UFC 6 – Additional Thoughts (Highly detailed) from a hardcore fan

While this post is a bit long and detailed, I hope this (as well as some of my previous posts and feedback) can make it to the hard working team behind the next installment of EA Sports UFC for us fans. Thank you Devs.

Firstly,

Full set of deep meaningful tutorials:

Please don’t make the whole game overly simplified only to cater to new players. Instead, give us dedicated, in-depth tutorials for striking, grappling, clinch, transitions, denials, submissions, etc., and a robust practice mode.

Please don’t lock tutorials behind Career Mode. That makes no sense.

Bring back the skill challenges from UFC 3. Timed drills, challenges, etc., and “pro tips.” That’s how people really learn the game. Not watching a cutscene and doing one forced combo. Make it engaging and rewarding to train outside of career, and for new and experienced players to sharpen their skills. Teach basics of MMA.

Fighter Perks Need to Matter And We Need More of Them:

UFC 3 had perks that actually changed your playstyle depending on who you picked or how you created your CAF. Some examples:

Negative Reinforcement (Levels 1–5): Delayed the opponent’s stamina regen by 12% after defending a takedown.
Game Changer (Level 3): Dropped the opponent’s chin rating by -3 after a clean knockdown.
Wrestle Clinic, Fluidity, El Guapo, Heavy Hands, Ground and Pound, Crushing Presence & more. These perks meant something and had an impact on the opponent when used accordingly.
They made you fight a certain way. They weren’t just background numbers, they were part of your strategy. We also had perk levels that indicated how proficient a fighter was in a skill. Another small detail that’s now missing.

In the current game, perks feel like filler. And they are. They don’t change anything noticeably (except for maybe a couple perks) and don’t really encourage adapting your gameplay. Bring back the old system or evolve it in a way that builds off what UFC 3 had. That game nailed it.

Organic Strike Animations:

Every punch or kick should have slight variation. In real life, no two jabs are ever 100% the same. Let fatigue, angle, and rhythm affect how strikes look.

Not asking for a full physics engine, but just enough variation to stop combos from looking predictable and identical every single time.

Rework Head Movement Mechanics:

The most used counter in the game is still the same unrealistic lean back uppercut or hook. It’s been the go-to for years and it feels stale.

Revamp the sway system to feel more dynamic and natural. Movement should have momentum and rhythm, not just a snapback with a perfectly timed nuke.

Add dynamic sway that’s perhaps momentum-based. Let head movement be contextual and punish predictable use.

Remap Controls + Simplify Inputs:

Some of the advanced strike inputs right now are too much. Pressing two buttons and a third input to throw a spinning strike? Room for error and not technical. A gamble to some degree that can cost you.

Like spinning back fists and spinning elbows are basically useless right now, they almost always miss. Meanwhile, spinning head kicks and body kicks land like they’re homing missiles. Clean that up and make it more balanced and intuitive.

I also feel like the holding mechanic is a bit weird but not entirely bad. Example: holding for overhand punch or power takedown/slam.

Fix the Lead Collar Tie Mechanic:

You guys should just remove this altogether. No one should be able to repeatedly grab a lead collar whenever they want just to automatically get thrown out of it. That’s not realistic and it’s one of the biggest issues in the game. People use it to spam and get out of bad situations.

Make clinch entries more timing and range based. In real UFC fights, you don’t see guys constantly slipping into collar ties every five seconds mid exchange.

Clinch should be as dominant as the ground game with potential to do big damage. Think Kamaru Usman vs Tyron Woodley or more recently, Bo Nickal vs RDR. The option should be there if that’s someone’s strategy.

Let Us Fully Control HUD Settings:

We should be able to turn off or edit any part of the HUD in any game mode. Ranked, quick fight, or offline.

Also, in ranked, the opponent should NOT be able to see your stamina bar or the grapple advantage meter. That’s private info. It gives away too much and takes away from the realism and skill required to read your opponent.

Stronger Haptics + Camera Feedback:

Ground and pound, clinch strikes, body shots, etc. we should feel them. Haptics need to be more intense and satisfying like they were in UFC 3. A clean overhand or a flush body kick should feel heavy, not just look good.

And while PS5’s DualSense gets all the love, Xbox players should have just as immersive of an experience. Please make sure the vibrations and feedback are tuned properly for Xbox controllers too.

A bit of camera shake and vibration goes a long way. Every strike should have weight and power that varies based on accuracy, stamina, and damage.

Alter Ego Fighters (Love that you guys introduced this) However It Needs More Substance:

The idea is great, no doubt but the implementation is a bit mid.

Right now it’s just a new skin with slightly boosted stats and a different stance if any.

Each alter ego should have a genuine identity: movement patterns, signature combos, AI behavior, unique intros, taunts, etc. Prime Anderson and Late-Career Anderson shouldn’t just have different speeds… they should FEEL like different fighters. Even if subtly to reflect their actual “ego” at the time.

Clean Up the Quick Fight Menu and In General:

There’s “Main Event,” “Championship,” “Main Card,” etc., and a bunch of tabs and things you can flip through but they all basically feel like the same thing.

Don’t just rebrand the same match format under different titles as if there’s a huge difference between them.

Championship fights should have in-ring face-offs.

Shorts Need to Feel and Look Like Shorts:

I know a lot of players have talked about this. Here’s my input:

The shorts are the least of my worries but they are stiff and almost look glued onto the fighter models. You can see the waist thickness just sitting awkwardly on top.

Add movement to them, let them ripple, stretch, and respond to movement. Also please add Muay Thai-cut shorts like Jon Jones wears/open side slits, more real life variation. Little detail, but huge for immersion. And of course, blood on shorts like many players have requested.

It brings to mind that the hue or vibrancy of the game right now is quite high. Lighting should be different for different venues and the like. Shorts and overall color should be only slightly muted or heightened depending on venue, etc… hope you get it.

Honestly… UFC 3 Should Be a Case Study

I get that a lot changed behind the scenes—new team, new director, new engine maybe. But it shows. UFC 3 just made sense across the board:

Balanced striking
Technical grappling
Perk system that actually mattered
Skill gap that rewarded learning
Clean UI
Tons of small features that added up
This isn’t hate it’s just honest feedback. UFC 4 and 5 felt like they took steps away from what made UFC 3 great.

If you’ve made it this far, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this. Please check my earlier posts too. Some key details may have been left out here. I appreciate everyone working hard on UFC 6 and genuinely hope these ideas help push the game forward. Thanks again.