A Message to EA SPORTS FC: Accessibility Means Real Choice!

Dear EA SPORTS FC Team,

Please take inspiration from Codemasters and the F1 games when it comes to accessibility. They demonstrate that extensive assist features and challenging gameplay can coexist without taking anything away from players who prefer a more demanding experience.

Unfortunately, EA SPORTS FC 27 is moving in the opposite direction for players like me.

The overly aggressive AI pressing, the removal or reduction of defensive assistance, and the passive behaviour of my own defenders have made calm, controlled build-up play in single-player increasingly difficult. Excessively aggressive AI tackles, insufficiently punished fouls and frequent injuries make the experience even more frustrating.

For me, this is not simply a question of difficulty. I suffer from treatment-resistant trigeminal neuralgia, a severe neurological condition. I need gameplay that does not constantly demand frantic reactions and repeated, rapid inputs.

I want to enjoy football, build my team and play Career Mode – not fight against gameplay mechanics that unnecessarily limit my ability to play.

I understand that more manual defending is intended to give experienced players greater control. However, more manual control does not automatically mean better accessibility. What benefits some players can make the game significantly less accessible for others.

My proposal is simple: GIVE US THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE!

⚽ 1. Bring back an optional defensive assistant.
Let players choose between fully manual defending and additional AI support for positioning, interceptions and defensive actions.

⚽ 2. Make AI pressing intensity independently adjustable.
Players should be able to reduce the opponent's pressing pressure without having to lower the overall difficulty.

⚽ 3. Introduce comprehensive single-player accessibility options.
Offer adjustable defensive assistance, passing support and other features that reduce the need for constant, rapid inputs.

⚽ 4. Make accessibility options available in multiplayer, too.
Allow assist features online wherever possible. If particular options provide a competitive advantage, restrict them in ranked matches and official esports tournaments under clear, transparent rules.

This approach would preserve competitive integrity while giving more people the opportunity to enjoy the game.

Accessibility does not mean making a game easier for everyone. It means giving people with different abilities the freedom to choose how they play.

I am not asking you to remove competitive gameplay or take challenges away from experienced players. I am asking you to recognise that not everyone has the same physical abilities.

Please stop treating accessibility as a secondary feature. It should be an integral part of gameplay design.

Give us that freedom of choice. Let us play football instead of forcing us to fight against unnecessary gameplay barriers.

EA SPORTS FC should be playable and enjoyable for as many people as possible – not just those who can comfortably adapt to every design decision.

Please give this issue the attention it deserves, including at the European level.

Relevant organisations:
🇪🇺 European Commission – Disability Rights: commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-p…

♿ European Disability Forum: edf-feph.org

🎮 AbleGamers – Gaming Accessibility: ablegamers.org

I hope people with disabilities will be considered in future gameplay decisions and that players will be allowed to choose the assist features they need.

Accessibility should not stop at the edge of the screen. It should be a fundamental part of modern gaming.