Let’s all be honest with ourselves - EA FC 26 is terribly bad.
I am going to outline some points below in which I believe makes this year’s game horrible to play. Feel free to give your opinions on these points as well, as I’m genuinely curious to see if anyone else is on the same wavelength as me. Keep in mind these are my own opinions from playing the game quite a bit since early access launched. I’ll also add that I’m a Division 5 player on Ultimate Team - offline I play Legendary. Nothing special by any means, just a casual player. 1). Defending: This year, defending and the point I’ll detail in point 2 of this list are the main factors as to why this game is so terrible to play. If you’re left-stick dribbling, it is impossible to win the ball from an opponent. It just seems like the speed of tackling animations is too slow to handle the dribbling animations. Rarely am I able to time a tackle perfectly and win the ball cleanly and fairly. Vice-versa if I’m on the attack, as all I need to do is some tiki taka passing and left-stick dribbling to be through on goal. AI defending is equally as bad, with defenders making alien runs tracking back nowhere near the passage of play, leaving players wide open to receive a pass. Does anyone else get that weird animation when committing a defender to a challenge, the attacker can manage to get past, but your defender is trapped in a force field (like 2 opposing sides of a magnet) and can’t not within a yard of the player? 2). Too many goals: I don’t think I’ve played a game of UT this year which didn’t have a minimum of 8 goals. I had a Rivals game end 11-9 yesterday (I will attach the proof)… 20 goals in one game of FIFA? Come on man. It is way too “arcade-y”. Pass, dribble, shoot, score. On repeat. Is anyone like me that enjoys a well fought, well defended 1-0 or even a 0-0 which is hard to split? I understand it’s not meant to be super realistic, but the amount of goals, whether nicely worked or just plain BS, makes this game so boring and predictable. 3). Goalkeepers: Where do I start with goalkeepers, man? Again, I don’t think EA nailed the goalkeeper animations this year. Any keeper without the ‘footwork’ play style? Good luck getting anywhere near a low-driven, or for that matter, any shot aimed below the belt line. I feel like one game, your keeper can feel like a prime Buffon, then the next can’t get a hand to anything that comes his way. I think this has to tie in with the high scoring model for UT, which EA seem to be promoting and not willing to change. Very frustrating. Even the goalkeeper save / deflection animations are way off, like when a keeper saves a pretty tame shot and it ends up flying into row Z at a million miles per hour. 4). Kick off goals: Yeah, I’ll leave it at that. 5). Patches: This one I’m most interested in to hear your different opinions on. I just feel like you can play the game for a while and get used to the way it plays, but when a patch or a gameplay update is released, it feels like a brand new, totally different version of the game. Nothing ever feels the same and is drastically different to what you’ve been used to for the previous however long of playing, so you need to spend ages trying to figure out how to adapt as the change feels so drastic. To me, it feels more like an overhaul of changes, rather than subtle tweaks to genuinely improve the gameplay experience. Formations and custom tactics take the biggest hit for me with this one, and a full rebuild is required almost always. [CM edit - formatting]
EA SPORTS FC™ 25 - Career Mode - Deep Dive
Welcome to the EA SPORTS FC™ 25 Career Mode Deep Dive, we’re excited to share everything that’s coming to Manager and Player Career. With FC 25, we set out to add more authenticity and player control to Manager and Player Careers, and we’re thrilled to announce the addition of Live Start Points and Snapshots*, women’s football in Career Mode, while further customizing your tactical setups with FC IQ. On top of that, we’re looking to give you new Avatar customization options, quality of life improvements, improved scouting and player development, and lots more. Here the full detailed article about the Career Mode in EA SPORTS FC™ 25: https://answers.ea.com/t5/forums/postpage/board-id/fc-25-pitch-notes-en *To be released with a post-launch update. For more details & availability, visit https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-25/disclaimersFour Friends 🫂, Two Teams ⚽, One Missing Feature 🥺, Don’t Skip 2v2 Again!
One of the biggest letdowns in EA FC 25 was the absence of online 2v2 friendlies using real teams — something that’s been a dream feature for many of us. Right now, you can only play 2v2 locally with friends using clubs or national teams. But if you’re online and want to play 2v2 with three other friends (that are seperated), you're out of luck. We’re asking for a simple but powerful feature: Let four separate players (two on each team) play online using real-world teams in a friendly match. Why is this important? Siblings, cousins, old friends — people who live apart — want to team up like old times. It was heavily requested in FC 25 forums and left a lot of players disappointed when it didn’t return. We know the mechanics exist — it works locally. Let’s make it online. > 🎮 Let’s bring that community fun back. The demand is real.
EA SPORTS FC 26 | Pitch Notes - Career Mode Deep Dive
Welcome to the EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Career Deep Dive. We’re excited to share everything that’s coming to Manager and Player Career, including Manager Live Challenges based on your feedback, Archetypes inspired by greats of the game, and the new Authentic Gameplay preset, keeping each season fresh and rewarding. Let’s dive in. Table of Contents Manager Live: Redefining Manager Career Manager Career with ICONs and Heroes Manager Market Deeper Simulation and Data-Driven Scouting Authentic Gameplay: The True Football Experience Unexpected Events Additional Features / Quality of Life Improvements Player Career Player Archetypes New Origin Stories Manager Live: Redefining Manager Career One of the biggest pieces of feedback we’ve seen from you is that you want more variety in your Career Mode saves. You’ve told us you want to take on different and unique challenges, and that you’re constantly on the lookout for the next great scenario to play. In FC 26 we’re introducing the Manager Live Career experience, a dynamic Hub filled with ever-changing Challenges, offering fresh experiences that evolve on a weekly and monthly basis throughout the new season. We’ve been amazed by your creativity in crafting scenarios outside of the game in years past, and you’ve inspired us to bring these storylines and narratives into the game itself. Alongside Full Career and Live Start Points*, Manager Live is home to a variety of challenges, released throughout the new season. Some Challenges align with real-world football, like frenzy of transfer windows or the UEFA Champions League knockouts. Reactive Challenges are timed to capture specific events, creating “What If?” moments like unexpected upsets or epic title battles. Our goal is to let you live the intensity of legendary rivalries, celebrate monumental achievements, and navigate the drama of shock sackings, all while engaging with the season's biggest football storylines. You can now enjoy Career in bite-sized chunks. In a few hours of play you can win something and be rewarded. We’ll be using various parameters to introduce brand-new, exciting ways to play that vary throughout the season, alongside multiple objective types to consistently deliver a fresh challenge. Can you win the league with only youth players? Can you survive relegation with a -20 point deduction? Can you take a team in the bottom league to champions league glory only playing domestic players? So many opportunities to prove your managerial greatness. You’ll be able to connect with friends to share Challenges and tackle the most popular ones directly from the Hub. You can earn exclusive kit rewards by completing Challenges to use in Manager Career, and this Challenge completion will enable you to progress through the Season Pass to earn game wide rewards, including coveted ICONs and Heroes. Open up Manager Career and select Live to explore all the latest content and put your managerial skills to the test. *Updates based on 2025/2026 football season The Manager Live Hub: Your Gateway to Football Management At the heart of Manager Live is the Hub, a centralised space where you access all Manager Career scenarios, including Full Careers, Live Starting Points, and Challenges. Our aim with the Hub is to create a seamless, intuitive, and personalised experience, ensuring you can dive straight into the action. Simply open Manager Live from the main menu and get stuck in! Onboarding: Building Your Manager Profile Just as real-world managers bring their own identity and history to every new club, you’ll bring your manager’s identity for every Challenge. You’ll be able to step into a sharp suit, tracksuit, or build a style of your own—and you can even take the pitch as a real manager. In addition to your manager’s looks, you can choose: Your Name: Enter your manager’s name to carve out your own legacy, or select a real manager. Selected Teams: Choose up to five teams. Whether they're clubs you support, European Superpowers, sleeping giants, or a mix of everything—the choice is yours. This helps you receive personalized recommendations that let you rewrite history or take on the challenges faced by your chosen clubs. Once your profile is complete, it’s saved online and is used for all subsequent saves, and you can change it from your Hub profile. How the Hub Works The Hub organises all Manager Career content into easy-to-navigate tabs, ensuring you can quickly find the scenarios that interest you most. Here’s how it’s structured: Permanent Tabs These sections are always available in the Hub: For You: Personalised content based on your selected teams, including: Challenges featuring your selecting teams Full Careers with your selected teams Live Starting Points for your selected teams Continue: Quickly load your existing Manager Live saves, with your most recent save highlighted for easy access Featured: A curated selection of highlighted scenarios, such as marquee Challenges or special events Social: Friend-based Challenges, including: Challenges shared with you by friends Challenges your friends have completed, allowing you to try them yourself Popular: The most-played Challenges globally, giving you a chance to see what others are playing Favourites: A player-driven section where you can save up to 15 scenarios for quick access Completed: A record of the last 15 Challenges you’ve successfully completed These tabs remain and the content within them changes throughout the season. Dynamic Tabs The Hub can also feature dynamic tabs based on current events, leagues, or themes. Examples include: Premier League: Scenarios involving Premier League teams, such as Full Careers, Live Starting Points, or Challenges UEFA Champions League: European club scenarios tied to the UEFA Champions League Seasonal Events: Themed Challenges, such as transfer window-inspired scenarios Specific Types: Specific types of Challenges, for example Road to Glory-style Challenges with varying difficulties Keep checking back in to see the Dynamic Tabs rotated through the season. Challenge Parameters: Customising the Experience Challenge Parameters are the foundation of every scenario we create, allowing us to tailor each Challenge to reflect the real-world dynamics of football. These parameters define the rules, objectives, and context of the Challenge, with the goal of making every experience feel unique and engaging. Below is a detailed breakdown of the parameters, along with examples of how they can be used to mirror real-world football scenarios: Start Date The start date determines when the Challenge begins within the football calendar, allowing us to drop you straight into the action at pivotal moments of the season. This can either be: The default start date (e.g., the beginning of the season) Specific gameweeks (e.g., midseason or just before a crucial match) Examples: Midseason Relegation Battle: Start in February with your team in the relegation zone, and fight to avoid the drop Title Decider: Begin in April with your team just two points behind the league leaders, with only five games left to play As the season develops, new game weeks increase the Challenge possibilities. Team Selection This defines which team, or teams, you can manage in the Challenge. This can be: A specific team Any team from a specific league or country A pool of up to 20 teams (e.g., top teams from across Europe) Examples: Promotion Push: Choose from a selection of Championship teams and secure promotion to the Premier League Underdog Story: Manage a lower-league team such as Notts County and guide them to the top flight Create Your Club (CYC) This toggle allows us to create Challenges that are both specific to Create Your Club, authentic clubs only, or both. Example Usage: Custom Legacy: Build a brand-new club and take them from the bottom of the football pyramid to the top. League and Country Selection These parameters define the leagues and countries involved in the Challenge: Specific leagues (e.g., La Liga, Serie A) Specific countries (e.g., England, Spain) Multiple leagues or countries Examples: European Domination: Manage a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues and win the Champions League National Focus: Take charge of a team in a specific country and dominate the domestic competitions Cup Competitions This parameter determines which cup competitions are active in the Challenge, allowing for: All cup competitions Specific competitions (e.g., FA Cup, Copa del Rey, DFB-Pokal) disabled Example Usage: Cup Glory: Focus solely on winning Ligue 1 while managing a mid-table team without any cup distractions Feature Settings These toggles allow us to enable or disable specific gameplay features, adding variety and complexity to a Challenge. We can adjust the following: Training Plans: Enable or disable training plans Scouting and Transfers: Enable or disable transfer activity Youth Academy: Enable or disable youth development Manager Market: Lock you to your starting club unless sacked Gameplay Toggles: Disable specific play methods (e.g. Quick Sim, Playable Highlights) Examples: Youth Revolution: Focus entirely on developing young players by disabling transfers and relying on your Youth Academy One-Club Challenge: Lock yourself to a single club and build a dynasty over multiple seasons Parameters Parameters allow us to configure the experience by fine-tuning settings to deliver unique experiences, including: Financial Takeover: Turning takeover on and off to give you that cash injection Board Expectations: Setting how harsh the board’s expectations Transfer Negotiations: Setting how tough negotiations will be Transfer Embargo: Setting an amount of transfer windows that you cannot make any transfers in Minimum Difficulty: Setting the minimum difficulty that the Challenge can be played at Referee Strictness: Setting strictness of the referees and their decisions Points Deduction: Setting a starting points deduction in the league to ratchet up the difficulty No Match Restarts: Match restarts are disabled meaning you can only go once Examples: Against All Odds: Go from rags to riches with an unfancied team facing a transfer embargo Phoenix Club: Revive a sleeping giant with strict board expectations and transfer negotiations Team Management Limiters In some Challenges, you’ll need to carefully manage your squad selection because: Players over or under a specific age are ineligible for selection Your squad is limited to players of a specific nationality Blocked players appear unavailable in your Team Management screen, similar to how suspended or injured players are displayed, but with a distinct icon. If you attempt to start a match with an invalid lineup, you’ll be notified to adjust your team before proceeding. Transfer Limiters The transfer market is a key part of any manager’s strategy, but what if you could only sign players from specific leagues or nations? With Challenges, we can create scenarios that modify your transfer activity, such as: Only signing players over or under a certain age Only selling players over or under a certain age Limiting transfers to specific teams, leagues, or regions Restricting transfers to free agents or loans only These rules apply to both incoming and outgoing transfers. For example, you might only be able to sell players over a certain age, or you could be blocked from offering players in exchange deals if they don’t meet the criteria. Every transfer becomes a strategic decision, adding a layer of complexity to squad building. Tactical Limiters Some Challenges will lock you into a specific Tactical Vision, either: Balanced High Pressing Possession Wing Play Counter Attack Park the Bus Kick and Rush Once locked, these tactical presets cannot be changed during or outside of gameplay, challenging you to adapt your strategy to the defined approach. Job Limiters How long can you make an impact at a single club? In certain Challenges, you’ll be limited to a set number of seasons before being required to move on. For example, you might need to achieve your objectives within two seasons before being automatically dismissed, encouraging you to make the most of your time and explore new opportunities. Objectives Objectives define the goals you must achieve to complete a Challenge. There are a number of Objectives that can be mixed together to create a multitude of scenarios, including : Must finish in a certain position or above of a league Must reach a number of points in a league Must win a number of games in a league Must not lose more than a number of games in a league Must qualify or reach a certain competition Must get to a set stage of a cup Must achieve promotion Must not get relegated Must win a set trophy Must have the average age of the starting lineup be a set number of years Must score a set amount of goals or more a game over the season Must score a set amount of goals or more in a set competition Must spend a set amount of money on transfers Must earn a set amount of money and above from transfers Must earn a set amount of profit and above from transfers Must beat a set opponent with a set player in the lineup Must sign a set player at every club managed Must have a set possession percentage in every won game Must have a set player finish the season on a set average rating and above Must have a set player score a set amount of goals Must have a set player assist a set amount of assists Must have a set player in your starting 11 for a set number games Each Objective can be set to have an open-ended completion date or require you to complete it at a set date in the game. They can be used for any competition, team, or player in the game, creating a large amount of possibilities to play from. Examples: Top Four Race: Finish in the top four of the Bundesliga to secure Champions League qualification and score a high number of goals Star Performer: Have your star player play 30 matches and achieve an average rating of 8.0 or higher Challenge Types In FC 26 Career Mode, there will be lots of challenges across the year and here are a few examples of the types of challenges you will see: Midseason Scenarios Midseason scenarios use Live Start Points to deliver Challenges at any gameweek of the season. These scenarios are intended to deliver Challenges during especially interesting points of the campaign. Examples: Derby Drama: Manage a team in a high-stakes derby match, such as El Classico, Der Klassiker, the North London Derby Shock of the Week: Relive a giant-killing FA Cup result and replicate the upset Dynamic Scenarios Dynamic scenarios adapt to real-world football events or trends, and they consist of: Proactive Scenarios: Released before upcoming events (e.g., title deciders, derbies) so you can pick a side and play out the future Reactive Scenarios: Released after recent events (e.g., shock wins, dramatic comebacks) so you can change history Examples: European Royalty: Take control of one of the teams in the upcoming UEFA Champions League Play-offs and guide them to glory Late Scramble: Recreate an iconic against-all-odds victory and use it as motivation for the rest of the season Historical Achievements Recreate iconic moments from football history through scenarios such as: Replicating famous seasons Achieving record milestones Reliving the career of football’s biggest icons, past and present Examples: Invincibles Challenge: Go unbeaten in the league with Juventus or Bayer Leverkusen Treble Triumph: Win the league, domestic cup, and Champions League in a single season with PSG or Manchester City Time-Limited Challenges Some Challenges are only available for a limited time, allowing us to continually release new challenges and keep the Hub evolving. Expiry time is visible from inside the Hub. Examples: Seasonal Challenge: Complete a festive-themed Challenge during the Holiday season to earn exclusive holiday kits Event-Based Challenge: Take on a Challenge inspired by a real-world derby match before it expires Celebrating Success and Progress Just like a manager’s achievements are recognised in real football, Manager Live ensures your accomplishments and even your setbacks are acknowledged in a meaningful way. The user interface is designed with the intent of making every completed scenario feel significant, whether you’ve lifted the trophy or learned from a tough campaign. Objective Notification Each time you complete or fail an Objective, a task list item will notify you. You can follow this item to the Challenge Details screen to check your overall progress. Challenge Details: Stay Informed, Stay Focused A dedicated Challenge Details screen is always available from the Objectives section in Office, this acts as your tactical dossier and includes: Title and Description Challenge Image Objectives and Completion Timeframe Limiters and Feature Settings All configured Parameters Rewards (if available) Keep checking back to see your progress and plan your next moves. Completion Flow When you finish a Challenge, completing all Objectives or falling short, the next time you enter the Central screen, you’ll be taken through a tailored completion flow: Challenge Completed: If you’ve achieved all core objectives, you’ll be greeted with a celebratory completion screen, and awarded if any rewards are configured. Even if some Objectives are missed, your journey is still recognised, reflecting the reality that not every season ends with silverware, but every campaign tells a story. Completion Summary: Afterward you are taken to the completion summary screen, where your performance is highlighted against the backdrop of the Challenge. From here you can choose your next move. The completion screen is your post-match conclusion, it’s a moment to reflect, plan, and share your story. You have several options: Quit: Return to the Manager Live Hub, ready to take on your next managerial adventure. Continue: Keep playing in your current game world, with two distinct paths: Continue with Challenge Settings: Maintain all Challenge rules and settings, preserving the unique scenario you’ve just completed. Continue without Challenge Settings: Reset to a standard full career, removing all Challenge-specific restrictions and Objectives. Share: Send the Challenge to a friend, encouraging them to experience the same scenario. Replay: Dive back into the Challenge from the beginning, with the scenario pre-selected for convenience. Note that rewards can only be earned once, and replay is disabled if the Challenge has expired. Rewards Challenges can offer unique rewards for successful completion. Rewards can be exclusive licensed retro kits to use in future Manager Career saves, progression in your Season Pass journey, or a combination of the two. Certain Challenges will give you rewards directly from completing them such as a unique club retro kit from completing a Challenge with that club. More kits and rewards will become available over the season. Completing challenges can also complete Objectives within the Season Pass, rewarding you with Season Pass points. Along the path will be many Manager Career rewards including the coveted ICONs and Heroes which can be used in Challenges and the Manager Career with ICONs and Heroes mode. Complete Challenges in order to progress along the Season Pass ladder, and build your collection of ICONs and Legends. A New Era for Manager Career With the Manager Live Hub and its curated Challenges, we’re transforming Manager Career into a live, evolving experience that reflects the dynamic world of football. Whether you’re building a team of young stars, mastering a specific tactical identity, or navigating a strict transfer policy, Manager Live is intended to push you to think creatively and adapt to new scenarios. It’s time to prove your managerial skills and embrace the thrill of overcoming obstacles. Are you ready to take on the challenge? Manager Original The existing Manager Original experience remains available alongside Live, enhanced to include this year's new features. Original Full Career and Live Start Points are available to play here and are accessed from the main menu underneath Manager Live. Manager Career with ICONs and Heroes Manager Career with ICONs and Heroes: Bringing Legends to Your Club We’re excited to share new ways to experience the Manager Career in EA SPORTS FC 26, with the introduction of ICONs and Heroes. This feature gives you more control over your squad, letting you manage some of football’s most legendary players. Whether you want to recreate classic teams or build your own dream lineup, our goal is to give more depth and flexibility for all types of players. Unlock ICONs and Heroes by progressing through the Season Pass. A major addition to the FC 26 Manager Career Mode is the ability to unlock ICONs and Heroes by progressing along the Season Pass. Complete specific Objectives across all game modes to progress through the season for opportunities to unlock ICONs and Heroes to have available in your next fresh career or Challenge. So you will be able to play with new unlocked ICONs & Heroes only after starting a new Career. Each season introduces a new exclusive roster of ICONs and Heroes to discover, unlock, and add to your dream squad at the start of your next journey. Recreating Classic Teams or Building Your Fantasy Squad With ICONs and Heroes now available in Manager Career, you can choose to relive football history by creating your own version of classic teams. The more ICONs and Heroes you unlock, the more options you’ll have to recreate a classic line up. Alternatively, you can also add ICONs and Heroes to your favourite team alongside today’s stars, building a fantasy squad that reflects your personal vision of football greatness. This flexibility enables you to experiment with different tactics, formations, and player combinations, making each career unique.
EA SPORTS FC™ 24 | GAMEPLAY DEEP DIVE
Hey everyone, It's time for our first Deep Dive starting off with gameplay. Watch the Gameplay Deep Dive trailer here: You can read more about the Gameplay changes for EA SPORTS FC™ 24 in our Gameplay Deep Dive Pitch Notes: https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-24/news/fc-24-gameplay-deepdive?isLocalized=true Let us know what you think about this year's changes and what are you most excited about when it comes to gameplay!Ai your face on your career player
Hey just a quick one to the Ea sports community. How cool is it in career modes you see your players name in the squad then as a substitute then in the starting eleven. The you make your player look as much like you as can. But it's just always a generic look. Imagine you could use AI and have your face loaded onto your avatar player so all the photo shot and boxed photos are actual you. Imagine getting subbed on and when the pop up photos of the interchanging players are shown and your face is on your avatar wouldn't that be awesome EA please look into this Lawrence
EA Sports FC 26 funktioniert nicht!
Sehr geehrtes EA-Team, nach X-Jahren in der Videospielbranche und etlichen Stunden an Erfahrungen von Fußballsimulationen habt ihr es wieder einmal geschafft ein neuen Teil Anfang an zu ruinieren. Man zahlt 100 € und nochmal 5,99 € um das Spiel direkt zu Veröffentlichung zu spielen und ihr spuckt auf eure Kunden, tretet sie mit Füßen und das jedes Jahr aufs neue. Wie kann man nach diesen Jahren an Erfahrung immer noch zu inkompetent sein ein Spiel ordentlich auf den Markt zu bringen. Ich spiele seit FIFA 12 und ich hab echt die Schnauze voll von euch. Ihr verschlechtert euch von Jahr zu Jahr, es wird nur mehr Wert gelegt auf X-Beliebige Influencer, welche ohne Taschenrechner nicht einmal bis 10 zählen können und die Ottonormalkunden werden wieder mal verarscht. Ab sofort wird dieses Spiel meinerseits boykottiert...und dies sollten mehrere Spieler tun. Es ist eine bodenlose Frechheit, dass man sein Standing als einziger Fußballsimulator so dermaßen ausnutzt und man dann noch die Leute mit irgendwelchen Free Packs begnadigen möchte. Das ist die pure Schamlosigkeit! Ich weiß, dass ihr nie eure Lebensart und Meinung ändern werdet, aber seine Seele so an den Teufel verkaufen und dann noch hämisch die Kunden zu verspotten, dass traut sich nicht einmal Call of Duty.EA SPORTS FC™ 26 | Clubs Deep Dive
Welcome to the EA SPORTS FC 26 Clubs Deep Dive Pitch Notes. From revamped player progression with Archetypes to dynamic Clubs Rush Live Events, and community-requested features like support for Multiple Clubs, we’re excited to bring significant Clubs updates to FC 26. Let’s jump into what we’re doing to make Clubs a deeper and more dynamic experience. Table of Contents Archetypes Archetype Progression How do I unlock Archetypes? How do I progress my Archetype? Leveling Up Archetypes Live Updates Archetype Card Consumables Signature PlayStyles & PlayStyles Slots Attributes Specializations Signature Perks Live Events How do I enter a Live Event Entry Requirements Multi-Stage Events Flexible Rules & House Rules Events Objectives & Rewards Revamped Clubs Lobby Role Fit and OVR Match Status Widget New Set Piece Assignments Multiple Clubs Clubs Rush & Playoff Rewards Be-A-Goalkeeper Revamp Be-A-Goalkeeper in Clubs Rush AI Facilities Gameplay Impact Other Improvements Clubs Gameplay Competitive Gameplay Fatigue Redesigned Match Rating Changes Expanded Quick Chat Options CPU AI Archetypes Archetypes deliver a new progression system to Clubs in FC 26. You’ll be able to unlock, progress, and develop 13 distinct player Archetypes, each inspired by an ICON of world football, and each built to give you options that fit your style of play. Each of the 13 Archetypes comes with its own set of unique characteristics, and the new customization experience gives you more control over how you develop your Pro. Archetype Progression How do I unlock Archetypes? When entering Clubs for the first time, you’ll select your first Archetype. The remaining 12 Archetypes can be obtained via Clubs Coins, FC Points, or Archetype Unlock consumable items that can be found as rewards. How do I progress my Archetype? Every time you play a Clubs match in EA SPORTS FC 26, you will earn Archetype XP (AXP). The more you play, the more AXP you can collect. The amount of AXP you earn will depend on: Your Role Rating - The bulk of your AXP earnings will come from your Role Rating. Obtaining a higher rating can yield better AXP rewards. Your Gameplay Actions - You will earn a small amount of AXP for every action you complete in a match. Match Type – Your AXP earned via Role Rating and Gameplay Actions will differ depending on whether you’re playing a Clubs League, Playoffs, Friendly, Drop-In, Clubs Rush, or Live Event match. You will also be able to earn AXP by playing Skill Games, though the amount that you can earn each week will be limited, just as it has been in the past. Once you’ve earned enough AXP, your Archetype will move up to the next level. It’s important to remember that each Archetype progresses separately. If you’ve unlocked multiple Archetypes, you’ll need to play matches with each one to level them up individually. Leveling Up As your progress your Archetype, you’ll receive rewards to help upgrade your attributes and abilities: Attribute Points (AP) – AP can be spent to upgrade your attributes, taking you one step closer to unlocking more PlayStyles or even a Specialization. Signature Playstyles Upgrades – Each of your Signature PlayStyles will upgrade to a PlayStyle+, maximizing your Archetype’s power on the pitch. Unlock Signature Perks – Unlock extra Signature Perks to make your Archetype stand out. Customizable PlayStyles Slots – Gain additional slots to further personalize your Archetype’s PlayStyles. Archetypes Live Updates At launch, each Archetype can be progressed from level 1 up to level 50. This will give you plenty of room to grow and develop your Archetype over time, however, the journey doesn’t end there. Throughout the season, you can expect the maximum level to increase, along with more changes and updates to Archetypes, meaning you’ll have more opportunities to further upgrade and personalize your favourite Archetypes as the season goes on. Archetype Card Your Archetype Card is the visual representation of you and your Archetype everywhere in Clubs. As you progress, your Archetype Card will update to reflect your journey from Bronze to ICON. Each Archetype has its own Archetype Card with a unique pose, background, and key attributes highlighted on the side to see how your Target measures up against someone else's. If you want to show off, you can customize your card with backgrounds earned through Season Pass rewards, objective rewards, or the Clubs Store. Your Archetype Card is not just for you, it’s how other players will see you during every big moment. You can expect to see Archetype Cards throughout the match experience, showcasing your Virtual Pro, progression, and achievements in new ways. Consumables Consumables introduce another way to impact your Archetype progression outside of playing matches or Skill Games. Our intent with consumables is to help players who join Clubs later in the lifecycle catch up and feel like they can still make an impact. There will be multiple Consumable types available in EA SPORTS FC 26, including: Archetype XP (AXP) Multipliers – Boost the AXP match rewards for a set number of matches. Direct Apply AXP – Instantly grant AXP to your active Archetype Note: To maintain balance, Direct Apply AXP Consumables can only be used on Archetypes under a predefined level, ensuring that the tool serves its purpose as a catch-up tool, rather than a shortcut to max level Archetypes. Archetype Unlocks – Allow you to obtain any locked Archetype via the Archetypes Screen. Archetype Resets – Return your spent Attribute Points to your wallet, allowing you to redistribute them as you see fit. You can unlock these Consumables through Season Pass rewards, objective rewards, or obtain them via the Clubs Store. This ensures that all players, whether they choose to purchase consumables or not, have the means to access them. Signature PlayStyles & PlayStyles Slots Signature PlayStyles Each Archetype in EA SPORTS FC 26 comes with its own set of unique Signature PlayStyles that reflect that Archetype’s style of play. These PlayStyles are automatically unlocked and equipped when you unlock your Archetype, and they’ll upgrade to PlayStyle+ as you progress with that Archetype. While Signature PlayStyles cannot be removed, you do have the option to swap them out for a different PlayStyle+ once you unlock and equip a Specialization for that Archetype, giving you some flexibility in customizing your items as you advance. Customizable PlayStyles Slots On top of your Signature PlayStyles, you’ll also have Customizable PlayStyles slots that allow you to tailor your Archetype to suit your own style. As you progress through your Archetype, the number of available Customizable PlayStyles slots increases, allowing for more flexibility in tailoring your Archetypes abilities. You can assign any PlayStyle to these slots, as long as your Archetype meets the necessary Attribute Unlock Requirements for that PlayStyle. Any PlayStyle equipped to your Customizable Slots will not upgrade to the PlayStyle+ version of that PlayStyle. Attribute Unlock Requirements Each PlayStyle has specific Attribute Unlock Requirements that must be met before it can be equipped. To unlock a PlayStyle, you need to upgrade the relevant attributes to the required value, which can be done either directly from the Edit Attributes screen or by selecting the PlayStyle directly from the Customizable PlayStyles screen (provided you have enough AP). These requirements are consistent across all Archetypes, meaning the AP cost to unlock a PlayStyle may vary depending on the starting attribute values of the chosen Archetype. For example, to unlock Dead Ball, you must first upgrade the attributes below. FK Accuracy - 75 Crossing - 80 ShotPower - 80 Attributes Min & Max Values Each Archetype has a unique set of minimum and maximum values for all attributes, as well as unique ranges for Weak Foot and Skill Moves. Upgrading Attributes With Archetypes, you’ll now be able to upgrade any attribute you want. When you level up your Archetype, you receive Attribute Points (AP) that can be used to improve any attribute directly from the Edit Attributes screen. As you increase an attribute, the AP cost for further upgrades will also rise, making higher values tougher to reach. Any upgrades you make are permanent, but if you want to reallocate your points, you can request an Archetype Reset (using Clubs Coins or a Reset Consumable), which returns all previously spent AP to your wallet. Key Attributes Each Archetype comes designated with four specific Key Attributes that complement the way your selected Archetype is built to play. These Key Attributes cost less AP to upgrade for that Archetype compared to others, making it more efficient to develop that Archetype in a way that suits its strengths. Key Attributes are highlighted by default when entering the Edit Attributes screen, making them easy to identify whenever you want to upgrade. Height & Weight To preserve gameplay balance, each Archetype comes with its own specific range for height and weight. While you can adjust your height or weight within this range to match your desired look or style of play, doing so will have a minor impact on a select few Attributes. These changes don’t alter the base attribute values of the Archetype itself. Instead, the adjustments are applied as a small increase or decrease to the relevant Attributes only when you enter a match in any Clubs mode, similar to how you experience a boost via Club Facilities. Specializations Specializations introduce three unique variants to each Archetype for you to develop toward over time, encouraging you to either break the mold or double-down on becoming the elite version of your chosen Archetype. Attribute Unlock Requirements Similarly to PlayStyles, Specializations are unlocked by upgrading certain attributes to the required value via the Edit Attributes screen. For example: Upgrading Finishing, Heading Accuracy, and Volleys past the required values will transform your playmaking Maestro Archetype into a box-crashing midfielder capable of changing the game with late runs into the box from deep. Specialization Upgrades By unlocking a Specialization, you gain an extra Signature Perk that will be assigned to your Archetype for as long as the Specialization remains equipped, and an additional Signature PlayStyle+ that can be assigned to one of your Archetype’s Signature PlayStyle slots. So transforming your Maestro into a Crasher will grant you First Touch+ to control those passes into the box, and the Box Crash Perk to help you slot it home. Only one Specialization can be equipped at a time, so if you unlock more than one, you’ll need to choose which to use in order to benefit from its rewards. Signature Perks Signature Perks are new on-pitch abilities designed to encourage you to embody your chosen Archetype or Specialization whenever you step on the pitch. Each Archetype comes with two Signature Perks that are unlocked through the course of your Archetype progression, while a third is equipped whenever you have a Specialization active. There are three types of Perks: Action-based perks activate after you perform a specific action and provide you with a temporary attribute boost. For example, the Press and Pass perk assigned to the Recycler Archetype delivers a temporary boost to Short Passing, Reactions, and Vision after regaining possession in your own half. Mechanic-based perks trigger when using a certain control or technique. A Creator Archetype, for instance, gets a boost to Curve, Short Passing, and Long Passing when making Precision Passes in the middle third via the Precise Pass perk. Team-focused perks benefit your teammates. If a Creator+ Specialization completes a through pass in the opponent's half, the receiver temporarily gains boosts in Finishing, Balance, and Ball Control via the Assistant perk. Live Events You can team up and compete in new ways with Live Events, delivering dynamic Clubs Rush tournament experiences. Each Live Event will bring new challenges with varying entry requirements, modified Rush gameplay, and alternate rules, creating fresh opportunities for you to earn rewards throughout the season. Each Live Event comes in the form of a single-elimination knockout tournament, where your skill will be tested across a max of four Rush knockout rounds. There’s also a brand new Rush Stadium, to give each tournament a more focused, intense atmosphere. Plus, you can celebrate on stage with your squad after a trophy win. Event Structure Each player starts with a limited number of attempts to win the tournament. Winning a match allows you to move on to the next round, while losing a match costs you an attempt and sends you back to the first round. Using up all your attempts will see you are eliminated from the event, though some events will reset your available attempts after a certain period, giving you another chance to participate. The tournament can only be won by claiming victory in consecutive matches across all rounds up to and including the Final. Event progress is tracked individually and not as a squad, and there is no time limit for starting your next match. So you can take your time editing your Archetype before attempting the next round with a new batch of teammates, just don’t wait too long, as each event will eventually expire. How do I enter a Live Event You’ll be able to see the full list of available and upcoming Live Events from the Live Events Tab in the Play menu. Simply select the available event you want to enter, and proceed into the lobby. From there, you can choose to invite your friends, or search for a match solo. All matchmaking will pair you with teammates and opponents at the same tournament stage, ensuring all players know exactly what is at stake. Each Live Event will always look to ensure you have a full squad of outfield players before entering a match, but in the event that a full squad can’t be found, a team of two human players minimum can proceed with AI teammates filling the open spots. In order to play with friends, you will need to all be at the same tournament round to proceed. If you happen to be in a later round than your lobbymates, then you can choose to reset your progress from inside the Live Event lobby in order to compete alongside them. Doing so will result in losing a tournament attempt. Entry Requirements Each Clubs Rush Live Event can have its own unique set of entry requirements, to increase the level of competition or introduce fun new challenges that shake up the Clubs Rush experience. Some events may require you to increase your Clubs Rush player rank, improve your selected Archetype to a predefined level, or even require you to use a specific Archetype in order to access the event. Multi-Stage Events Some events may even be linked together over multiple stages, where winning the first event will unlock a higher-tier event in the future where you’ll be playing for even bigger rewards. If you miss out on the first stage, no problem, some events will allow you to enter into a redemption stage, where you’ll get a second chance of making it to the next round. Flexible Rules & House Rules Events Whether it’s increasing the tension from the opening whistle by shortening the Match Length or staging Golden Goal matches, Clubs Rush Live Events are intended to give you a wide variety of experiences. We’ll have some exciting new Rush House Rules options exclusive to Clubs Rush Live Events including: Designated Scorer - Goals count as double when scored by your designated scorer. Stay alert, though, as the chosen player changes throughout the game. Rugby Rush - The referee’s not watching. Dominate your opponent with powerful shoulder barges that won't get penalised. Keep an eye out for these over the course of the FC 26 season. Objectives & Rewards Each Live Event will be linked to the Clubs Objectives system inside of FC Hub, providing you with more reason to put together a squad and take on the latest tournament. Rewards will vary from event to event, giving you the opportunity to earn cosmetic items for your Pro, Archetype card backgrounds, or even Consumables to help boost your Archetype’s progression. Revamped Clubs Lobby The Clubs Lobby has been redesigned for a cleaner layout and improved functionality. Role Fit and OVR You can check how well your Archetype selection fits the position & role of each vacant position in your club’s chosen tactic. Simply highlight any vacant position on the lobby pitch to observe your Role Fit. Perfect Fit - Your Archetype is a perfect match for this role and position. Good Fit - Your Archetype is a good fit for this position, but perhaps not the ideal role. Okay Fit - Your Archetype is not particularly suited to this role or position. Bad Fit - Out of Position Similarly, when navigating vacant positions on the lobby pitch, you can observe your Archetype’s OVR value for the highlighted position. Match Status Widget Receive real-time updates from in-progress matches, and monitor the status of Clubs League matchmaking or Friendly Challenge requests via the new Match Status Widget. New Set Piece Assignments A number of new Set Pieces assignments have been added to the Assignments tab, giving you more control over your routines. 2 new Attacking Corner Kick assignments Top of Box Defensive Cover 5 total (Near Post, Back Post, Target Player, Top of Box, Defensive Cover) 4 separate Defensive Corner Kick assignments Threat Marker Post Watcher Near Post Back Post Left Throw-in Taker Right Throw-in Taker Multiple Clubs You can now be a member of up to three clubs at any time, and can freely switch between them using the Switch Clubs function inside the Clubs menus. Clubs Rush & Playoff Rewards You will only be able to earn Clubs Rush & Clubs Playoffs rewards on behalf of a single favourite club that’s selectable from the Switch Clubs screen. You can switch your favourite club at any time during the season but you’ll need to make sure it’s set to the one you want before rewards are distributed at season’s end. Be-A-Goalkeeper Revamp There are a lot of updates to the Be-A-Goalkeeper (BAG) experience in FC 26, including new controls and assistance levels, PlayStyles for BAG, revamped UI components and updated presentation, featuring unique camera and audio treatments. For full details of the revamped Be-A-Goalkeeper experience, check out the Gameplay Deep Dive Pitch Notes. Be-A-Goalkeeper in Clubs Rush Be-A-Goalkeeper (BAG) players will now be able to test their ability on the Rush pitch exclusively in Clubs Rush. In support of this, the Clubs Rush matchmaking experience has undergone a few changes: The maximum lobby size has increased to 5 players (though 1 must be using a GK Archetype in order to proceed to a match). Whether your squad has a goalkeeper or not, matchmaking will attempt to find a squad similar to yours. If your group would prefer to play without a goalkeeper, you can disable the ‘Find GK’ setting inside your Clubs Rush lobby. AI Facilities Facilities are being expanded in FC 26 with the introduction of AI Facilities that boost the attributes for your AI teammates. With the Facility budget now shared between AI and Player Facility upgrades, club managers now have a lot more to think about when deciding how to best allocate their resources. Gameplay Impact AI Facilities are similar to Player Facilities, but with a few key differences: AI Facility upgrades will only come in the form of attribute increases. AI Facility upgrades are position-group specific, meaning you will have a group of Facilities dedicated to improving your Forwards, while another will be solely dedicated to training your Goalkeeper. So be sure to consider the position you and your clubmates will be taking up when allocating your budget. Other Improvements In response to community feedback, Player Facilities have also been rebalanced to provide more consistent value. Look out for more updates to Club Facilities throughout the FC 26 season. Clubs Gameplay Competitive Gameplay Competitive Gameplay is mandatory/locked in Clubs in FC 26. Our goal with Competitive Gameplay is to create a more competitive experience by reducing the impact of randomness and assistance. This is an experience tailored for players who enjoy fast-paced, responsive gameplay. The changes to Competitive Gameplay aim to deliver on the three competitive community priorities: Responsiveness, Consistency, and Control. For more details regarding Competitive Gameplay, check out our Gameplay Deep Dive Pitch Notes. Fatigue Redesigned The impact of Fatigue will be redefined on the Competitive Gameplay experience in FC 26 to support our goal of improving responsiveness across the game. When controlling your Pro: Short-term fatigue will continue to work as before. For example, when short-term stamina depletes, you will be slower when running until the fatigue bar recovers. You will no longer experience loss of Long-Term Fatigue. This applies to any time you are controlling a player, even if you are “Any” (alternating between players). For AI: AI Players have a reduction in Sprint Speed and Acceleration when fatigued (proportional to the fatigue level). Long-term and short-term fatigue are in effect. PlayStyles and Attributes Relentless and Relentless+ PlayStyles have been changed to increase how quickly your short-term fatigue recovers (more details in the PlayStyles section of the Gameplay Deep Dive). The Stamina attribute will continue to work as before, for example when determining how quickly your stamina bar depletes. Match Rating Changes Match Rating in Clubs has been redefined as Role Rating for FC 26, meaning each player’s performance will now be related to the actions that matter the most to their assigned Role (e.g. Box-to-Box, Playmaker, Inside Forward, etc). To ensure you are getting a rating that is based on the actions that matter to your role, we created several different categories: Goalkeeping, Defending, Dribbling, Shooting, Passing, and a unique group that includes stats such as Goals scored or conceded by the team, red cards, and even individual Goals or Assists. These will impact all players equally. You can find a breakdown of these ratings and how much they contribute to the total rating in the Performance screens during a match. Some similar Roles will be grouped together. For example, the rating of a CB with Defender or Stopper will be primarily based on their defensive actions, while the rating of a Ball-Playing CB will also consider the effectiveness of their passing. As an example, let's take two Central Midfielders who performed exactly the same in the same match, creating a number of key chances and providing an assist while performing identically in defense. One has been assigned the Box-to-Box role, while the other has been assigned the Playmaker role. Box-To-Box - Defensive and attacking actions are rated equally. This player may receive a Match Rating of 8.0 for their performance. Playmaker - Creative actions like through-passes, assists, and dictating the pace of play are weighted more heavily than defensive actions. This player may receive a Match Rating of 8.5 for their performance due to the increased value of chance creation when assessing this role. Expanded Quick Chat Options We have added four diverse Quick Chat categories, each featuring four messages for a deeper Social experience. After pressing a direction on the D-Pad a set of new messages will be selectable to provide further communication options to your teammates. Instructions (yellow) Keep it simple Drop back Passing game Push up Compliments (cyan) Golazo Thanks Let's go What a save Encouragement (magenta) Lock in Shake it off My bad Unlucky Celebrations (green) Cold Joga bonito GOAT GG CPU AI The Clubs CPU AI has received some improvements to the Call-for-Pass system, making the CPU more intelligent when considering pass requests and preferring better options when multiple requests come in at the same time. This improvement extends to both Clubs and Rush, ensuring the CPU Goalkeeper will choose better pass options when players spam the pass request. Thank you for taking the time to dive into the Clubs Pitch Notes. Be sure to check out the EA SPORTS FC Feedback Hub for all the ways you can share your feedback with us.FC 26 Create-A-Club
I think a really good idea to make FC26 a bit more realistic is to add Kit sponsors to the Create-A-Club option. For example in the first season you get a contract offer from either a real Sponsor or a fake/made up one. And it would have a contract length plus some challenges you may need to achieve throughout the season. It would just make the Create-A-Club choice way better as I feel like it doesn’t really get much recognition. Also you already have things like the Beats Cup in pre-season and multiple of companies in add boards in a stadium so it should make sense if this isn’t possible.
