Is 2025 about to go down as a golden year in the history of sports games? EA Sports FC 26 currently holds an OpenCritic rating of 82, its highest rating since FIFA 18's 84 overall. This is excellent news for its new private ownership, which includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. This group also has numerous soccer holdings, one of the reasons it reportedly wanted Ronaldo added to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, even though it's a fighting game.
Yes, Ultimate Team is still a thing. And it's a thing that's off to a disturbing start. But there are a number of single-player modes to engage in, as well as a seasons mode in which you play with real world squads. There are a number of ways to avoid Ultimate Team and enjoy FC 26 anyway. Don't tell EA I told you that.
Even when the Ultimate Team games frustrate me, it's actually fun to figure out the best ways to collect cards. The Squad Building Challenges soothe me more than I care to admit. This stuff is designed to be addictive, after all.
Lots of other people are entering this space. Even Ronaldo himself has financed his own soccer game, which sadly hasn't made a dent in the market. EA's ever-growing pile of money gives it a presentation value that nobody else is matching right now. The difference between FC 26 and say, UFL is the difference between WWE and the local indie dudes that wrestle in an abandoned shopping mall.