Is FC26 the Worst edition ever??

DopeMclean​ 

I completely agree with this.

From an improvement perspective alone, this is one of the most disappointing editions. Naturally, you would expect the game to evolve and improve year on year — not stay the same or go backwards. Even if FC 25 had its issues, it is difficult to clearly identify areas where FC 26 has genuinely improved.

We were promised fewer bounce-backs after tackles, yet it feels worse. We were also told that community feedback would be acknowledged and acted upon, but there is very little evidence of that. The lack of meaningful responses across this forum speaks for itself, and the pitch notes often seem disconnected from what the community is actually experiencing.

As someone in the community put it very well:

“In multiplayer, when you attack, you do it alone without AI support, while playing against defensive AI, and not the human input. Then in turn, the opponent attacks your defensive AI, and you are effectively watching this cycle repeat, over and over again.”

This highlights a major shift in gameplay. AI now dominates the experience because it can operate across multiple layers simultaneously, while human players must act sequentially. This creates an uneven playing field, where outcomes rely too heavily on AI behaviour rather than player input.

There are also numerous gameplay inconsistencies that are difficult to justify:

• Frequent offsides despite very high attacking positioning
• Lower pace players (e.g. ~70) keeping up with or outrunning 90+ pace players
• General lack of logic between attributes and in-game performance

The introduction of PlayStyles and Roles has further complicated this. Previously, these elements complemented player attributes. For example, high acceleration combined with a PlayStyle would enhance a player’s strength in a logical way. Basically the playstayle was awarded if the attributes allow it.

Now, it often feels like PlayStyles and Roles override attributes entirely. A player with relatively average stats can perform at a level that does not reflect their base attributes. This creates confusion around what attributes actually represent.

There should be a clearer relationship between stats and enhancements. For instance, PlayStyles could require minimum attribute thresholds to apply effectively, rather than contradicting them.

Similarly, Roles (especially ++ designations) appear disconnected from player quality. A player with average passing being labelled as a top-tier (World -class) role performer does not align with expected standards.

At the moment, the system feels over-engineered and inconsistent — almost like a participation-based structure where everyone is given enhancements regardless of underlying attributes. 

The result is a game that lacks clarity, consistency, and logical structure. It becomes difficult to understand what truly determines performance.

After over 30 years of FIFA/FC development, the expectation is clear progression. Unfortunately, this feels like a step backwards in several key areas, particularly gameplay.

This is not about making the game easier — it is about restoring balance, logic, and control to the player.