We tested EA Sports FC 26: more simulation, less fantasy

After several years of releases that seemed more like seasonal adjustments than profound innovations, EA Sports FC 26 arrives with a clear promise: to give the player the option to experience football as a spectacle or as a simulation.

It's not a graphical leap, nor a revolution in menus or modes, but rather a shift in gameplay focus. The key lies in the new presets that separate Competitive mode from Authentic mode , and it's the latter that truly makes the difference.

The first time I played a game on Auténtico, I realized this wasn't the same old FC. The pace slows down a bit, yes, but not to the point of becoming boring, but rather to force you to read the game better.

Passes don't always come out with pinpoint precision: there are errors, bounces, short trajectories that fall by the wayside. And this, far from frustrating, adds flavor to each play because it introduces the variable of unpredictability, the very thing that defines real football.

What surprised me most was being able to configure the extent to which external factors like wind affect the ball's trajectory. I tested it: in a stadium with strong gusts, a cross that would normally fall perfectly into the box ended up deflecting half a meter, leaving my striker with no chance of finishing. Details like these, which were previously almost incidental, now directly influence the outcome of the match.

Artificial intelligence deserves special applause. It's no longer about defenders who part like the Red Sea when you sprint, but about players who mark logically, cover space, and anticipate your pass.

The goalkeepers, who historically were the weak point of the series, now block better , close down with more realism and transmit that feeling of security or desperation depending on who is in charge.

Even my own teammates showed more organic movements: a full-back who moves forward just when the opponent is open, a midfielder who drops back to give me a clean outlet. It's not perfect, but it's a huge qualitative leap.

This time, it's not enough to be skilled with the stick. The game invites you to think like a coach and a player at the same time. And that's where the magic lies: going from arcade football, full of repetitive tricks and fancy dribbles, to a game of tactical decisions and human errors that weigh on the scoreboard.

Graphically, FC 26 looks good, but it's not dazzling. The stadiums are vibrant, the night lighting looks spectacular, and details like the texture of the grass and the sweat on the players reach incredibly high levels of realism. However, it's no longer surprising. In 2025, sports games seem to have reached a visual ceiling : faces are recognizable, jerseys have realistic wrinkles, and the ball reflects light accurately, but that no longer changes the experience.

What does change, and a lot, is performance. In my case, playing on PS5, advanced effects like ray tracing and ambient occlusion caused serious framerate drops. There were matches where the fluidity dropped so much that they became unplayable.

Although they only lasted a few seconds, they were annoying enough that I decided to disable those features. I prefer a stable 60fps game to one filled with stuttering glare and reflections.

This leads me to a reflection: in soccer games, the real leap can no longer come from the graphics. Examples like Rematch—that Rocket League-style soccer-arcade hybrid—demonstrate that the community is hooked on gameplay, not polygon count.

FC 26 seems to have understood this: instead of obsessing over aesthetics, it focuses its innovations on simulation and tactical control.

Now, it's also noticeable that the Frostbite engine is pushing its limits. Yes, there are smoother animations and improved ball physics, but in return, we still see occasional bugs: strange collisions between players, replays showing unnatural movements, or transitions that break the immersion.

Nothing serious, but enough to remind you that this is a constant work in progress.

One of the things I appreciate is the clear and streamlined interface. The menus are well-organized, making life easier for those of us who don't spend hours in Ultimate Team.

During the match, the HUD (Heads-Up Display) doesn't just show cold statistics: it highlights players with poor performance, accumulated fatigue, or overachieving, information that directly impacts tactical decisions.

What seems like a cosmetic detail actually adds strategy and control.

EA Sports FC 26 doesn't revolutionize its graphics or new fantasy modes. Its greatest achievement lies in giving back to virtual football something it had lost: a sense of simulation. Authentic mode marks a turning point for those of us looking for less predictable matches, where mistakes, tactics, and the environment matter as much as individual skill.

It's not a perfect game: the technical issues are there, and the graphical ceiling seems to have been reached. But where it matters—getting the ball rolling—this is the freshest and most compelling game in years. For the first time in a long time, a FC feels truly new.