Make football feel intuitive again.

Ultimate Team

• Slow the power curve.
• Reduce the number of promos.
• Make elite cards feel elite again.
• Improve pack value relative to cost.
• Make rewards exciting rather than expected.
• Return to the refined card designs of FIFA 22 and FIFA 23.

User Experience

• Faster menus.
• Cleaner navigation.
• A football themed interface with personality.
• Restore the excitement of simply loading into the game.

Bring Back Enjoyment

FIFA used to be something players wanted to play.

Today, it can feel like something players have to keep up with.

Many players now experience:

• Daily objectives
• Endless promos
• Constant content cycles
• Competitive pressure
• FOMO

Instead of encouraging enjoyment, these systems encourage obligation.

When a game starts to feel like a job instead of an escape, something has gone wrong.

Why this makes sense

This is not simply a gameplay decision.

It is a business opportunity.

Better gameplay leads to:

• Higher player retention
• Greater community engagement
• Stronger long term Ultimate Team revenue
• Increased trust in the franchise

A better FIFA is a more profitable FIFA.

The Opportunity

The next release window will be one of the most competitive in gaming history.

Players will not stay because of branding alone.

They will stay because the game is genuinely fun.

The FIFA licence still carries enormous value.

But a name attracts players only once.

A great game keeps them coming back.

Conclusion

FIFA 27 is more than another annual release.

It is an opportunity to restore the identity of one of gaming's most iconic franchises.

Choose fun over obligation.

Choose freedom over complexity.

Choose memorable moments over endless content.

Choose football over systems.

Because FIFA was never just about football.

It was about the feeling of football.

If EA Sports rebuilds FIFA 27 around that feeling, it will not just improve the franchise.

It will restore it.

And FIFA will not simply return as a game.

It will return as an era.