Latest news with #EASportsFC26
Metro
7 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
EA Sports FC 26 preview - rip it up and start again
This year's EA Sports FC 26 has been revealed at last and it's going to be fundamentally different from its somewhat unloved predecessor. The franchise previously known as FIFA is one of the games industry's great cash cows. However, it has had a rocky time recently, when two years ago EA made the break from the famously money-hungry FIFA and rebranded the series to FC. At first this seemed to work out fine but last year's iteration, FC 25, didn't live up to EA Sports' sales expectations. To their credit, EA's response to that failure has been immediate and seemingly far reaching, when it comes to the changes being made to FC 26. EA has cited community feedback as the driving force behind EA Sports FC 26's radical rework. The company has released a raft of presentations to insiders, covering every aspect of the game but, tellingly, the first of those was conducted by Sheldon Rogers, head of FC 26's global community team, who said: 'When we say 'The club is yours,' we really mean it. We have been tracking what is most important to our players, and bringing that directly into our development process.' So what, exactly, has that process brought to FC 26? Undoubtedly the headline change will be that for the first time in the franchise's history, players will be able to choose between two gameplay styles, called Competitive and Authentic. Paul Parsons, FC 26's lead gameplay producer, explained the thinking behind that radical move: 'We've got two different, really core, audiences in our game. We've got the competitive player, who wants a high-paced, uptempo, head-to-head experience, and we've got the offline career player who's looking for something that's slower, more tactical and with scorelines that are lower, in line with what you see in a real-world game. 'In the past, we've found ourselves disappointing one of those two audiences, but we're not willing to do that in FC 26. This year, we've come up with two completely different tunings for the game.' So, the Competitive style will breed ultra-fast, end-to-end gameplay that may not bear a huge amount of resemblance to the real-life game, and is aimed at those whose FC gameplay revolves around the FC Ultimate Team (FUT) and Clubs elements of the game. According to Parsons, the priority of the Competitive preset was to improve responsiveness and foreground user skill, and one key way in which EA does that is by dialling down the game's fatigue system. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. EA has also added sliders that will enable players to fine-tune both experiences, and one key difference between the two will be that in Competitive mode players will have to control defenders manually, whereas in Authentic the game will take more control over their positioning. You'll be able to pick either system in any mode of the game, and also to save and quickly retrieve your tweaked versions of them. Adding two different gameplay-tuning presets to FC 26 is an unprecedented move. In the past, when FIFA games would slug it out with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer, PES was renowned for taking the more measured, true-to-life approach that EA Sports is attempting with the Authentic preset, whereas FIFA fell squarely into Competitive territory. It will be fascinating to see which tuning FC 26's fanbase ultimately prefers. FC 26's Authentic mode is still unlikely to provide an experience which is anything like as measured and, some would say, ponderous as that of PES games of yore. That's because the other raft of changes EA has made to FC 26 is to rework a large number of fundamental gameplay elements, in a quest to improve player responsiveness. Those fundamentals include dribbling, where FC 26's players will make more touches while dribbling, turn more sharply, and move faster with the ball. Goalkeepers' AI has been rewritten so that their tendency to deflect the ball to incoming attackers, as seen in FC 25, has been reduced, and they generally position themselves more intelligently. Tackling and interceptions have been retuned to reduce the previous tendency for the ball to bounce back to opposition players. More Trending EA has also tweaked players' run curves, giving them more explosive acceleration and allowing them to turn more sharply. And the final fundamental that has been reworked is players' ability to shield the ball. Parsons said that the company has worked hard to make ball-shielding more consistent in the game, adding two new shielding mechanics (called Contested Boxouts and Shield Entries), a new Enforcer play style, and by upgrading the physics of shielding. Another fundamental aspect of the game that EA says it has improved is general online responsiveness, especially the area of delay between players' inputs and what happens on screen. The publisher has also highlighted a number of additions and less fundamental tweaks to pretty much all of FC 26's game modes – such as the return of low-driven shots, triggered by double-tapping the shoot button – but we'll bring you a deeper dive into those when we've had a chance to play the game. Given the sheer amount of changes and upgrades that we already know about, EA Sports FC 26 should feel radically different to its immediate predecessors. Hopefully in a good way. But it certainly looks as though EA has been making better use of the vast amount of money it used to have to pay FIFA each year, and pouring at least some of it back into the game itself. EA Sports FC 26 will launch on September 26 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: The Elder Scrolls creator Julian LeFay dies following battle with cancer MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows on Switch 2 all but confirmed for next Nintendo Direct MORE: Battlefield 6 release date and open beta details leak ahead of reveal trailer
South Wales Argus
14 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport Galvanizers logo to be featured in EA Sports FC 26
Newport Galvanizers Ltd, based in Newport and part of Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd, will have its logo featured on Newport County AFC's official away kit for a second year running through a renewed sponsorship agreement. The kit will appear in EA Sports FC 26, giving the company international exposure. Ethan Clarke, partnerships manager at Newport County, said: "We're delighted to be working with Newport Galvanizers again for the upcoming 2025-2026 season. "Working with local companies is a key priority for us, so to strengthen our ties with Newport Galvanizers is something of which we're very proud." Edward Saville, area manager at Newport Galvanizers Ltd, said: "We've been based in Newport for many years so it's an absolute privilege to support our local club and 'The Exiles' in this way. "Many of our team and customers are lifelong fans, and my son, who plays FIFA, also noticed that as part of our sponsorship our Wedge Group Galvanizing logo is on the away kit during games – if anyone who plays fancies a match against FC Barcelona." Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd is the largest hot-dip galvanizing organisation in the UK with a history dating back over 155 years and 14 plants placed across the country.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business Standard
Tech Wrap July 18: Dell Alienware laptops, OnePlus Pad 3, EA Sports FC 26
Dell Alienware, Plus series laptops launched. OnePlus Pad 3 goes on sale in India from September. EA Sports FC 26 gameplay out. Nothing rolls out Essential Space update. Adobe Firefly adds new feature Tech Wrap July 18 BS Tech New Delhi Dell launches Alienware and Plus series laptops in India Dell has introduced six new laptops in India, expanding its offerings to cater to both gaming enthusiasts and professionals. The lineup features the Alienware Area-51 (16 and 18), Alienware 16X Aurora, Dell 14 Plus, Dell 14 2-in-1 Plus, and Dell 16 Plus. The Alienware models are tailored for high-performance gaming with advanced displays and graphics, whereas the Dell Plus series is built for creators and working professionals, featuring AI-powered AMD processors and tools for efficient multitasking. OnePlus has announced that its Pad 3 tablet, which was launched globally on June 5, will be available in India from September. The release, initially expected earlier, has seen a delay of several months. Introduced alongside the OnePlus 13s smartphone, the Pad 3 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a large 13.2-inch 3.4K screen. It also comes with AI-powered tools like Translate and AI Writer, and multitasking apps including Open Canvas to enhance productivity. With the official release set for September, EA has unveiled a gameplay trailer for EA Sports FC 26. The new footage addresses feedback from players of FC 25 and showcases improvements aimed at refining the overall experience. EA has also opened pre-orders for the upcoming title. Nothing has issued a new software update for its AI-powered workspace, Essential Space, on the Phone 3. The update introduces Google Calendar sync, manual editing of AI-created content, and an upgraded Essential Recorder featuring Flip-to-Record. The changes were announced via the Essential account on X (formerly Twitter) and shared in detail on the company's community forum, aiming to make the platform smarter and more useful for daily tasks. Adobe has released a major update for its Firefly video platform, offering creators enhanced control over video production. The upgrade introduces AI-generated sound, motion improvements, support for avatar-led video content, and wider format compatibility. The update also integrates partner AI models to boost creative workflows. Google has extended the functionality of Circle to Search on Android by adding a Song Search history feature. As per a 9To5Google report, users will now be able to access a list of previously recognized songs, including album art, artist names, and detection dates. This addition mirrors a similar feature available on iOS since February. The Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate edition is now accessible for Apple Macs powered by M-series chips. This marks the first official release of the game on Mac platforms. To make up for the wait, developer CD Projekt Red has bundled the base game with all post-launch content, including the Phantom Liberty expansion. The game has been optimized to leverage the capabilities of Apple's M-series silicon for high-quality visuals and smooth gameplay. iQOO is set to introduce the Z10R model in India on July 24 as part of its Z10 lineup. Ahead of the launch, the company has listed key specifications on its Amazon microsite. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chip and sports a 50MP Sony IMX882 camera sensor, with support for 4K video recording on both front and rear cameras. Google has reportedly begun the rollout of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 to select Pixel devices. This final beta version provides insight into new features such as the magnify keyboard and taskbar shortcut. However, some key functionalities are still missing. The update emphasizes productivity and user experience improvements and is expected to officially launch on September 3, 2025, as per Android Authority. Nintendo has brought back the beloved gorilla in Donkey Kong Bananza, released for Switch 2 on July 17. The side-scrolling title introduces new mechanics, a second playable character, and transformative abilities. The game retains the signature action-platforming gameplay that defines the Donkey Kong franchise. Apple plans to roll out the stable build of iOS 26 later this year, following its WWDC debut on June 9. The upcoming version aims to tackle spam calls and texts, while also offering UI enhancements and smarter app functionalities for a better user experience. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 elevates the foldable phone experience with meaningful innovations. Priced from Rs 174,999, the device blends a sleek design, improved cameras, fold-friendly software, and robust AI features. It presents a strong option for users seeking a premium blend of form and function. Perplexity AI Inc., the startup behind an AI-driven search platform rivaling Google, has raised $100 million in new funding, bringing its valuation to $18 billion, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. The funding round extends a previous one from earlier this year, which had pegged the firm at $14 billion, underscoring growing investor confidence in AI-focused companies.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
EA Sports FC 26 gameplay revealed, pre-orders live: Price, enhancements
EA Sports FC 26 is scheduled for release in September, and ahead of the launch, American video game company Electronic Arts has shared a gameplay reveal trailer. Players who played EA Sports FC 25 had a few complaints about the gameplay, and EA Sports showed in the gameplay trailer how they have addressed it to enhance the overall gaming experience. Additionally, the publisher has made pre-orders live for the game. EA Sports FC 26: Release date and pre-order benefits EA Sports FC 26: Price Standard edition (for PlayStation): Rs 4,999 Standard edition (for PC): Rs 3,999 Standard edition (for Xbox): Rs 4,999 Standard edition (for Nintendo): $59.99 (Approx Rs 5,200) Ultimate edition (for PlayStation): Rs 7,499 Ultimate edition (for PC): Rs 5,999 Ultimate edition (for Xbox): Rs 7,499 Ultimate edition (for Nintendo): $79.99 (Approx Rs 6,900) EA Sports FC 26: Pre-order benefits Pre-orders for the EA Sports FC 26 are live now. Here are the benefits that consumers who pre-order the Ultimate edition by August 26 will get: Up to seven days of early access Season 1 of the Premium pass 1 of 5 Player Pick 93+ OVR ICON (untradeable) for EA SPORTS FC 25 (sold separately) - (excludes Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2) 99 Shooting Player Evolution for EA SPORTS FC 25 (sold separately) - (excludes Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2) Football Ultimate Team ICON Player Item (untradeable) for EA SPORTS FC 26 Up to 6000 FC points over two months (up to 4500 over 2 months for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2) Additional player evolution slot in Football Ultimate team 1 Archetype unlock consumable 2 double Archetypes XP consumables for 10 matches 3 ICON career players 5-star coach in the Manager career 5-star youth scout in the Manager career Manager live challenge content Football Ultimate team 92+ OVR ICON (untradeable) for EA SPORTS FC 25 (sold separately) - (excludes Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2) 1 Archetype unlock consumable 2 double Archetypes XP consumables for 10 matches 3 ICON career players 5-star coach in the Manager career 5-star youth scout in the Manager career Manager live challenge content EA Sports FC 26: What has been improved? Key improvements that EA Sports has made in FC 26 as compared to FC 25 are these: Fewer bounce backs while tackling Faster and more realistic gameplay Fluid and dynamic dribbling Controlled deflections while scoring a goal Improved passing Off-ball shielding Smarter goalkeeper movement Low-driven power shot Many more such improvements have been made which the publisher showcased in the gameplay reveal trailer that can be watched below. EA Sports FC 26: Gameplay trailer
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the next big game for Nintendo Switch 2?
The Friday letters page hopes for the industry's sake that EA Sports FC 26 sells well, as one reader wonders who else will be in the Zelda movie. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Mystery follow-up Nice review of Donkey Kong Bananza, GC. It's interesting to me that it's another good Nintendo game but one which, like Mario Kart World, features just enough problems for it to be kind of mid-tier by their standards. I'm sure other companies would love if their flawed efforts were getting a 9/10 but that's just the legacy that Nintendo has at this point. Either way, we're still at the 'it was originally made for the previous console' stage of the generation, which all consoles go through. I think normally it's about two years in before we start to see ones made only with the current console in mind. I don't know if I'll wait that long before getting a Switch 2, but I'm not currently tempted this year. More because of the lack of games rather than these first two not being top tier. So, the question is what next? Metroid Prime 4 is even less a Switch 2 game than the first two so what comes after that? My heart tells me that it'll be Animal Crossing, as a counterpoint to the hardcore Metroid Prime 4, but who can ever say with Nintendo. I'd be most pleased with a brand new IP but that's even harder to try and predict. It's exciting but also frustrating because I wouldn't bet on finding out this year. Onibee The Legend of Bugsy Malone Although it's in keeping with a lot of the games I am surprised at just how young and inexperienced the Link and Zelda actors are. I can only hope the casting director knows that they're doing, because that is a hell of a gamble straight from the start. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It makes me wonder who the older characters are going to be in the film? Ganondorf will obviously be an adult man, but will Impa be an old granny or the sort of peak fitness version we've seen before? Since Link and Zelda don't seem to be based on Breath Of The Wild I'm going to guess a younger Impa, but who else? Makes me wonder if the champions will be in it, as they were all kind of peak adults. The film will probably make up some new characters, because the series doesn't have a lot of recurring ones. Someone like Lineback or Midna would be cool, but that seems more like something to keep back for a sequel. Like you said, there's so much that could go wrong with this, but let's see what happens. Focus Lesser of two evils Look like EA is pretty worried about EA Sports FC 26 doing well. I remember a time when I have cheered on the idea of them going under (not that I think they will, but bear with me). Apart from me feeling worse nowadays, about the idea of wishing thousands of people to loose their job, at least EA isn't owned by someone else. I don't like much of what they do but it's not like I haven't enjoyed EA games in the past, especially the Star Wars stuff, so let's not wish the games industry to become even smaller and even more under the shadow of Microsoft – a company that has shown it will turn its back on anything or anyone for the smallest amount of profit. On one hand it doesn't bother me whether EA Sports FC 26 is a hit or not, because I'll never buy it. But on the other hand I hope it does well because EA going under isn't good for anyone, except for even bigger corporations than them. Combi Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Monkey money madness The reviews are really difficult to ignore for Donkey Kong Bananza. I'm glad it's doing well critically but I don't think I'll be buying the game anytime soon. £65 for the physical cart is just too much to justify, especially when Nintendo games never go on sale. I bought Cyberpunk 2077 for £54 at Switch 2 launch because of a Currys deal, so maybe that's the sweet spot for me (or launch madness). Most Switch games had an RRP of £50 but sold for £40 even at launch. It's odd that retailers aren't continually this strategy. Maybe things will start to settle soon, because anything over £50 feels too much at the minute. Thanks for giving me the space to rant. goldbricks23 (NN ID) Shots fired So upsetting to read about developers being laid off in favour of AI. I know it's only Candy Crush but you don't exactly have to be paranoid to imagine that this is just the thin end of the wedge. I can only hope that something is done to stop the rot before all these talented people leave the games industry forever. Who wants to work for a company for years only to be laid off, just so an AI can plagiarise your work afterwards. Laddie Ubisoft vs. ex-Ubisoft So I've sold Assassin's Creed Shadows to CeX. Because, truthfully, it's just a painfully mediocre title that somehow makes exploration of feudal Japan immensely unenticing, which is quite the task to pull off. I'll say that during my time with the game, I completed three castles as Naoe that looked the same, played the same, and led to a sense of lethargic quality. The stealth is excellent, it truly gave me a sense of shinobi arts. How is it that even combat is painfully hollow and somehow reminds me of Valhalla's shortcomings? The story is indeed rather milquetoast. I certainly lack the ability to even forge a reason as to why I should care for this narrative. The game looks truly stunning. However, when your points of interest boil down to shrines and guarded castles it feels like the depth of an ocean and width of a pool. It's an improvement on Valhalla, in many ways but a step down from Odyssey in other ways. Yasuke, in my opinion, is the most forgettable, bland, and unmemorable protagonist since Shay from Assassin's Creed Rogue. He's a tank. That's it. That's his unique selling point. Thankfully however, I also brought another title alongside Shadows. A title that I also bought on PC. A title that is magnificent from the menu screen. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I own it twice. Because it deserves to be owned twice. Assassin's Creed Hexe is intriguing but my expectations are non-existent. When Ubisoft churn out countless disappointing checkmark titles, such as Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora and Assassin's Creed Shadows, what hope does a narrative focused on witches stand? Especially when their former employees have crafted a title that Ubisoft will forever lack the talent, passion, heart, and capacity for. I pray for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to win Game Of The Year in December. It's a marvellous achievement for Sandfall and more than worthy enough to stand alongside Atlus' Persona series and Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3. Shahzaib Sadiq Instant U-turn To the person who wrote in the other day about not being able to turn well in Mario Kart battle mode. You can hold A and B together in a direction and hold the stick in any direction, left or right. I do it all the time in the free roam, I'm not a battle mode player but it works the same. Good luck. If you knew it already and still are complaining then even better luck. Nick The Greek Big blue Boy Scout I saw the new Superman movie on its release date and absolutely loved it. If I had to have a favourite superhero it would be Superman, then Batman as my next, and Spider-Man as my third. I am also talking about childhood heroes here and being fundamental to my younger memories watching the animated versions for each, as well as the classic Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve live action movies. Thinking about what GC viewers mentioned about how moral code is associated with some heroes more than others, I'd definitely say the above mentioned three are definitely on the true good side. Their alter egos are also wholesome, as a high-powered businessman and philanthropist, a newspaper journalist, and an average or genius college kid. Regarding the games that could be created with these characters, especially Superman and Batman, I felt Arkham Asylum or City showed a good detective variant of gameplay, along with the stealth and action of Batman. I feel that this could be done for Clark Kent and Lois Lane doing their journalism job, investigating crimes or ill doings and being down to earth and properly solving the situation as detectives. Superman comes into his own when scenarios brings in powerful supervillains and ultra despicable normal humans, all doing their nefarious deeds. Of course, then the glasses come off, like the business suit gets changed for armoured body protection and the college clothes get exchanged for the web-slinging bodysuit for high octane aerial movement and combat. With natural abilities so far above our terrestrial heroes, Superman would possibly need a bigger area and more depth in regards to making the gameplay utilise the Man of Steel's signature moves and powers, like speed, heat ray blasts, X-ray vision and extraterrestrial ultra strength, which our yellow sun gives him. In other words, it's probably too difficult to give Superman a proper go at a gaming franchise or single game and we'll just see him as a watered down Kryptonian in a side view beat 'em-up or multiplayer rivals type action game. Which is a shame as the recent movie has everything from honouring the original 70s classics and the newer world of DC cinema and comics. Basically, it was near perfect and can't wait to see more of James Gunn's future endeavours into this new remake of my favourite superhero of all time. Alucard Inbox also-rans I didn't even know there was a FIFA curse. I'd heard of the Madden curse, despite knowing nothing about the sport, so I'm going to guess that Bellingham and Musiala will live through this. Rich I really hope the people that have done RoboCop: Rogue City get to do RoboCop Vs. Terminator. To see that come back after all these years would be so funny to me and I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Austin More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. 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