EA FC 26 Competitive And Authentic Modes Will Bring More Impact To The Game

Posted: Aug 22, 2025 Views: 18

Posted: Aug 22, 2025

Source: IGGM

Although EA Sports FC series has undergone numerous minor updates in recent years, it has generally maintained a multi-player approach with multiple game modes, including Career Mode, Ultimate Team, and more.

Each mode has its own unique gameplay, but overall, they can be categorized into two main categories: those focused on competitive play and those focused on recreating the real-life team-building process.

Whether you're drawn to a specific mode or prefer to try them all, you'll eventually develop a preference, and some players may even stick to a single mode. Consequently, game updates often struggle to satisfy all players with varying preferences.

To address this issue, FC 26 has decided to make fundamental changes. Therefore, both in beta testing and official game in the future, you'll experience that FC 26 can offer two presets: competitive and authentic.

So, what exactly does the introduction of these two modes mean? How will they impact FIFA 26 and future games, including their gameplay? We'll explain.

EA FC 26 Competitive And Authentic Modes Will Bring More Impact To The Game

Overview Of Competitive And Authentic Modes

In general, EA FC 26 now divides the game into two presets: competitive and authentic. The former primarily refers to multiplayer modes like Ultimate Team and is more arcade-style, while the latter, centered around Career mode, is more realistic.

So, rather than being two modes, competitive and authentic, based on the conventions of FC game definition, are more like two distinct styles of gameplay.

Their distinct appearance means that previously, you could only experience different game modes within a uniform format. Starting with FUT 26, you can use more targeted presets to create a virtual football experience that better suits your preferences.

For example, Ultimate Team gameplay involves assembling a team of players from different eras and competing against other teams online to earn FC 26 coins.

Career mode, on the other hand, focuses on long-term storytelling, where you guide your team from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of their professional careers.

Clearly, these different gameplay styles mean that the two modes have different requirements for players, gameplay, and other aspects of the actual gameplay.

To this end, the introduction of competitive and authentic modes will not only comprehensively adjust fundamental factors like player speed and power, but will also allow you to better control player movement and decision-making on the field through updated gameplay styles and characters.

Frankly, Ultimate Team has always seemed to generate more revenue than other game modes due to its mechanics, requiring you to regularly invest more coins. Therefore, you might have felt that most game updates were geared towards this gameplay style.

However, with competitive and authentic modes, EA FC 26 demonstrates that they aren't solely focused on a select group of players who benefit it most, but is committed to improving all modes simultaneously to provide a truly balanced gaming experience.

Competitive Gameplay

The first characteristic of competitive mode is that it significantly reduces randomness in the game, ensuring you don't encounter embarrassing mishaps during a match, such as your goalkeeper making a brilliant save only to have the ball bounce back and allow the opponent to score.

Based on the current closed beta, the competitive setting prevents these mishaps most of the time. From a more theoretical perspective, the game no longer relies on precise ball physics, but instead fakes them behind the scenes.

This allows goalkeepers to push the ball into open space or out of bounds even if their hand placement isn't quite right. Furthermore, you'll be able to control the ball more frequently and position yourself more accurately, reducing potential frustration during matches.

Even more interestingly, the game incorporates more clipping in competitive mode, reducing the visual fidelity to allow for more accurate simulation of tackles, jumps, and other actions. While some additional animations are present, they're generally inconsequential.

While visually, many of the subtle adjustments to competitive mode are barely noticeable during intense matches, they represent a significant difference in the final results.

Authentic Gameplay

In contrast, all FIFA 26 gameplay in authentic mode still maintains the past physics and retains the randomness inherent in real football, allowing you to fully experience the unpredictable nature of fate!

More specifically, competitive mode prioritizes manual input and skill, resulting in a smoother and more consistent match experience. In contrast, the entire purpose of authentic mode is to reflect real-world football matches.

Thus, whether it's corner kicks adjusted for real-world success rates or realistic tackle accuracy and fall animations, the goal is to provide you with a realistic football experience within the game.

While none of this is as stable and smooth as competitive mode, this is precisely the essence of the authentic style.

What Is The Significance Of This Change?

Whether in the current closed beta or in the future official release of FC 26, the vast majority of gameplay changes you'll experience are based on the requirements of competitive and authentic mode.

As a player, if you have a preference, you'll find a more ideal competitive or team career development experience in EA FC 26. If you enjoy trying all modes, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

This also demonstrates that the development team understands the expectations of different types of players and is committed to meeting them. More importantly, while making targeted changes, they won't affect your enjoyment of other modes.

Undoubtedly, adding these two preset styles was a daunting task, significantly increasing the development team's workload. However, the team also stated that this was necessary to please players and attract more people to the game.

In short, the addition of these two new preset styles means that FC 26 will be a more mature virtual football game, and it's not to be missed!

Tags:

Previous: EA FC 26 Dribbling And Ball Control Systems Have Been Significantly Improved

Recommended Article

EA FC 26 Dribbling And Ball Control Systems Have Been Significantly Improved
EA FC series releases a new game every year, and each new game typically boasts improved graphics and gameplay compared to previous titles.

In FC 26, the dribbling and ball control systems have undergone significant upgrades, with a focus on improving responsiveness and fluidity, resulting in a more natural and controlled experience. Dribbling animations and call-outs have been optimized across multiple levels.

Ball Control/First Touch

While there aren't specific attributes associated with touch in the game, they are crucial for each player and impact the player's gaming experience.

First Touch Responsiveness

The responsiveness of your first touch has been significantly improved, allowing you to more smoothly transition from receiving the ball to dribbling. This makes controlling the ball feel more natural and reduces the jerky delay after stopping the ball.

Ball Control Refinements

Ball control after a pass or tackle is now smoother, helping you maintain possession more effectively.

Factors affecting the difficulty of the first touch include:
- Ball speed relative to player speed
- Incoming ball height
- Outgoing angle
- Opposition pressure
- Part of the body used to control the ball
- Extended reach
- Player stats
Precision Touch

When receiving or intercepting the ball, holding down L2 (PS) or LT (Xbox) will significantly improve ball control accuracy. This action sacrifices movement speed for more stable ball control. The earlier you press this command, the better the ball control.

Clip-Up

Clip-up control for aerial balls is now smoother, with more consistent and predictable lobs in all directions. Consecutive lobs gradually lose effectiveness to prevent lags.

Ball Duel Urgency

When facing a loose ball or a ball duel, holding down R2 (PS) or RT (Xbox) to sprint will instantly accelerate the player towards the target. Failure to press the sprint button may result in a slower reaction time, increasing the importance of reaction time in crucial moments.

Dribbling

Dribbling is crucial in both offense and defense, but wingers and attacking midfielders require it more. FC 26 has optimized dribbling, effectively strengthening the roles of wingers and attacking midfielders. You can allocate some of your FUT 26 coins to developing your player's dribbling skills to enhance your offense.

Dribbling Touch Interval

Revised the consistency of a player's ball control during dribbling. The dribbling touch interval determination varies across different modes to accommodate different playstyles.

Player Height Impact

Rebalanced the impact of player height on dribbling performance, optimizing the consistency and speed of dribbling animations for taller and shorter players.

Dominant Foot Logic

Improved the logic for selecting a player's dominant foot during dribbling and the animation branching, resulting in quicker control and more natural transitions.

Completely Reworked Dribbling Animation Library

Dribbling animations have been comprehensively reevaluated and recalibrated to ensure consistent flow, speed, and responsiveness across all players. The animation transition and branching logic have also been significantly improved, effectively reducing the stiffness of locked-in animations.

Slow Dribbling Speedup

Slow dribbling speed has been increased across the board, and directional judgment has been optimized, allowing players to more accurately control the direction and tempo of their dribbling.

Effort Touch Animations

Added Effort Touch animations when players perform sharp turns ensure quick and realistic turns, enhancing the immersion of challenging dribbling maneuvers.

In FC 26, Agile Dribbling will be removed. Officials said this feature was under-used and affected the consistency of ball-handling, leading to its complete removal.

When To Dribble?

Even with a 99 OVR player, victory isn't guaranteed. As a competitive game, you also need to understand when to dribble and when to pass. Otherwise, even if you have a lot of EA FC 26 coins, it's hard to win.

Open Space Ahead

When the opponent provides you with ample space, you can dribble forward, forcing the opponent to block you. This means the defender has to leave your teammates or their own positions. This allows you to create space or break through or pass the ball while the opponent is unstable.

Defenders Left Alone

The second situation where you think you can dribble is when you find the opponent's defender alone, especially on the wing or in a position where you think you can break through and shoot.

Usually, there's a lot of space around the defender. Here, you should be aggressive and break through. You can also play it safe, shielding the ball or passing back, but if you take the initiative and actively press, you might get lucky. This doesn't always work, but if your teammates don't have a better chance, it's worth the risk.

Changing Defenses Through Dribbling

When you think you can be more destructive by dribbling, you can create space or disrupt the opponent's defensive structure. Because dribbling might allow you to beat your opponent and create space for a perfect penetrating opportunity, a back pass won't.

You might not successfully dribble past your opponent, but dribbling might create more space for a pass. This dribbling can also effectively draw the attention of defenders, creating opportunities for your teammates to run without the ball.

Dribbling In The Opponent's Half

For example, if you dribble on the wing in the opponent's backfield, the risk of losing the ball is minimal because even if you make a mistake, your teammates can still assist you defensively. However, if you are intercepted while dribbling in the backfield, you could be facing your goalkeeper.

Every game in FC 26 is different. Even the most basic principles and concepts on the football field are not set in stone. The most important thing is to follow the flow rather than force it. The powerful players and ability upgrades provided by FC 26 coins only give you more time to make decisions. You need to learn to make the right decisions in a short period.
EA FC 26 All New Teams Confirmed For Career Mode: What Features Do They Offer?
As with previous years, EA Sports FC will release the latest game FC 26 at the end of September. Through various updates, the football video simulation game seems unchanged, yet has been comprehensively upgraded in every way.

Career mode, a key gameplay feature, not only features changes to the basic mechanics but also introduces 19 confirmed teams from multiple leagues around the world!

As you know, the main purpose of playing Career mode is to assemble your own super team, lead them through matches to earn rewards, and guide your players to the pinnacle of their careers.

To do this, you first need to select a starting team and the corresponding tier. After that, you can build a brand new team by selling unwanted players and consuming FC 26 coins to exchange for more desired players.

The addition of these 19 new teams will significantly expand your player selection and team building options, giving you the opportunity to experiment with a wider range of Career mode styles.

Below, we'll introduce some teams based on their recent performance, categorized by type.

Two New Clubs From England
- Barnet FC (EFL League Two)
- Oldham Athletic (EFL League Two)
As one of the leagues most familiar to fans of Career mode, English Football League has historically offered numerous captivating teams. Starting this September, it will continue to offer two new teams with EA FC 26, providing a complete upgrade journey.

Barnet FC returns to EA Sports FC series for the first time since 2018, having regained qualification for League Two. Oldham Athletic, a founding member of Premier League in the 1990s, will bring back the nostalgic atmosphere of Premier League.

Two New Spanish Teams
- Cultural Leonesa (La Liga 2)
- FC Andorra (La Liga 2)
Even globally, Spanish teams often rank among the best when it comes to football talent and the sheer excitement of their matches. Fortunately, the new FIFA 26 Career mode teams also include two new teams from Spanish Second Division.

Cultural Leonesa, whose founding dates back to the 1920s, boasts a rich cultural heritage. After returning to Spanish Second Division for the first time in eight years, the club is experiencing a new period of growth.

Leonesa is also a passionate team with a loyal local fan base. If you're looking to experience the feeling of leading a veteran team back to glory in FUT 26, this team is a perfect fit.

Although FC Andorra is the only non-Spanish team among the top Spanish football clubs, it has garnered considerable attention due to the support of former Barcelona and Spain national team defender Gerard Piqué.

A globally renowned player, Piqué has been instrumental in securing financial support from Andorran government for FC Andorra and has invested heavily in the team's development. Given his influence, the team is likely to have a bright future.

Two New Italian Teams
- Pescara Calcio (Serie B)
- Calcio Padova (Serie B)
While the real-life Serie C playoffs have led to a string of losses for many Italian veterans, in FC 26 you can lead them to new peak years or recreate their past glory through Career mode.

For example, Pescara Calcio once secured promotion via a dramatic penalty shootout victory thanks to the lame but heroic goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari. The addition of this club means you'll have the opportunity to utilize this player.

Another traditional Italian club with deep roots, Calcio Padova, once produced the legendary Alessandro Del Piero. If you enjoy recruiting classic football stars in the game, you might even see him appear in a special card pack!

Two New German Teams
- 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 (3. Liga)
- MSV Duisburg (3. Liga)
Unlike their real-world reliability, German teams have been difficult to spot in EA FC Career mode. However, they boast one of the most advanced tiered league systems in football games. Now, you finally have the chance to experience them in FIFA 26.

Schweinfurt, having not played in the 3. Bundesliga since 2005, is not only the favorite to win the championship but also a perfect choice for those looking for a nostalgic experience.

Veteran MSV Duisburg, a Bundesliga and German Cup finalist, is tasked with restoring its former glory.

Teams Worth Noting In Other Regions

The above teams have been detailed separately by country because they hail from renowned leagues or have had a successful past. However, there are also some rising stars from other leagues that are worth keeping an eye on.

As the newest member of MLS USA, San Diego FC has recently won six consecutive games, proving its immense potential.

And with the backing of billionaire Mohamed Mansour, they're unlikely to face financial challenges - as long as they maintain their current level of performance.

FC Alverca from Liga Portugal boasts a very attractive roster. Coached by Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, and with an average player age of just 20.8, the team boasts immense development potential and is well-suited to players who prefer younger players.

Additional teams include:
- Le Mans FC (Ligue 2, France)
- Neom SC (Saudi Pro League)
- SC Telstar (Eredivisie, Netherlands)
- Östers IF (Allsvenskan, Sweden)
- Kocaelispor (Süper Lig, Turkey)
- Genclerbirligi (Süper Lig, Turkey)
- Falkirk FC (Scottish Premiership)
- Odense Boldklub (Danish Superliga)
- Vålerenga Fotball Elite (Eliteserien, Norway)
Whether you're looking to build a brand new, young squad in FUT 26 Career mode or partner with an established team to revive their success, these 19 new teams have something for everyone. All you have to do is prepare enough coins and wait for the game to launch!
EA FC 26 Avoid 3 Defensive Mistakes In Ultimate Team: How To Win Every Running Duel In The Beta?

It's no secret that winning in FC 26 isn't just about improving your technique; you also need to constantly analyze the reasons for your mistakes. This is the key to growing from a rookie to a Hall of Fame star.

During the recent closed beta, I saw many players facing similar defensive issues. Losing easily earned FUT 26 Coins is a minor issue; the more important thing is that these mistakes lead to repeated losses. You may have found yourself in the same situation. If you're still unsure of what you're doing wrong, check out this guide.

Here, we'll summarize several essential defensive mistakes you must avoid in Ultimate Team mode to help you minimize conceding goals and significantly increase your chances of winning. Ready? Let's get started!

Mistake 1: Focusing Exclusively On The On-Ball Defending

First, I want to mention a common mistake many players make: focusing exclusively on the on-ball defending.

Let me explain on-ball defending. Players may be tempted to actively use the defender closest to the opponent in possession, attempting to win the ball back through direct pressure and tackles. However, on-ball defending isn't always enough, as it can leave dangerous space and passing opportunities for the opponent.

Therefore, we must also consider off-ball defending. We need to proactively select defenders farther from the player in possession to defend against dangerous passes or spaces. This allows us to easily intercept and win the ball back when the opponent attempts a through ball.

To make this approach effective, you need to proactively use Right Stick Switching to select the best defender. Simply flick the right stick to the defender you want. This allows you to cover the most dangerous passing options, close in on dangerous spaces, or track runners attempting to make runs from behind.

What makes a great defender? Investing more EA FC 26 coins in individual player defensive stats isn't enough. You must ensure you can seamlessly switch between on-ball and off-ball defending styles, which means considering a combination of both at every turn.

Mistake 2: Being Afraid Of Proactive Defending And Overly Reliant On AI Defending

Now let's address the second mistake: over-reliance on AI defending, constantly chasing from behind, which leads to a predictable, passive rhythm throughout the game, making it vulnerable to attacks from skilled opponents.

To address this, we must improve our defensive control. This means being more proactive in defending, rather than relying on AI to do it for us.

Remember, early control of the defense is key. If you leave AI under pressure for too long, you'll give the opponent too much room to maneuver, so don't be afraid to defend proactively.

Let's use a specific example. To execute a good defensive move, the first thing we need to do is identify a specific player with the best position to defend the incoming attacker. Since we don't want to chase the attacker from behind, this defender needs to be between the ball and our goal.

After identifying this player, we can use Player Switching, preferably by clicking the right analog stick in their direction.

Of course, switching control to this specific player is only the first part. Now we need to get them into a position that allows us to counter the opponent and then anticipate their next move.

Once we're certain we have a 100% chance of getting a touch, we need to observe the opponent's body positioning and patterns to ensure we're aware of all dangers ahead of time and maximize our chances of a successful goal.

Mistake 3: Risky Tackles

However, while doing this, we also need to be mindful of a key issue: avoiding being overly aggressive in the wrong position. This can lead to two of the most serious defensive errors: dragging players out of position and taking risks with low-success tackles.

So, let me show you how to use a proactive defensive mentality to become a better defender and avoid these mistakes.

Dragging players like center-backs or full-backs while chasing the ball can leave large gaps behind the defense and disrupt the shape. The solution to this problem is to shift our defensive mentality, prioritizing shape over immediately pressing the opponent, even sending defenders out early in the game.

I've also found that as long as the opponent doesn't get close to our box, we can still rely on our midfielders to defend. Therefore, marking the midfielders and wingers is extremely useful, and there's absolutely no need to disrupt the backline's shape.

We also need to be mindful of our positioning. While not the only issue, using a tackle or sliding tackle while off-balance or away from the ball can also significantly disrupt the defensive structure - a classic mistake.

If we attempt a tackle too far, the player will lose their balance, and our next player switch will be delayed, resulting in a lose-lose situation.

However, if we remain patient, using only LT/L2 for jockeying and maintaining balance, we can mirror our opponent's movements until we find an opportunity to tackle. Simply continue this mirroring defense patiently, and when the opponent directly faces you and pushes the ball away from their feet to facilitate dribbling, your opportunity presents itself!

In short, if you want to maintain a defensive advantage in FIFA 26, avoid these three mistakes. Stay patient, and you'll easily win the game defensively by removing the ball from your opponent's hands as they make runs wide.
Total 4 Copies Of FC 26 Editions Free Giveaways
Dear FIFA fans, the official release of FC 26 on September 26th is getting closer. Have you pre-ordered the game yet? Good news! In order to give back to the players for their continued support, IGGM has launched a FC 26 edition giveaway, giving you the opportunity to play the game for free!

IGGM understands players' concerns. You may have noticed recently that popular social platforms like Facebook, X, Reddit, and YouTube have been buzzing about FC 26's awful animations and modeling. Not only are they completely inconsistent with the real football experience, but the stupid tactical system also greatly affects players' gaming experience, making it even worse than the version from ten years ago. Consequently, many players have been hesitant to buy FIFA 26. But with the free giveaway now available, are you still hesitant? Simply leave your emoji and you'll have a chance to be one of the lucky winners!

Prizes for this giveaway are as follows:
- 3*Standard Edition
- 1*Ultimate Edition
Total Winners: 4

To Enter: Leave Reaction Emoji "Love" to Win

This event will be held in fc giveaway channel on IGGM Discord. Before the official release, we'll draw 4 lucky winners to share all the prizes listed above. That means 3 winners will receive Standard Edition and 1 winner will receive Ultimate Edition. If you want good luck to happen to you, then get involved and be active!

If the giveaway has already ended by the time you catch this, don't worry! Please stay tuned to IGGM Discord giveaway channel. We'll be launching new giveaways from time to time! Join us now!

Event Link on Discord: https://discord.gg/iggm

Product Links:
- FC 26 Coins: https://www.iggm.com/fc-26-coins
- FC 26 Players: https://www.iggm.com/fc-26-players
- FC 26 SBCs: https://www.iggm.com/fc-26-sbcs
- FC 26 Packs: https://www.iggm.com/fc-26-packs
- FC 26 Boosting: https://www.iggm.com/fc-26-boosting
EA FC 26 Ultimate Team Beta Player Ratings: Are Their OVRs Reasonable?
EA FC 26 is currently in closed beta, which will not end until August 26th. As one of the most important aspects of the game, players may be very interested in the starting ratings of Ultimate Team players in this beta.

The ratings of some players in the beta have been released. While this doesn't guarantee the same ratings and statistics as in the final version, they are generally very close. This data can help us identify players worth keeping an eye on.

Real Madrid Beta Test Players OVR
- 90 OVR Mbappe ST
- 90 OVR Vinícius Júnior (Vini Jr.) LW
- 90 OVR Jude Victor William Bellingham CAM
- 89 OVR Courtois GK
- 88 OVR Federico Valverde CM
- 88 OVR Antonio Rüdiger CB
- 86 OVR Rodrygo RW
- 86 OVR Dani Carvajal RB
- 85 OVR Éder Militão CB
- 84 OVR Aurélien Tchouaméni CDM
- 84 OVR David Alaba CB
- 83 OVR Eduardo Camavinga CDM
- 82 OVR Ferland Mendy LB
- 77 OVR Endrick ST
- 80 OVR Dani Ceballos CM
- 80 OVR Brahim Díaz CAM
- 79 OVR Fran García LB
- 78 OVR Arda Güler CAM
Before the test, many predicted Mbappé's rating would reach 91, but they actually only gave him an OVR of 90. While this rating is still the highest for Real Madrid, it's a downgrade for Mbappé. Mbappé's performance this year has been very good, but he hasn't yet won the treble, so this may be a factor in his downgrade.

Vinícius Júnior's peak years were between 2023 and 2024, when he won Champions League for Real Madrid. However, he's clearly struggled recently and has fallen out of favor with Real Madrid. Whether he'll renew his contract this year remains a question mark. While his form is clearly not as good as Mbappé's, he still received the same rating.

Besides Bellingham's reasonable rating, Valverde and Antonio Rüdiger's ratings may be somewhat inflated. As for Rodrygo, ranked 86 OVR, his recent absence from team training has fueled transfer rumors, making it uncertain whether fans will see him at Real Madrid at the start of the new season.

Dani Carvajal has been keeping his injury concerns to himself, but they haven't downgraded his rating. Ferland Mendy is worth keeping an eye on. Although his overall rating is only 82, he'll absolutely tear through opposing defenses like a beast. He requires a relatively low FC 26 coins count, making him a very cost-effective card for Real Madrid.

Other Leaked Players

Messi And Ronaldo

As two of the most celebrated stars in the game today, they deserve special mention.

Messi is ranked 87 OVR in FC 26. Despite his numerous assists for goals in MLS, his ranking has dropped again, and primarily because of his age. Ronaldo faces a similar situation. While his skills remain impressive, he only has an OVR of 85.

However, this is good news for fans of these two players, as it means they'll need to prepare fewer FUT 26 coins.

Premier League Transfer Players
- 89 OVR Florian Wirtz CAM
- 88 OVR Viktor Gyökeres ST
- 85 OVR Jeremie Frimpong RM
- 85 OVR Tijjani Reijnders CM
- 84 OVR Matheus Cunha ST
- 84 OVR Bryan Mbeumo RW
- 83 OVR Hugo Ekitike ST
- 83 OVR Martín Zubimendi CDM
- 83 OVR Rayan Aït-Nouri LB
- 83 OVR Mohammed Kudus RM
- 82 OVR Milos Kerkez LB
- 82 OVR Anthony Elanga RM
- 81 OVR Rayan Cherki CAM
- 81 OVR James Trafford GK
- 81 OVR João Pedro ST
- 81 OVR Noni Madueke RM
- 80 OVR Jamie Gittens LM
- 80 OVR Liam Delap ST
Next, let's take a look at the transfers of players from various Premier League clubs. These players have a minimum rating of 80, but none has an OVR of over 90.

Many fans had high hopes for Viktor Gyökeres, one of the most hyped players in the transfer market. Last month, he joined Arsenal, a move that the young footballer envisioned as the next step in his career. However, contrary to his predicted 91, Gyökeres ultimately received an overall rating of 88, which is a bit low for a player who finished as the top scorer this past season.

Another player with a somewhat low OVR is Matheus Cunha, who moved from Wolves to Manchester United in June. While at Wolves, he was arguably the biggest contributor to their success this year, so an OVR of 86 to 87 might be more reasonable.

João Pedro released his contract with Brighton in early July and joined rivals Chelsea. In his subsequent appearances, João Pedro performed well and scored several crucial goals. He also performed well previously for Brighton FC, so overall, an OVR of 81 seems a bit too low for him; 83 to 84 is more appropriate.

These are the player ratings for FC 26 Beta. Overall, most of them are quite reasonable, so they're unlikely to change much after the official release. If you believe any players are rated too low or too high, they may receive adjustments before the official release, or you can use EA FC 26 coins to develop these players.
EA FC 26 Basic Gameplay Changes For Different Positions: Making Your Character Controls Feel Even Better!
As you know, FC 26 still consists of multiple modes, such as Ultimate Team, Career Mode, and more. These modes can generally be roughly categorized into Competitive and Authentic styles based on their primary style.

Regardless of which style, playing a match inevitably requires you to control your players on the field, adapting them to their positions and roles. Your skill with these controls often determines your chances of victory.

Beyond that, ensuring the game runs smoothly once you start a match and allows you to perform the desired actions well is also crucial - both are essential.

To help you better interact with the game, EA FC 26 has optimized the basic gameplay across the entire game, categorized by different on-pitch roles. We'll explain these changes below.

Dribbling And Movement

When your player moves on the field, their specific movements will differ depending on whether they're dribbling with the ball or not, but in any case, you want them to appear as quick and agile as possible.

To this end, FIFA 26 first adjusted relative speeds, addressing issues with players' actions are slow and heavy while ensuring the fastest players deliver performance commensurate with their stats.

As for dribbling, FIFA 26 introduces new Dynamic Dribbling. By improving your players' ball control, you'll experience faster in-game responsiveness and more consistent dribbling. Specific adjustments include:
- Dribble Touch Intervals
- Player Height
- Foot Preference
- Dribbling Animation
- Jog Dribble
- Effort Dribble Touches
It's important to note that mechanic optimizations are only one aspect of the game, a player's speed caps are still determined by their base stats. Therefore, if you want truly speedy players, the most direct way is to redeem them for FIFA 26 coins.

Goalkeeper Changes

Because goalkeepers are more consistent than other positions, FUT 26's improvements focus on positioning, blocking positions, and appearance during blocking. Specific improvements include:
- Deflection Control
- Goalkeeper Senses
- Technical Improvements
Another notable goalkeeper update is the introduction of Reinforcement-Learning Goalkeeper Positioning system. This system leverages machine learning to make more reliable decisions for AI-controlled goalkeepers.

Overall, these updates will ensure your goalkeeper's performance is more consistent and reliable, reducing the likelihood of conceding goals and providing a more realistic football experience.

Defending

EA FC 26's improvements to defensive roles focus on addressing issues with tackling, intercepting, and blocking. As you play in-game, you'll be able to recover the ball faster and more accurately, through well-timed tackles or anticipated passes.
- Tackle Outcomes
- Shot Blocks
- Interceptions
- Tackled Opponents
- Tackle Spam
- Tackle vs. Block
- Tackles From Behind
- Tackle Personality
Passing And Shooting

In soccer, the ideal way to score is often through a series of smooth passes followed by a precise, powerful shot from a key player. However, in virtual FC games, slow passes or shots can sometimes lead to missed goals.

Based on player feedback, FC 26 has prioritized passing by making adjustments to the following core mechanics to ensure that passing is as responsive as possible, especially on first attempts.
- Passing Angles
- Faster Animations
- Passes Behind
- Quick Passes
- Pass Receiver
- Crosses
- Ground Passes
- Goalkeeper Throws
As for shooting, the game've enhanced the fairness and success rate of shooting actions by enhancing responsiveness, ensuring that when you ask your player to shoot, the shot is quick and predictable.

Attacking And Defensive Positioning

FUT 26 will ensure all players are able to make more runs at any time through more fluid attacking and more solid and logical defensive positioning, providing more support during your progression. For example:

Attacking Positioning
- Player Support: Provides better support options for the ball carrier.
- Attacking Runs: Changes have been made to the attacking run logic.
- Balanced Build Up: A more balanced approach is adopted, providing run options and close support options.
- Offside Runs: Improves attackers' ability to stay offside and their speed in returning after being offside.
Defending Positioning
- Player Marking: Defenders will mark opponents as they approach and enter the penalty area.
- Defensive Line Height: The defensive line will no longer automatically push upwards when attempting to prevent a player from moving offside.
Physicality Upgrade

In addition to technical ability, physicality is also an important factor in evaluating players and influencing match outcomes. Better physicality allows for more effective ball protection and control.

EA Sports FC 26 introduces a new update focused on improving the consistency of the shield button, allowing you to protect the ball by bumping the opposing defender with your shoulder, whether you're receiving, controlling, or dribbling.

Specific shielding improvements include:
- Shield Trapping
- Shield Dribbling
- Shield Entries
Shield Entries adds multiple ways to perform a onetime shield action while moving, allowing your players to quickly get in front of opponents and then burst through, or initiate a shield action when the opponent is out of position. Detailed adjustments include:
- Dribbling Shoulder Challenges: New shielding moves that allow your players to better protect the ball while dribbling.
- Physics: Improved physics for both shield holders and shield recipients.
- New Animations: Added new animations for various actions.
- Enforcer PlayStyle: Added new animations for players with the relevant PlayStyle.
First Touches

To prevent unsatisfactory first touches caused by players being slow or dropping into opponents' feet, FIFA 26 introduces changes to the following mechanics:
- First Touch Responsiveness: Significantly improves the responsiveness of first touch controls.
- Ball Control: Improves a player's ability to control the ball after a pass or interception to maintain possession.
- First Touch Precision: Increases ball control at the expense of a player's movement speed.
- Flick Ups: Improves the flick action in all directions when receiving an aerial ball, making it more consistent and predictable.
- Loose and Contested Balls Player Urgency: Increases the urgency players feel when attempting to reach a loose ball or contested ball.
That's all for you today. While these changes may not be obvious in the game, they will elevate your overall experience by several levels! So stay tuned for the official release of FC 26!