With Team of the Year upon us, it seems like an appropriate time to reflect back on the game so far and delve into what has impressed us the most.
Promises to slow down the power curve and create a more even playing field were made at the beginning of the year alongside offering more unique game modes and gameplay.
Here, at the Sporting Loft we present our favourite parts of EAFC 26 so far and what is keeping us playing the game.
Evolutions
The undisputed king of the franchise since their introduction, evolutions continue to be one the best parts of the game regardless of the time of year.
Giving fans of clubs outside the elite few to build competitive teams of their own club is a huge driving factor for players and provides far greater variety in team building.
The addition of goal keeper evolutions this year has been incredibly welcome as people running past and present teams can now upgrade their keeper to match the power curve.
An abundance of free trait and position based evolutions have also allowed players to match elite players who were judged to play better in game due to specific traits and attributes.
For simply allowing more team variety, evolutions are the greatest addition since squad building challenges and long may their existence continue in the game.
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Fun and unique tournaments
Tournaments have always been present within the EA franchise, however, they have often been under utilised or simply ignored for the majority of the game cycle.
However, with the introduction of tournaments such as the Gauntlet, the mode suddenly feels refreshed.
Adapting squads to fit specific requirements allows players to make unique combinations they would never use and it gives many casual players a break from the same over powered players.
Bronze and silver tournaments have also seen limited time returns, providing a sense of nostalgia to older players who played similar iterations over a decade ago.
Silver icons
Following the removal of weekly silver stars and the silver lounge game mode, EA decided to revive the use of silver cards but in a slightly different manner.
The ability to use icon cards in a silver only tournament was a unique take on a tried and tested method but additionally allows players to use icons they wouldn’t usually have access to.
Evolutions of these cards could also be used to create a strong icon level card even without the requirement of millions of coins.
After each in-game season, the silver tournament provides the chance for each player to gain a multitude of rewards and presents the opportunity to utilise these silver icons.
Room for improvement
Whilst the game has solid features there are still a few areas for improvement.
The season passes, whilst an interesting introduction, pushes the narrative of pay to win and replace what was once a free option in game.
Additionally, despite a slowing of the power curve, the number of in-game promos has not decreased and continues to flood the market with an overwhelming majority of cards with little difference to one another.
Whilst improving in certain aspects it does often appear as one step forward and two steps back in EAFC.
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