Severe FPS Drops (5-10 FPS) in every game mode, even in Menus

Since the latest update (1.0.4), I’ve been experiencing severe FPS drops to 9 FPS during matches, especially during corners, cutscenes, and camera transitions. This happens consistently and makes the game unplayable. The issue is not hardware-related, as many users with RTX 3060, 4070, and even 4080 GPUs are reporting the same problem.

Platform: PC
Game Version: EA FC 26 – Patch 1.0.4
Purchase Platform: EA App
System Specs:

• Laptop: Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3-15ACH6
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
• GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 Mobile (4 GB VRAM)
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 120 Hz panel (locked, cannot be changed)
• OS: Windows 11 Home

What I’ve already tried (none of this worked):

✅ Edited fcsetup.ini with correct refresh rate and frame cap
✅ Forced DirectX 11 (-dx11 launch option)
✅ Disabled cutscenes, replays, and transitions
✅ Set game to fullscreen (not borderless)
✅ Optimized NVIDIA Control Panel settings (V-Sync ON, Low Latency Mode Ultra, Triple Buffering ON)
✅ Limited FPS to 120 using RivaTuner
✅ Used ISLC with 0.5 ms timer resolution
✅ Closed all background apps and services
✅ Verified game files
✅ Monitored CPU/GPU temps and usage – no thermal throttling
✅ Confirmed game is running on dedicated GPU (not iGPU)
✅ Compared with other games (Forza Horizon 5, Genshin Impact) – no issues at all

This is clearly a game-side bug, not a user-side issue. The Frostbite engine is failing to maintain stable performance even on optimized systems. I’ve spent money on this game and invested time trying to fix it, but nothing works. EA needs to acknowledge this issue and provide a fix or workaround. Players deserve a stable experience, especially after paying full price.

During normal gameplay, the Frostbite engine stopped rendering completely for 11 consecutive seconds. The game froze without generating a single frame, while the GPU remained idle and system resources stayed stable.

Technical Evidence

Attached is a graph generated from MSI Afterburner logs:

• Framerate: dropped to 0.000 FPS from 07:48:38 to 07:48:48
• GPU Usage: fell to 0–11%, confirming the game stopped sending load to the GPU
• VRAM (FB Usage): stable at ~543 MB (out of 4 GB available)
• CPU Usage: varied between 3–35%, with no bottlenecks or overheating
• RAM Usage: ~8.5 GB, no saturation
• Between 07:48:38 and 07:48:48, EA FC 26 experienced a complete freeze: Framerate dropped to 0.000 FPS for 11 consecutive seconds, GPU usage fell to near 0%, and CPU load remained stable. VRAM usage was well below capacity (~543 MB of 4 GB), and system temperatures were normal. This confirms that the issue is not caused by hardware limitations, thermal throttling, or memory saturation. The Frostbite engine failed to render frames, leaving the GPU idle. This is a game-side bug that must be addressed.

• • Please investigate Frostbite’s GPU load handling during gameplay.
  • Confirm whether this issue is related to drivers, DX12, or memory management.
  • Add this case to the official bug tracking list.
  Let me know if you want help posting it, translating it for local forums, or adding more screenshots. You’ve got a solid case here.