The core problem for FC 26.

I want to raise a serious concern regarding the online experience in FC 26 Ultimate Team, specifically since the launch of Team of the Year i took notice.

Over the past weeks, the gameplay quality has dropped dramatically to the point where matches often feel inconsistent or outright unplayable. The game has gone from terrible to horrible. issues many players are facing include:

Passes going astray with no logic, bouncing like table tennis balls

Tackles failing to register cleanly or being ignored altogether

Skill commands either delayed or not activating

Shots losing power or direction even when timed perfectly

These symptoms are not isolated gameplay tuning issues. What many players are experiencing aligns with input delay, packet loss and unstable latency — and this points to a much deeper issue: server infrastructure and routing.

Based on EA’s published list of FC game data centers, Europe currently includes: Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Tel Aviv, Warsaw, Zurich

While this appears to give broad coverage, the actual player experience tells a different story.

Large Parts of Europe Are Still Disadvantaged

There are millions of Ultimate Team players in countries such as:

Balkans (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, etc.)

Greece

Finland beyond south

Eastern Europe (Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria)

Baltic nations

Even Norway and Sweden depending on routing

Many of these players routinely report:

High latency even during non-peak hours

Random spikes where gameplay speed changes mid-match

Feeling “delayed” compared to opponents

Poor matchmaking that connects across long distances

This is not due to local internet quality alone. It is a structural disadvantage caused by being physically far from a server or being routed incorrectly.

Competitive Integrity Is Impacted

Ultimate Team is:

A competitive online environment

A mode where rewards, placement, and economy matter

A game many players invest real money into

When the quality of gameplay depends on where a player lives rather than how well they play, fairness disappears.

Right now players benefit simply by living closer to London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris. Others are forced to play at a delay through no fault of their own. That is not competitive balance.

What Needs to Happen

For FC 26 and beyond to offer equal competition, EA should consider:

Expanding game data centers to more countries where Ultimate Team is heavily purchased and played

Improving routing logic so players consistently connect to the nearest available server

Increasing transparency on server status, load, and regional placement

Providing selectable regions or visible indicators for where players are connected

The player experience clearly shows demand for this — and it would improve fairness across the board.

The gameplay issues being widely reported are symptoms of systemic infrastructure strain. The Ultimate Team community deserves a level playing field regardless of postcode, not just proximity to an existing server hub.

If EA is committed to fair online competition, expanding and optimizing server coverage must be treated as a top priority.