Forum Discussion

BobbyBriggs's avatar
6 months ago

This is why the online experience is so frustrating

I matched with a guy in Holland. Cool, normal matchmaking, right? Except he was on 16 ping while I’m sitting in Norway on 32 ping. How is that remotely a level playing field?

Before anyone says “32 isn’t that bad” — it absolutely matters in a game like this. FC is all about split-second inputs:

first touches

player switching

tackles

keeper movement

skill moves

When one player’s inputs register noticeably faster, it changes EVERYTHING. My defenders feel heavy, tackles are late, passes get intercepted, and suddenly I’m fighting the game as much as my opponent.

What makes it worse is that this isn’t some rare situation — this is just life if you’re playing from Northern Norway. We’re constantly at a disadvantage because there are no proper local servers. Meanwhile players in central Europe get smoother gameplay, faster response, and a completely different experience.

This is supposed to be a competitive online game. How can it be competitive when geography decides who gets better gameplay?

I’m honestly at the point where I decided to not buy another EA game unless they improve server coverage in regions like Norway. It’s 2026 — this shouldn’t still be an issue.

We don’t need new card designs, more promos, or shiny menus.

We need fair, stable gameplay.

Until then, every match just feels like built-in handicap.

6 Replies

  • vldsdfz155's avatar
    vldsdfz155
    New Veteran
    1 day ago

    The lack of competitiveness has never been as big as in the last two years. Whether you win or lose a game is totally dependend on:

    1. The level of how much the AI is in your favor or works totally against you
    2. Your connectivity towards the server compared to your opponent. You could have a ping of 15 and still feel like you are trying to push a donkey through a swamp while the other one is swarming around like a bunch of hornets.

     

    Your skill level is completely irrelevant these days

     

  • SpartanLogan23's avatar
    SpartanLogan23
    Seasoned Veteran
    1 day ago

    Another great feedback!

    I can confirm I am experiencing the same issues. Every time I face someone who lives outside of England, the game becomes this chaotic, delayed mess!

    Servers have been a problem for more than a decade now, and every year they seem to contribute more and more to this nonsense gameplay that simply cannot be considered competitive!

    The game itself, however, has been patched so many times that we really don't know the full extent of the problems and issues created by this exact process. There is one thing for sure: we have all been reporting the same problems for years now, and the game has only become more unplayable than ever!

    Zero fun even if you win because you have to ask yourself, what was it like for your opponent? Especially when two similarly skilled players playing against each other can look like the biggest mismatch ever! One side completely dominating the other because they somehow have a better connection to EA servers.

    EA, YOUR ABSOLUTE PRIORITY THIS YEAR MUST BE SERVERS!

    You need to update and rebuild the server network and make sure your infrastructure is capable of servicing 100,000,000 customers. Make sure any artificial delay is removed from the game's mechanics, as this should NEVER be used as a match-balancing tool!

    Have a tool that can detect a massive connection mismatch and cancel the match instead of begging your customers to STOP rage quitting! Penalising players for rage quitting is incredibly unfair when the gameplay itself is the reason they are quitting. Imagine joining a match where nothing works, your players barely respond, everything is delayed, you quit because the match is effectively unplayable, and then you're penalised in the next match in multiple ways.

    If EA applies any hidden matchmaking or account restrictions following repeated quits, that process needs to be clearly explained and transparent. Players shouldn't be left guessing whether they've been "shadow banned" or otherwise restricted. And yes this is happening as I was told by EA HELP! However it is not clearly stated in Terms & Conditions.

    Therefore, creating a tool that can detect a massive connection mismatch BEFORE or DURING a match is a MUST! This would protect your customers from the consequences of poor server performance instead of punishing them for refusing to continue playing an unplayable match.

  • I'm from South Africa and the servers here are really Ish, like really ish!! Most of the time I'm on 70 ping up to 40 the lowest.. 

  • TomasMoses2018's avatar
    TomasMoses2018
    Seasoned Newcomer
    1 day ago

    The poster is speaking the truth. I live in Norway and the input lag is horrible. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing FUT or seasons, same problems. I can lose to people with terrible records.

  • Dude, I'm in Belgium, near Brussels. I have servers all around me and it's still not working for me. My overall ping is around 20. One game it works sort of, in the other I'm playing with orcs in a swamp. Last week I was playing a guy, ping was 150. Didn't notice anything in the gameplay and from what I could see, neither was the other guy. I'm sure this ping display in FC is working as 'good' as all the rest in this pityful excuse of a game