As the release of EA FC 26 approaches, expected at the end of September, players are already looking ahead. While EA Sports is still focused on EA FC 25 with the Futties promo yet to begin, a host of leaks have surfaced on social media regarding new FUT Icons and pre-order bonuses, but little has been revealed about gameplay. Here are five changes that Mirror Gaming's Lewis Barton hopes to see in the next instalment.
Evolutions, introduced in EA FC 24, have been a popular addition, but there is room for improvement. Barton suggests more competitive Evolutions with longer grinds and greater rewards, such as playing 100 Rivals games or winning 30 FUT Champions matches for bigger upgrades. This would reward elite players first and reduce the frequency of seeing the same top-tier cards in every match.
PlayStyles, while initially welcomed, have become too dominant, making stats almost irrelevant. Barton argues that in EA FC 26, PlayStyles should be a luxury rather than a necessity, with stats returning as the primary factor. Currently, players without key PlayStyles like Finesse Shot or Low Driven Plus feel unusable, which he believes needs to be addressed.
FUT promos have become overly long, with the Shapeshifters promo now in its fourth week and interest waning. The TOTS promo also dragged on, leading to boredom. Barton recommends either introducing new promos every one to two weeks or reverting to a shorter format similar to FIFA 13-16.
An Online Career Mode is a frequently requested feature, allowing players to compete with friends or others in a career format. Barton also calls for harsher punishments for players who quit games, such as 15-minute time penalties that increase with repeat offences. Title Update 9 attempted to address this but was flawed, and more robust measures are needed to reduce toxicity.
