EA SPORTS FC 26 has just rolled out one of its most impactful updates yet, and version 1.2.0 brings sweeping improvements across gameplay, Career Mode, Ultimate Team, Clubs, and the general audio-visual experience. Whether you’re grinding Ultimate Team, managing a club in Career Mode, or playing competitively online, this update touches nearly every part of the game. Here is a complete breakdown of what’s new and why this patch is one of the most important so far.
Gameplay Changes: Smarter Attacks, Better Defending & Improved Goalkeeping
The gameplay refinements in FC 26 aim to create smoother, more realistic football mechanics. On the attacking side, EA has reduced the accuracy of acrobatic shots taken immediately after a flick—an action many players argued was too overpowered. AI teammates will now make more frequent attacking runs, improving buildup play and positioning in the box.
Passing has also become more intelligent. Through balls and crosses now better follow your input direction, removing those frustrating moments where passes go slightly off target.
Defensively, AI players now mark attackers less tightly on the edge of the box, giving attackers more space to operate. Defensive man-marking on short corners has also been refined, making set-piece battles more realistic.
For goalkeeping, EA addressed multiple issues that affected match outcomes. Goalkeepers will now catch crosses more often instead of punching unnecessarily. Improved diving logic helps keepers react more naturally to nearby dribblers and far-post shots, reducing unrealistic overcommits.
Several general fixes also enhance consistency:
– Player switching is now more accurate.
– Requested shots should no longer trigger awkward sliding animations.
– The referee is better at identifying fouls from behind.
– Directed Runs follow the intended input more consistently.
These updates result in smoother, more responsive gameplay on both sides of the pitch.
Career Mode: Smarter Management & More Realistic Player Behavior
Career Mode players will notice meaningful quality-of-life updates. When checking injuries, you now get a new banner showing duration, reason, and severity of each injury—a long-requested feature.
EA also introduced the ability to save a default kit before matches, making pre-game setup faster and more consistent.
Some of the most significant fixes relate to contracts and squad management. Previously, one-year contract players could request renewals far too early, and ignoring those requests sometimes triggered an instant transfer request. Both issues have now been resolved, giving managers more control over negotiations.
Youth players becoming unsignable due to budget fluctuations, incorrect board expectations, exaggerated player faces, duplicated points deductions in Live Start Points, and disappearing career widgets were all addressed as well. This update removes many long-standing frustrations for Career Mode fans.
Ultimate Team: Evolutions, Menus & Visual Fixes
Ultimate Team receives a major usability improvement with the ability to view all available Evolutions for a selected player item. This feature makes it easier to understand upgrade paths and optimize squad development.
The update also resolves several UI and gameplay inconsistencies:
– Lower-rated players will walk out less often during pack openings.
– Rivals and Objectives menus now display correct rewards and callouts.
– Scoreboard issues, missing added time, incorrect pings, and sorting problems have all been fixed.
– Squad Battles no longer show –1 score for unplayed matches.
Rush lobbies, transfer market displays, evolution previews, and corner flag trophy glitches were also corrected. Overall, Ultimate Team feels cleaner and more intuitive.
Clubs: Improved Match Flow & Better Visual Options
Clubs received multiple refinements, including a revised Rush introduction and a new visual setting allowing players to limit the number of displayed indicators. This helps reduce screen clutter during competitive matches.
Fixes include:
– AI goalkeepers failing to dive during penalties.
– Incorrect positions assigned in drop-in matches.
– Matchmaking errors that blocked league lobbies.
– Customization not saving properly.
– Visual errors in Pro attributes and Clubs Coins.
These updates should lead to a more stable and consistent Clubs experience.
General, Audio & Visual Enhancements
EA also polished several global features, updating star heads, hair, faces, kits, tifos, cinematics, stadium elements, audio, and UI components. Bundle previews, multi-reward menus, and season pass presentations now display clearer item images and indicators.
Stability issues, placeholder texts, incorrect camera angles, HDR visibility problems, and crossplay playtime messages have also been resolved.
Final Thoughts
The FC 26 1.2.0 update is one of the most comprehensive patches EA has released this year, addressing everything from gameplay to UI clarity and mode-specific stability. Players across Career Mode, Ultimate Team, Clubs, and regular matches will immediately feel a smoother experience.
For fans of EA SPORTS FC 26, this update marks a significant step forward, and with ongoing feedback, more improvements are expected as the season continues.
