FC 26 Defensive AI Inconsistency / Unrealistic Gameplay Complaint

I’m submitting a formal gameplay complaint regarding major defensive AI inconsistencies in FC 26.

The issue is not simply that defending feels difficult. The issue is that defensive AI appears inconsistent and unrealistic depending on the scenario.

Examples:

• During normal defensive situations, defenders often fail to track obvious runners across the box, fail to recover urgency on counters, miss simple interceptions, and react slowly to body feints or basic direction changes.

• However, during certain skill move situations such as rainbow flicks, the defensive AI suddenly demonstrates unrealistically precise reactions.

I have repeatedly noticed situations where:

• I successfully beat a defender with a rainbow flick, clearly shifting momentum, body position, and direction away from the defender.

• Despite the defender being physically out of position and moving the wrong way, the AI appears to instantly “glitch” recover, rotate unnaturally fast, or somehow still win the aerial ball before I can even regain control.

• In some cases, the AI will intelligently abandon its current marking assignment to clear the rainbow flick threat, showing awareness and responsiveness that does not exist during basic defending scenarios.

This creates a major gameplay inconsistency:

Why can defensive AI instantly recognize and react to advanced skill move scenarios with near-perfect precision, but fail to track simple runs, cutbacks, body feints, directional changes, or obvious passing lanes?

It makes the gameplay feel scripted, inconsistent, and unfair rather than skill-based.

Specific defensive issues:

Defenders jogging instead of urgent recovery

Midfielders not tracking runners

Players failing simple interceptions

Slow transition/body orientation on defensive recovery

Poor cutback coverage

Weak response after corners/counterattacks

Defensive D-pad instructions not noticeably improving AI behavior

The core complaint is inconsistency in AI defensive intelligence and reaction logic.

Please escalate this to the gameplay team for review.