One colossal announcement was just revealed by EA Sports: On July 10, College Football 26 shall be getting colossal new playbooks, massive sets of player upgrades, and abilities. The hype was real, but some gamers who have been waiting for this moment are somewhat ambivalent.
The announcement trailer teased “thousands of new plays” and “Bring Glory Home,” but some seeds of doubt have already crept in. Some players are already chanting the same old song of bugs-not-corrected, like receivers not competing for catches once that so-called “cornerback interception” animation sets in. “Once the CB interception animation locks in, it’s like it locks out your WR from being able to fight for the catch,” a disgruntled fan tweeted. Ouch!
The entire situation gave way to some people debating whether or not this needed to be a full-blown new game all the way. “All of this could have been added in an update,” said one player, pointing out the lack of new equipment and so-called “tweaks” one would otherwise expect. And yeah, the timing? Some believe this reveal should have happened weeks ago, instead of dragging out the wait.
But hey, some are buying into it already. That explains the mixed reactions surrounding the playbook updates, particularly concerning option-heavy offensive sets like Navy. One player teased a hybrid book of the new sets with heavy under-center triple looks that would be “game-breaking.” And others are just happy that it’s BTA season back again.
To be fair, how can this not be compared to Madden? “Madden lowkey looking better than NCAA 26 this year,” came a tweet that sparked a heated debate in the replies. But, let’s be real here: College Football has its own cult. There is not one bit of Madden hype that will stop those diehards from preordering.
Speaking of pre-orders, EA is pushing hard for them, but some fans are waiting for a few answers: “Can we edit player ratings or team overalls?” one asked. Obviously, that would be the line between purchasing or passing on it. Others just want to finally compete as a safety in Road to Glory, instead of being forced to suffer through their existence as a corner.
Those kinds of things are important. Why no headsets or playcall sheets for coaches yet? And how about updating Oregon State’s scoreboard for once? Small considerations either make or break immersion, and EA is being watched.
So–will College Football 26 fulfill the hype? Perhaps, the gameplay deep dive (which, according to them, will be a 40-page blog) will. For now, though, reactions are half “let’s go” and half “meh, prove it.” Either way, time is too short, with July 10 coming too quickly for anyone heading to the virtual gridiron.
Pre-orders can be found. If doubts are creeping in, then search for the shortened trailer lurking on YouTube for five minutes. Give it a look, join in the debate, and after that, get ready: College football is nearly back!
