EA’s gridiron series has had a rough ride in recent years — same modes, marginal upgrades, and that nagging “is this enough?” feeling. But Madden NFL 26 comes in swinging. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it gives the wheel a serious tune-up. And for longtime Madden heads, that’s exactly what we needed.

First Impressions

Launched August 14, 2025, Madden 26 is the first edition to drop support for PS4 and Xbox One — it’s next-gen only.
It also makes a surprising return to Nintendo — the Nintendo Switch 2 version marks Madden’s comeback to a Nintendo platform after a long hiatus.
Cover star? Saquon Barkley, fresh off a monster season and a mad reverse hurdle highlight.

From the jump, you sense EA wants you to feel like this is an event. The menus hum, the presentation leans into spectacle, and the modes seem to have more teeth than in past years.

What’s New & What Actually Feels Different

Smarter AI & Player Traits

One of the smarter upgrades is the overhaul to AI decision-making. EA has added 50 new player traits that don’t change outcomes directly, but make each CPU-controlled player behave more uniquely in how they think and act.
This means quarterbacks act more like their real selves — mobile QBs scramble when under pressure, more cautious passers panic, etc.
It’s subtle, but over a season you notice.

Franchise Mode Gets Some Muscle

Long criticized, Franchise mode gets some serious love this year. EA reworks coach/depth systems, introduces wear-and-tear, and ups the strategy.
You can’t just stack elite coordinators anymore — you’ll have to invest and plan.
And weather now actually matters: snow, rain, and conditions affect footing, grip, and play outcomes.

It feels more like managing a real franchise now, with tough choices and trade-offs, rather than going through rote motions.

Modes & Presentation

Superstar (create-your-player career mode) gets expansion, though it’s still not the deepest off-field simulation.
Ultimate Team (MUT) gets tweaks — more solo content, better balance for players who don’t want to spend. But the skeleton is what you know.
Visually and atmospherically, the game is sharper. Stadia, crowd reactions, lighting, and broadcast presentation feel crisper.

That said, menus and UI still stumble — lag, clutter, and awkward navigation haunt the experience.

Strengths & Weaknesses

What works well:

• Franchise overhaul gives real purpose and strategy.
• AI and traits make on-field action feel more varied and alive.
• Weather and conditions genuinely affect outcomes — you’ll adjust your play.
• Presentation and polish elevate the game’s feel.

What drags it down:

• MUT still leans heavily on monetisation, even if slightly less aggressively.
• Superstar mode’s off-field decisions still feel shallow in places.
• UI/menus lag behind the rest of the package in polish.
• Some bugs, commentary inconsistencies, and logic glitches creep in.

The Goosed.ie Verdict

So is Madden NFL 26 the comeback Madden fans wanted?

Yes — with reservations. This is the strongest Madden in years. The leap isn’t massive, but the steps taken feel essential. Franchise feels like you finally have power and decisions that matter. On-field gameplay is more responsive, intelligent, and fun. Presentation shows EA remembers how to wow.

It’s not perfect. Some modes still lag, monetisation shadows parts of the experience, and the UI pains are real. But for fans who stuck around hoping for a Madden that quite feels next-gen — this is it.

EA’s back with FC 26, and this time, they’ve finally stopped pretending everything’s fine. After last year’s FC 25 served up what felt like FIFA 23.5, criticised for its lack of substantive innovation and disappointing monetisation, the new instalment actually shows signs of life. It’s not revolutionary — don’t expect that — but it’s the first EA Sports FC game that feels like it knows what it wants to be. It’s a refined, more thoughtful entry—but still one with rough edges.

A Solid Start — 10 Million Players Can’t All Be Wrong

First up, EA FC 26 is a commercial monster. EA’s reportedly shifted 10 million copies in just a couple of weeks, with around 60 % of sales coming from PlayStation users.

On PlayStation specifically, it became 2025’s fastest-selling sports game, pushing more than 5.5 million units in its first week. That’s faster than last year’s launch and shows the football crowd still turns up, even when they swore they wouldn’t. It’s easy to roll your eyes at those numbers, but credit where it’s due — FC 26 actually earns a bit of that hype.

That kind of commercial performance signals more than brand inertia there’s genuine appetite and confidence in the franchise’s future, that or it’s the only semi decent footie game available and the marketing machine, player cards, access to licences is enough to keep us all paying full price each and every year for the annual DLC.

What’s New / What’s Changed

The biggest shake-up this year is the introduction of two distinct gameplay styles: Competitive and Authentic.

• Competitive is your sweaty online mode — fast, frantic, and full of elastico-spamming merchants, tuned for online modes (Ultimate Team, Clubs), emphasising pace, sharper transitions, and more aggressive attacking play.
• Authentic slows things down, focuses on shape and realism, and actually feels like football rather than pinball, designed for offline and career modes, with more realistic tempo, positional discipline, weather effects, and tactical nuance.

It’s a small change on paper but a huge one in practice. It’s the first time EA’s admitted that not everyone plays their game the same way, and the result is the most balanced FC we’ve had in years. This bifurcation is EA’s attempt to bridge the divide between casual, goal-hungry players and the more tactical purists.

On the Pitch

Gameplay is where FC 26 slowly starts to quietly redeems itself.

EAFC 26 feels tighter. Dribbling has been reworked, AI positioning is sharper, and goalkeepers behave more naturally. Passing feels weightier, tackles have more bite, and the ball finally moves like it has air resistance again. Animations are cleaner, players position better, and there’s less of that “ice-skating midfield” nonsense that’s plagued the series for years, and absurd rebounds have been dialled back, though not eliminated entirely.

Defending still feels a bit of a lottery online, but overall, matches just flow better. You can build an attack now instead of just praying for a through-ball miracle.

Tactical awareness matters more now: maintaining shape, selecting the right tempo, and managing matches feels more integral—especially in the Authentic setting.

Career Mode Isn’t an Afterthought Anymore

The Career mode is no longer a tacked-on afterthought so career fans, rejoice — EA’s finally remembered you exist.
There’s more personality now: live events, manager challenges, and slightly less of the same old “scroll through menus for six hours” feel. It’s not perfect — it’s still the same Career Mode skeleton underneath — but at least it’s had a protein shake and a haircut.

The Authentic style adds realism in player fatigue, match strategies, and corner success variance, so yeah the framework remains largely familiar (menus, scouting, transfers) with incremental polish rather than reinvention.

You can tell there’s effort here, even if it’s still catching up to games like Football Manager in terms of depth.

Ultimate Team: Still Addictive, Still Problematic

This is the part of EA’s model I personally despise, mainly because we all know it’s targeted at the kids and their parents wallet. EA’s golden goose remains as shiny — and as problematic — as ever. Ultimate Team has a few welcome tweaks: better progression for casuals, new card evolutions, and less punishment for not spending. But let’s be real — it’s still designed to make you open packs.

That said, it’s hard not to get sucked in. EA knows how to scratch that dopamine itch, and for better or worse, Ultimate Team remains the franchise’s beating (and expensive) heart.

Progression can feel slow unless you engage in microtransactions. Some single-player modes have even begun to see monetised tie-ins, which raises concerns among longtime fans including myself.

Looks Good, Plays Smooth

Visually, FC 26 looks brilliant. Stadium lighting has improved, players look more lifelike, and crowd atmosphere is finally closer to an actual matchday vibe. There are still some menu and UI frustrations — it’s clunky in places — but on the pitch, it’s as polished as you’d expect from a billion-dollar franchise and they even changed from their card style to a scroll style menu. Big changes it is not but it’s still visually pleasing

Strengths & Weaknesses: At a Glance

The Goosed.ie Verdict

EA Sports FC 26 is not a radical reinvention—but that’s exactly what many fans needed. EA Sports FC 26 won’t change your life, but it might just win you back.

It’s the most complete, confident version of the post-FIFA era yet — the kind of incremental improvement that actually feels like progress. In a franchise weary of yearly marginal gains, this entry feels meaningful. The split between Competitive and Authentic is smart, giving players agency in how they want to experience the game. On-field play is tighter and animations smoother The dual gameplay system is a clever move, the matches feel more rewarding, and there’s genuine fun to be had whether you’re sweating in Ultimate Team or grinding through Career Mode.

It’s still got flaws: monetisation model continues to cast a shadow, a few defensive hiccups, and that eternal EA menu maze. But if FC 25 was a rebuild year, FC 26 feels like a team finally hitting form.

If you’re a fan of the franchise and skeptical after FC 25’s missteps, jump in—especially in offline or Authentic modes. If you’re solely looking for a “complete overhaul,” you may still find it underwhelming. Either way, this is the version many had quietly hoped for—and for now, it’s one worth playing.