For eons, the FIFA fanbase has been divided. Now, in its third year under the moniker EA Sports FC, the franchise looks to be giving everyone what they want.
The solution is Competitive and Authentic gameplay, two different presets primarily designed for online and offline play.
It’s worth noting that gameplay has always differed between single player and multiplayer, but the modes were always founded on the same core principles.
But in EA Sports FC 26, you’ll find a quicker and more aggressive gameplay format in modes like Ultimate Team, contrasted with a slower, more deliberate simulation style in Player Career and Manager Career.
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You will be able to use the Competitive preset offline if you prefer, but you won’t be able to take Authentic online, so that’s just something to keep in mind.
You can see from the trailer how passing and dribbling is much zippier in Competitive, while the ball runs slower in Authentic. We suspect this means the online multiplayer is going to be sweatier than ever, but that seems to be what the fanbase wants.
EA Sports isn’t stopping there with the improvements: it’s also worked to reduce the number of times goalkeepers push the ball back into play, minimising those truly rage-inducing moments. And it’s also tried to eliminate as many bobbled tackles as possible, meaning your opponent is less likely to come away with the ball when you dispossess them.
One other mechanic it’s bringing back is the low-driven shot, which will now trigger when you double tap the shoot button, and you can pair this with the finesse or power modifiers to really put the ball where you want.
All of this sounds pretty smart to us, but as always with sports games, the proof will be in the playing. We’re excited to get our hands on the game and see how it all feels when it releases on 29th August, as part of the title’s advanced access window.