EA Sports FC 26 officially launched worldwide on September 25, 2025, but what was meant to be a celebration for football fans quickly turned into frustration for many PC players. Despite being one of the most anticipated sports titles of the year and a top-seller on Steam at launch, the game has now reached an unfortunate milestone — nearly 52% of reviews are negative, making it one of the least well-received entries in EA’s long-running soccer franchise.
When EA announced FC 26, fans expected a significant leap forward following the mixed reception of the past few installments. Instead, early reactions on Steam show widespread disappointment. Players report input delays, matchmaking imbalances, unstable frame rates, and controller disconnects, issues that many claim make online gameplay nearly unplayable. Ironically, EA had previously promised that its new online infrastructure would eliminate lag and latency problems.
The review statistics paint a clear picture: only 48% of players recommend the game, while 52% leave negative feedback. By comparison, FC 25 managed 51% positive ratings, and FC 24 sat slightly higher at 56%. These numbers show a troubling trend of diminishing player satisfaction within the franchise.
Adding to the frustration is the recent FC Points controversy that shook the Ultimate Team community. Shortly after release, reports surfaced that a glitch in the Indonesian version of the EA Store allowed players to purchase massive quantities of FC Points at an extremely low price. Some PC users allegedly exploited this loophole to gain an unfair advantage in Ultimate Team matches — flooding the market with high-tier players and breaking the in-game economy. As a result, many console players were forced to disable crossplay to avoid unfair matches against those who benefited from the exploit.
Performance issues on PC have only made things worse. Many players report that even high-end systems experience stuttering and poor optimization, while others complain that the game’s new anti-cheat system interferes with certain drivers and input devices. EA has yet to release an official statement addressing these technical complaints, but several hotfixes are reportedly in development.
Interestingly, despite the widespread criticism, player counts on Steam remain steady. Data from SteamCharts indicates that the game continues to attract a large daily audience, suggesting that even disappointed fans are still engaging with the content — perhaps in hopes that upcoming patches will improve the experience.
With EA Sports FC 26 being only the second major entry in EA’s post-FIFA era, the pressure is on for the publisher to restore faith in the brand. While the core gameplay still offers the familiar rhythm of modern football simulation, the mounting list of technical problems, controversial exploits, and negative feedback could seriously impact the franchise’s long-term reputation.
Whether future updates can turn things around remains to be seen, but as it stands, EA Sports FC 26 represents another warning sign for EA’s football empire — a reminder that strong branding alone isn’t enough to win over today’s increasingly critical player base.
