PC Co-Op Rivals lobby stuck on "Waiting for friend" (host)

Platform:

• PC (Windows 11), both on Steam (EA App running)
• Mode: Ultimate Team > Rivals (Co-Op) 
• Region/Server: EU (Spain) 
• Date/Time observed: 2 Oct 2025 ~00:15–01:30 CEST (UTC+2) 
• Cross-play: Enabled on both 
• Linked accounts: Steam linked to same EA account for both 

Summary:

Host invites friend to Co-Op Rivals; guest enters menus but host remains stuck on “Waiting for friend/Esperando amistades…”; guest sees host as “In menus”; cannot reach squad selection or matchmaking 

Steps to reproduce:

1.  Launch FC 26 from Steam (both)
2.  Open EA connect and invite friend
3.  Create party and go to UT > Play > Rivals > Co-Op
4.  Guest accepts
5.  Host stays on “Waiting for friend…”
6.  Guest sees host “In menus” 

Expected:

After guest joins, host sees squad selection and can start matchmaking

Actual:

Host stuck indefinitely on “Waiting for friend…”, guest sees “In menus” 

Frequency: 

Every attempt; also happens when swapping host/guest |

Troubleshooting tried:

• closed game+Steam+EA App;
• cleared EA App cache (Help > App Recovery > Clear cache);
• verified files in Steam;
• toggled cross-play off/on;
• recreated party and swapped leader;
• invited only via in-game EA connect;
• removed/re-added EA friends and accepted in-game;
• confirmed Steam↔EA linking;
• repaired/reinstalled EA AntiCheat (EAAC/Javelin) and rebooted;
• wired Ethernet with UPnP; no VPN/proxy;
• firewall allows required UDP (3659, 9000–9999) and Steam (27015, 27031–27036);
• “single tactic only” test;
• entered Rivals Co-Op directly from UT without visiting other modes 

Additional notes:

looks like a presence/lobby sync issue; no error codes; never reaches squad selection | Diagnostics info: EA IDs available by DM; matchmaking region EU (Spain); both PCs Windows 11 via Steam + EA App; logs/Correlation IDs available on request |

Request:

please confirm if there’s an ongoing issue with Co-Op Rivals lobby/presence on PC/Steam and advise a server-side workaround or client-side hotfix, or exact steps if a known fix exists.