Sliding Tackles Shine – But Bugs & UI Issues Hold FC 26 Back

Feedback based on 100+ hours of post-update gameplay.

The latest gameplay update for FC 26 is a step in the right direction. Specifically, the reworked Slide Tackles feel much more rewarding and precise. However, to further enhance long-term engagement and the "Skill Gap," several mechanical inconsistencies and bugs require immediate attention.

Part 1: Bug Report (Technical Issues)

Settings Persistence Bug:

Issue: User-defined settings (e.g., "Contextual Lofted Through Ball") and various assistance parameters randomly reset to default values without user input.

Tactical Lock in "Seasons" Mode:

Issue: Formation changes within the Seasons menu are often not applied. Users are forced to create a Friendly match, save a tactic code, and import it back into Seasons—a significant UX flaw.

Matchmaking Filter Reset:

Issue: The "Matchmaking Cup" or opponent filters (e.g., setting to "Manual") occasionally revert to "Any/Expand" automatically.

Highlight Camera Tracking:

Issue: During post-match replays, the camera frequently loses focus on the ball, making it impossible to analyze key plays.

Missing Highlights in Post-Match Menu:

Issue: Goals are often missing from the highlight reel list and only appear after refreshing or re-entering the menu.

Input Conflict during Ball Recovery (X/A Button):

Issue: The shoulder challenge (X/A) works well but often triggers an immediate, unintended flat pass upon winning possession.

Solution: Implement a short input delay (a few milliseconds) after a successful challenge where the pass function of the button is ignored.

Ineffective Standing Tackles & Misplaced Animations (Circle/B Button):

Issue: Tackles often result in neither a ball win nor a foul, even with correct positioning. Furthermore, players frequently trigger a full, lunging tackle animation when no opponent is nearby, taking the defender out of the play unnecessarily.

Goalkeeper Logic on High Through Balls:

Issue: GKs often rush out illogically on lofted balls from the midfield into the box, making them extremely vulnerable to simple headed lobs.

Unrealistic Ball Physics (Chest Traps & Flicks):

Issue: Chesting down long balls is often overpowered. Additionally, manually flicking the ball up while sprinting is unrealistically effective compared to standard low-ball dribbling.

Part 2: Gameplay & Mechanics Improvement Proposals

Consistent Assistance Scaling (The Skill Gap):

Status: It is positive that skilled players using Semi-Assisted settings have a deserved advantage over Full-Assisted users.

The Gap: This logic fails for Full Manual players. Despite the higher difficulty, they are currently at a massive disadvantage compared to all other settings.

Proposal: * Slightly nerf the extreme accuracy/speed of first-time passes on High/Semi-Assisted settings.

Reduce shooting accuracy under pressure for assisted users.

Implement a larger and visually clearer "Movement Indicator" for Manual players to aid precision.

Stamina Penalties for Skill Moves and Sharp Turns:

Proposal: Chaining skill moves or executing high-speed, sharp direction changes must drain short-term stamina significantly. This should directly reduce the accuracy and power of subsequent shots or passes.

Online Pause Menu Flexibility:

Proposal: Allow players to cancel their "Resume" selection if the opponent is still in the pause menu, enabling further tactical adjustments.

Defensive Jockey-Fix:

Issue: Defenders in Jockey mode often continue running in the wrong direction for too long when reacting to a feint. The recovery time and inertia after being "sent" by a fake need to be balanced.

Dynamic R1/RB Teammate Press:

Proposal: Holding R1 should trigger an aggressive press. However, prolonged holding should drastically increase the risk of a foul or being easily bypassed via dribbling. Releasing the button before contact should transition the teammate into a defensive "jockeying" state.

Manual Pathing (Breaking the Rails):

Proposal: Introduce a dedicated button to override the "on-rails" logic during long passes, allowing players to choose their own paths to intercept balls or position themselves defensively.

Realistic Header & Goalkeeper Balance:

Proposal: Nerf GK reflexes on close-range headers. Simultaneously, reduce the frequency of overpowered headers. Powerful headers should only be possible under optimal conditions, such as:

- High-velocity crosses.

- Headers without defensive pressure.

- Fully charged power bars.

- Using the sprint modifier or actively moving toward the ball immediately before the header.

Single-Button Shot Cancel:

Proposal: Reduce the "Hard Cancel" input from a combination to a single dedicated button for more intuitive reactions.

Part 3: Strategic Mode Expansion

"Seasons Pro / Manager Seasons"

A realistic alternative to Ultimate Team for mature audiences:

Transfer Market & Growth: Daily rotating transfer offers and dynamic attribute changes (growth/decline) based on age.

Management: Contract and salary structures.

Monetization: EA can monetize this via real-money options for club budgets/infrastructure, ensuring profitability without losing the simulation feel.

Closing:

"Thank you for taking the time to read through this detailed analysis. I truly believe that FC 26 has the potential to be the definitive football simulation if we prioritize mechanical depth (skill gap) and technical stability in the upcoming title updates.

I would highly appreciate any feedback or acknowledgment from the Community Managers or the Dev team regarding these points. To the community: What are your thoughts on the proposed 'Manager Seasons' mode and the dedicated manual pathing button?

Let’s work together to make this game the best it can be for every type of player.

Best regards

Jürgen Christ