EA Sports FC 26 - free download

EA FC 26 is the next installment in the iconic football series. Visit our website and download EA Sports FC 26 completely free.

Stamina Disappears

Perhaps the biggest controversy surrounding this change is the removal of stamina's influence on a player's speed with the ball at his feet. During a conversation with Tom Caleffi, I was told that this is intended to improve responsiveness, especially in the closing stages of a match, where previously, a tired player was much less responsive than, for example, a newly introduced substitute.

This works by making computer-controlled players slow down over time as their stamina drops, but if we take control of one of them, they will run and dribble as if they had 100% stamina. I must admit, I don't like this change, as it effectively eliminates the impact of stamina on the match and discourages the introduction of substitutes, who have often changed the course of the match, especially in the closing stages.

This is all the more strange because the other players will be struggling as usual. Does this mean I'll be able to outrun all the defenders in the 90th minute with my tired wingers? I don't know, but I'm afraid so. The developers assured me they'll be monitoring the situation and if it turns out this solution is negatively received by players, they can modify it. Well, time will tell how it turns out.

Realism for fans only

And how does the authentic mode fare? Well, it's heavy, staid, and very simulation-like, but I think that's the point. This is something players craving a realistic experience and true virtual football have been asking for for years. I think that's exactly what they'll get in EA Sports FC 26. After enabling Authentic Mode, the gameplay resembles a mix of what you might recognize from older installments of the Pro Evolution Soccer series with a subtle touch of FIFA 15 or 16.

I have to admit, it's quite difficult then – not sluggish, but difficult. The game becomes much slower and tactical, and skillful playmaking and passing the ball behind the opponent's defense is more effective than blindly sprinting forward. It's also worth mentioning that player fitness works "as usual" here, affecting each player's running speed.

I felt like the pitch was doubling in length, and my players were no longer playing ping-pong with their passes. I had to time every move carefully, as it could result in a loss, and physical duels became the most important part of the game in defense and midfield. I won't say I didn't have fun; it was a real change from what the series has gotten me used to over the past few years.

I'm convinced this mode isn't for everyone. I think it's ideal for those who want to build their club in Career Mode and climb to the top of the league table, scouting opponents before the match and finding gaps in their formation with precise moves. I also don't know if this was an illusion, or if the aerial duels and shoulder-to-shoulder combat have actually changed. In the real mode, headers were basically always won by the bigger and stronger players, and power duels were truly a binary affair when one player was significantly larger than the other.

You complained that it was arcade-like, ping-pong-like, too fast, and too esports-like? Well, there you have it, you have the exact opposite: a football simulator.

It's better, regardless of the mode

Regardless of which gameplay mode you choose, it will still be different from what you've seen before. The developers have placed a strong emphasis on the physicality of the players, so players who combine a substantial physique with good acceleration will be rewarded. However, during my testing, I noticed that slower players have some difficulty adapting to this new, faster gameplay, so I hope the developers will improve this.

Several new plus playstyles have also been added to the game, including Aerial Fortress+, which I found incredibly effective on corner kicks. A player equipped with Aerial Fortress+ simply flew above the others and, like Cristiano Ronaldo, headed the ball from a height unattainable for others. Interestingly, the gap between playstyles and playstyle+ has also been reduced, which is probably a good thing, because I feel like the regular playstyles in FC 25 were almost useless.

I'm really happy about the removal of precision finishing from the game, because it didn't feel like it was related to playing virtual football at all, but rather to some obsessive search for exploits to score a goal. It's also nice that the responsiveness of regular shots has improved, which in FC 25 were sometimes strangely unintuitive and slow.

As every year, we also learned that this time the goalkeepers have definitely been improved and will be the best ever. During my time with the game, I didn't notice many changes, although it's definitely a plus that they no longer run away from the ball when shooting and try to deflect it into corners rather than into opponents' feet.