EA SPORTS FC™ 26 News

[p]Celebrate samba style with a wave of free-flowing 5v5 Rush matches and new 5-Star skill upgrades for current players and Heroes to unleash their true flair in Football Ultimate Team™.

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/3405690/EA_SPORTS_FC_26/

[p][/p][p]Walk onto the Clubs pitch with some holiday swagger this season! EA Play members can snag the EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Holiday Header Blue Boots with their membership for a limited time. Just enter Clubs from November 27–December 25, and it will be auto-granted to your inventory. [/p][p][/p][p]Save 50% on EA SPORTS FC™ 26 on Steam[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey Everyone![/p][p]The EA SPORTS FC 26 Holiday Update (v1.3.0) is dropping soon and includes updates to goalkeepers for more authentic play based on your feedback, improvements to Career Mode and Clubs, Rush rematches, and Classic XI Teams additions to Kick Off.[/p][p] [/p][p]Ultimate Team[/p][p]Made the following change:[/p]

• [p]Added the ability to rematch in Rush.[/p]
• [p]Rush rematches will become available shortly after this update, following a server release.[/p]
• [p]To learn more about Rush rematches, scan the QR code on the right to visit the EASFC Tracker.[/p]

[p]Addressed the following issues:[/p]

• [p]The radial menu displayed an incorrect expiration time when previewing Training Camp Evolutions.[/p]
• [p]The Objective tracker within the pause menu displayed incorrect information when an Evolution Player Item was present in the squad.[/p]
• [p]An expiration timer for a Group Objective was not in the Favourite Objectives Tab.[/p]
• [p]\[Visual Only] The group reward was missing when viewing an Objective that was marked as a favourite.[/p]
• [p]When Authentic settings were turned on, they were unintentionally applied to some offline modes.[/p]
• [p]After getting access to the Transfer Market, the menu tile for it could have shown 0 Live Transfers until entered.[/p]
• [p]Newly obtained Player Items added directly to the squad could not be started in Evolutions.[/p]
• [p]The Concept Players in the Club did not display the View Available Evolutions option in the radial menu.[/p]
• [p]Sometimes, the radial menu options displayed incorrect Evolution status for completed Evolutions.[/p]

[p]Gameplay[/p][p]Made the following updates:[/p][p]Goalkeepers[/p]

• [p]Greatly reduced movement speed and amount of ground covered when using Manual Goalkeeper Movement in open play.[/p]
• [p]Removed Goalkeeper Rush To Centre mechanic from open play, it can still be performed during set pieces.[/p]
• [p]Addressed an issue where goalkeepers could have sometimes reacted poorly to first time shots.[/p]
• [p]Addressed cases of the goalkeeper not being able to save certain shots when diving to the opposite side of the goal.[/p]
• [p]\[Competitive Only] The goalkeeper can now transition faster to the next action after catching the ball.[/p]
• [p]This includes but is not limited to actions like throwing the ball, dropping the ball to feet for a pass, moving with the ball, and more.[/p]

[p] Be A Goalkeeper[/p]

• [p]Reduced amount of ground covered during a requested sidestep.[/p]
• [p]Removed instances of a requested save being cancelled after a shot deflection.[/p]
• [p]Improved grab ball logic in 1 on 1 scenarios and when chasing an easy to get to loose ball.[/p]
• [p]Improved auto ball pickup logic when chasing an easy to get to loose ball.[/p]
• [p]Added a Super Cancel option when attempting to intercept crosses.[/p]
• [p]Flicking the Right Stick input upwards during crosses will now request a punch.[/p]
• [p]Increased positioning assistance during cross claiming actions.[/p]
• [p]Increased consistency of the goalkeeper’s ability to catch crosses.[/p]
• [p]When attempting to claim a cross that results in a shot, the goalkeeper can attempt to make an auto save.[/p]
• [p]Slightly increased auto save assistance range across all assistance levels.[/p]
• [p]Addressed instances of the goalkeeper incorrectly interacting with the goal net.[/p]
• [p]Streamlined height selection input for Right Stick save requests, with more shots being covered by flicking the stick left or right, and corner shots requiring more precise inputs.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Skill Moves[/p]

• [p]Slightly increased animation transition speed when following up a Drag Back with another Skill Move or dribble.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Set Pieces[/p]

• [p]Addressed instances of user-controlled players becoming unresponsive during set pieces.[/p]
• [p]The CPU AI could have sometimes incorrectly kicked corner kicks out of play.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Rules[/p]

• [p]In some cases, an offside call could’ve been made on an incorrect player.[/p]
• [p]Improved referee logic when making penalty calls that involved goalkeeper fouls.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Attacking[/p]

• [p]Players who were trying to avoid going offside could’ve become unintentionally passive, and they will now look to run into open space more often.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Passing[/p]

• [p]Slightly decreased the accuracy of headed passes.[/p]
• [p]Lowered crossing ball trajectory height to reduce the amount of crosses that were keeping the ball in the air for too long.[/p]

[p] [/p][p]Defending[/p]

• [p]Addressed cases of the secondary contain indicator appearing incorrectly during possession.[/p]

[h3]Career Mode[/h3][p]Made the following changes:[/p]

• [p]Added a new field in Squad Hub indicating players' willingness to extend their contracts.[/p]
• [p]Added a new tab in the Manager Live Hub to streamline starting a new Live Start Point and Manager Live save, providing quicker access to previously earned retro kits rewards.[/p]
• [p]Shortcut selections are now remembered automatically when exiting the switcher menu rather than requiring a manual selection save.[/p]
• [p]Added an in-menu preview for mascots in the Create Your Club flow[/p]
• [p]In Player Career, the Player Archetype preview tile now displays both current XP and XP needed to reach the next level.[/p]
• [p]Added Recommended Archetypes in the Player Career creation flow instead of Attributes.[/p]
• [p]Added a Mascot preview when using Create Your Club.[/p]

[p]Addressed the following issues:[/p]

• [p]Addressed instances of incorrect camera angles when playing as a Goalkeeper.[/p]
• [p]Addressed an issue in Manager Career Create Your Club, that prevented replacing a club other than your favourite team.[/p]

[h3]Clubs[/h3][p]Addressed the following issues:[/p]

• [p]Addressed cases of short-term fatigue applying quicker than intended.[/p]
• [p]Addressing this issue means that short-term fatigue in Clubs matches functions the same as other areas of the game.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted Match Rating calculation logic for all CAM roles to avoid unintended rating inflation. The CAM Match Rating Adjustment will go live in the near future following a Server Release.[/p]
• [p]Sometimes, when editing My Pro, the randomise button callout could disappear.[/p]
• [p]Improved some UI transitions.[/p]
• [p]When editing My Pro, some hairstyles could be missing from the preview.[/p]
• [p]After the match, on the post-match screen, the Pro displayed on the player card could be incorrect.[/p]

[p]General, Audio, and Visual[/p][p]Made the following changes:[/p]

• [p]Added 10 Classic XI teams to Kick off.[/p]
• [p]The teams will be available through a server release soon after the Holiday Update.[/p]
• [p]Refreshed the main menu to match the holiday spirit.[/p]
• [p]The refreshed menu will go live through a server release soon after the Holiday Update.[/p]
• [p]Added 8 star heads which will soon be available following a server release.[/p]
• [p]Updated some audio and commentary, placeholder images, badges, logos, hair, boots, 2d portraits, lighting, hair, tattoos, balls, kits, pitch trophies, banners, flags, scarves, and stadiums.[/p]

[p]Addressed the following issues:[/p]

• [p]\[PC Only] Addressed an issue where the controller was not being recognised when reconnecting during gameplay.[/p]
• [p]Addressed various stability issues that could have occurred.[/p]
• [p]Addressed instances of placeholder text and incorrect UI elements.[/p]
• [p]Addressed instances of incorrect gameplay and cinematic camera angles and animations.[/p]
• [p]Addressed instances of incorrect narrations.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Want to share your thoughts on these updates? Head to https://go.ea.com/fc26pfp - it only takes a few minutes to provide direct feedback.[/p][p][/p][p]You can also read the full Holiday Update Pitch Notes here: https://x.ea.com/87511[/p]

[p]Hey everyone, welcome to the latest FC 26 Feedback Update. In this article, we’re diving into your feedback from the past month, what we’ve heard from you, the changes we’ve made so far, and what we’re planning next. Thank you to everyone who has been providing feedback across our feedback streams including the Player Feedback Portal, Discord, and across social media.[/p][p][/p][h2]Table Of Contents[/h2]

• [p]Goalkeeper Movement Will Be Less Effective[/p]
• [p]How We’re Using Your Recent Feedback[/p]
• [p]AI Defending Recap[/p]
• [p]Controlled Sprint Dribbling Speed Recap[/p]
• [p]CPU AI Difficulty Adjustment - Recap And Future[/p]
• [p]PC Feedback Survey Update[/p]
• [p]Multi-Swap Issue Addressed[/p]
• [p]What’s Next In 2025? [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Goalkeeper Movement Will Be Less Effective[/h2][p]We’ve been looking at Goalkeeper Movement for a while now, finding more ways to make it more balanced.[/p][p]We’ve heard varied opinions about this mechanic from your feedback across all of our sources. One thing that’s clear is that there’s an opportunity to find more of a balance between shooting and goalkeeping.[/p][p]With that in mind, we’ll be adjusting Goalkeeper Movement to be less effective in a December update. We’ll share full details on this change closer to the update.[/p][p][/p][h2]How We’re Using Your Recent Feedback[/h2][p]We’ve seen community discussions that we’re making design decisions based on the feedback of those with the most powerful voices online. We consider many feedback sources for every game issue or update, including the Player Feedback Portal, social media, Design Councils, EA Forums, Steam Community Hub, the FC Pro Discord, the Global Discord, and more.[/p][p]When we use platforms such as Discord polls to get feedback about certain features, we’re getting a quick pulse check of your general opinions. The polls themselves are one aspect of the overall feedback we review before committing to any updates. [/p][p]To learn more about the feedback process and the best ways to let us know your thoughts, check out our Feedback Deep Dive.[/p][p][/p][h2]AI Defending Recap[/h2][p]The below change was made in FC 26 v1.2.0:[/p]

• [p]Slightly reduced how tightly AI defenders will mark pass receivers on the edge of their box.[/p]

[p]We made this change after the improvements to jockeying because we saw from your feedback that you felt that user controlled players could sometimes sit back on defense and let AI teammates do the hard work in some scenarios.[/p][p]This is an area of the game you give us a lot of feedback on, and similar to Goalkeeper Movement, it’s the type of feedback that can vary significantly between different types of players.[/p][p]We’re continuing to watch this space closely, if we make further tweaks they’ll likely be incremental so that we don’t completely shift the balance of the game with a single update. We’ll let you know of any changes in this space ahead of making any updates.[/p][p][/p][h2]Controlled Sprint Dribbling Speed Recap[/h2][p]In the past few weeks a change was made to Controlled Sprint Dribbling that slowed it down, the magnitude of this change was unintended, and we quickly reverted it once we saw how it affected the game across the wider player base[/p][p]We’re committed to ensuring movement in FC 26 feels as responsive as it can. Thank you for your feedback that enabled us to do a quick Live Tuning Update.[/p][p][/p][h2]CPU AI Difficulty Adjustment - Recap And Future[/h2][p]In FC 26 v1.1.3 we updated the CPU AI* to: [/p]

• [p]Look for passes more often and make quicker decisions about them.[/p]
• [p]Dribble more effectively with sharper turns, less straightforward movement, and less dwelling on the ball.[/p]
• [p]Switch players on defense more often in situations where trailing the runner is not beneficial.[/p]

[p]*The term CPU AI here is referring to the virtual user controlling the team you're playing against in offline matches. This update did not affect the player versus player experience.[/p][p]The full breakdown of the changes can be found in the following social thread and we’ll  continue to monitor your feedback on this topic.[/p][p][/p][h2]What We’re Doing Next[/h2][p]We’ve seen your feedback that the CPU AI in Squad Battles can hold the ball for too long and plays an overly possession based game at times. We’re planning to make the Squad Battles CPU AI further focus on moving the ball forward and creating chances quicker. [/p][p]The intent here is to create a more fun gameplay experience in the defensive phase, reducing frustrating off the ball moments where you previously had to chase CPU AI defenders and midfielders passing the ball around without much attacking progress.[/p][p]We want to make sure we take the time to get this balance right and will be targeting an early 2026 update.[/p][p][/p][h2]PC Feedback Survey Update[/h2][p]We recently ran a survey where PC players gave us more direct feedback on the technical issues they can face. Many thanks to everyone that participated.[/p][p]We’re in the process of carefully reviewing your responses,looking for commonalities and trends behind the issues reported that can help our ongoing internal investigations.[/p][p]While we don’t have a more direct update to share at this time, we’ll continue to share information around PC improvements as they happen.[/p][p][/p][h2]Multi-Swap Issue Addressed[/h2][p]Recently we investigated your reports of Multi-Swap in Football Ultimate Team causing potential stability issues, and we released FC 26 v1.2.1 which addressed some stability issues that could have occurred, including the Multi-Swap one.[/p][p][/p][h2]What’s Next In 2025?[/h2][p]We recently released a small stability update, and we’re planning a larger update in early December.[/p][p]Our next title update will address certain issues, introduce new additions, and bring some holiday cheer to FC 26. We’ll share more details in the next few weeks.[/p][p]Thank you for checking out the November Feedback Update and for continuing to give us your feedback. We’ll keep tuning into what you’re saying, and we’ll do another one of these Feedback Updates in December.[/p]