#Player Feedback Letter – EA Sports FC 26 (Post-Patch Reflection)

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

wispy bronze
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To the EA FC Development Team,

I have been playing FIFA and now EA Sports FC for years, and I want to give you honest, constructive feedback as someone who has seen every cycle since the PS3 era. This is not a hate rant. I actually think you have made some great strides this year, but the way modes and structure work right now are killing the fun for a lot of players like me.

1. Gameplay Feels Solid but Modes Ruin It

You nailed a lot of gameplay improvements this year. The foundation is there. Left-stick dribbling feels realistic, passing has weight again, shooting variety is back, and the game rewards actual football. I like that.

The problem is that I cannot enjoy it because every mode forces sweat. Rivals, Champs, even casual friendlies feel like constant full-pressure, park-the-bus matches. There is no space to experiment or just play football anymore.

You fixed gameplay, but the structure around it such as the modes, matchmaking, and objectives completely undermines that progress.

2. We Need a Casual Competitive Mode

There needs to be an online mode that lets players use creative teams, complete objectives, and try new tactics without being punished for not playing meta.

Why not have:

An Objectives Mode or Casual Online Play that still gives progress but is not tied to Champs or Rivals?

A mode where you can freely use silvers, evolve fun players, or run theme teams without facing Elite-level sweats immediately?

You already have the foundation. Silver events, Evolutions, and the new Rush mode prove you can make fun, flexible content.
Let us actually play those cards online in a relaxed environment without being forced into the same two grind-heavy modes.

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3. Champs and Rivals Killed Creativity

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Older FIFAs let us rotate between multiple squads all the time. One week I would run a Premier League team, the next week a Ligue 1 past-and-present, then maybe a fun silver squad.

Now, Champs and Rivals structure everything around one main team. If you are not using meta cards, you are punished.
That system kills experimentation and variety, which used to be the best part of Ultimate Team.

You have done great with gameplay balance, but the mode design does not let it shine.

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4. Small Wins That Deserve Credit

I want to give credit where it is due.

Fewer wins needed in Rivals = great change

Allowing Evolutions to work in Rush = smart and player-friendly

Silver events and theme objectives = fun and fresh

Draft feels like old-school FIFA again, one of the best improvements this year

Those are the right moves. You have shown glimpses of what makes FIFA and FC great. Keep expanding on that.

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5. The R1 Dribbling Outrage is Overblown

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I have seen the outrage about the R1 dribbling nerf, but I think most of it is exaggerated.
I barely used R1 before, and the people complaining are mostly the ones who abused mechanics instead of playing football.

Left-stick dribbling still works, Technical+ playstyles still have value, and the game finally rewards movement and passing over gimmicks. This patch brought the game closer to real football. Please do not reverse that because of noise from exploit players.

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6. Gameplay Balance Feels Closer to Real Football

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A few positives that often go unnoticed:

Attacking AI is smarter now, especially in narrow formations like 4-1-2-1-2.

Kickoffs and corners feel more balanced.

Manual jockeying feels fair unless someone is parking the bus.

Formations feel usable again, so I can pick based on playstyle instead of just meta.

These are real improvements. You are on the right track here.

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7. The Bigger Picture: Let Players Play Football Again

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If I could summarize everything in one sentence:

Stop forcing sweat and grind. Let us just play football.

Let us use our clubs how we want. Let us experiment, rotate teams, and enjoy matches without everything being tied to reward cycles and intense matchmaking.
Right now, Ultimate Team feels like a job. It should feel like football again.

Give us space to breathe, either through an unranked but rewarding mode or a way to play online for fun without the endless grind.
That is what will make this game last.

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Closing Thoughts

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This year’s gameplay foundation is genuinely strong. I can feel that someone at EA actually listened. But the mode design and player experience have not caught up yet.

You have proven you can make a great football game. Now make it a fun one to live in.

Sincerely,
A dedicated FIFA and FC player since the early days

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@blissful bough

ember cave
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In general I agree with you, but your point in R1 Dribbling is not completely right. Buffing Jockey first would have been enough, now it's impossible to cut in and finesse with R1 Dribbling (Basically Robben style) with for example Olise, because he feels like a fat Sunday league player carrying a bowling ball

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Also, park the bus needs to be nerfed heavily

strong orchid
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"manual jockeying feels fair unless someone is parking the bus"

Which is every player from d3 to elite Im afraid

It's not enjoyable because the combination of buffed jockey and R1 nerf makes defending totally automatic.

We now have less tools to counter the most hated tactic in FC, the low block.

They can now just select their cdm and fly trough all the pitch since defending is more automated and Jockey have been buffed

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I'm not saying it's a bad thing
Manual defending adjustments such as jockey are always welcome
It's AI DEFENDING that should not be a thing, the game should not defend for you

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I do agree R1 was used as a way to exploit the game since technical+ players just trigger a "pitch sliding" animation
But this is too much, the playstyle is completely useless now

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It should have been nerfed but not this much

wispy bronze
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"Rivals, Champs, even casual friendlies feel like constant full-pressure, park-the-bus tryhard matches."

strong orchid
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It should be about how much you play not how good you are, you should be allowed to experiment without thinking "oh no what if this formation isn't good and I lose an attempt?"

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Div Rivals is the only competitive mode, WL tries to be but lately it's just there I swear

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Adds nothing to the game and rewards are awful

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Both for rivals and wl

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I liked WL when it gave red totw picks

strong orchid
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