EA Sports has rolled out a giant patch for FC 26. There were new changes to the goalkeepers so big that EA Sports coined in a tweet the term “Kahn sized changes,” which instigated some chatter in the community. The problem is, while the improvements get all the praise, PC players suffer from controller disconnects and game-breaking bugs, with many claiming that the early-access period is unplayable.
So, what are those keeper changes? Per the announcement of the update from EA, it seems that great changes have been made to goalkeeper AI, animations, and their in-game reliability to warrant a respectful shout-out to Oliver Kahn. Some have begun to see the fruit of those works: “@egoistheenemyyy” wrote, “Please keep keepers as great as they are! Love when you can rely on your keeper if your opponent manages to get past my defender.” Another anonymous player with the handle @KennethPederse1, “new goal keeper animations are really nice,” but there are still a lot of times when keepers do bizarre errors.
And now the shenanigans begin-and really are shenanigans. There appear to be some pretty serious technical hindrances in the PC edition of FC 26 that actually prevent the buyers from playing the game. Imagine not being able to access Early Access despite having bought the Ultimate Edition for it; well, that is precisely what is being reflected in the numerous replies to EA’s statement.
Several players on PC reported problems with controller recognition in Rivals and Clubs. @Edgarduarte4837: “i cant play rivals bc the controller isn’t recognized, only rivals and clubs” and @matostasz stated that he has paid for early access but “cannot do it – game pad not working.” The problem seems quite widespread, with @cwelnik insisting, “Fix your game for Pc players we cant play normally in rivals mode. our controllers are dissconecting or lagging.”
And then there’s the server, not just the controller! @LewisSmith240 was pissed about getting kicked out of Squad Battles while completing objectives, and @aaronbfc_ mentioned being disconnected from Rivals matches and having to repeatedly reset their team. These are by no means petty inconveniences; rather, they are game-breaking issues that stop people from really getting to experience those “Kahn sized changes” EA has been pushing.
Also, defense mechanics are under attack from all platforms. @NickNaks08 said defending on PC is ridiculous while @Drisstheanalyst commented that defending needs work on all platforms. Some feel the game resists certain playstyles as well, with more criticism coming from a player lamenting about how strong close ball control and through balls have become.
Meanwhile, other problems about missing preorder bonuses (@walters88940928), wrong team kits (@MackemSlayer69 was really bothered about Middlesbrough kits being wrong), and price ranges of particular players like Kimmich (@WeLoveMerengues) arise. It’s like the game launched with a whole bunch of tiny issues and grew into a big frustration for segued players.
Mixed feelings, actually, about the keepertone in the updates. Some praise the improved animations and the reliability; others, like @azulalmao say, “Big keeper updates. Just until the shot goes across the net then they revert back to last year,” the comment implying some sort of inconsistency in the implementation of the upgrades. And @Mateo11rm described goalkeeper movement as “the worst mechanic ever,” showing that these changes have not been well received.
Most striking is the juxtaposition of EA pushing out these glittering new features while a large number of folks can’t even get the game to run properly. It’s like being proud of your flashy new car and forgetting to tell some of the owners the keys don’t work for them. The PC version issues are somehow a little more serious, with multiple users complaining about the game instantly closing mid-match or controller support failing outright in key modes.
Coming to think of it, the timing couldn’t be any worse as these people have shelled out more money for the Ultimate Edition for the sake of early access. When you pay extra to get in early, finding out the game doesn’t work… well let’s just say that doesn’t feel great. @matostasz went ahead and asked whether EA would be refunding people for the edition because they couldn’t play – a fair question when a product doesn’t work as advertised.
Many of these players are trying to sort it out among themselves, with bits of discussion arising in the replies as to whether or not Rush mode actually works with the controller issue. But EA should really tackle this head-on and immediately. The community’s frustration is painfully visible, and the longer this drags on, the worse it will look for FC 26 and the shifting from FIFA branding.
They’re looking pretty huge as keeper refinements based on the early-EA feedback from those able to play this. Some enhanced keeper AI and animation could seriously change the flow of a match by making their defensive methods really reliable and might improve the frustration of conceding ‘cheap goals.’ But seriously, none of that matters if the improvements can’t actually be experienced.
Much typical of a launch really – some really nice features being overshadowed by basic operation glitches. The players would probably want a stable game running last year’s keepers over a buggy mess with enhanced animations any day. The way EA reacts to this will be key — if they jump in with quick fixes and communication, they could still turn this around, but if it drags any longer, it’s going to do the reception serious harm in this really crucial early period.
For now, on PC, it would be wise to hold off on that Ultimate Edition purchase till the controller and stability issues get ironed out. Consoles, however – have fun with those Kahn-sized keeper improvements and keep your fingers crossed for a desktop fix sooner rather than later. At the moment, though, it is looking like two vastly different experiences, depending on your platform.
