Gameplay improvements shown in EA Sports FC 27 - defense updated and corners reworked

Developers continue to improve gameplay mechanics.

Electronic Arts presented an overview trailer of EA Sports FC 27 gameplay. The developers of the football simulator talked about gameplay changes.

The developers heard player feedback that “manual defending should be the best way to stop an opponent” – the power of AI players will be reduced, and manual control will allow for more effective actions:

You will feel the difference as soon as you take control. Your player will maneuver faster. You will also get an increased tackle radius, an increased interception radius, and an increased block radius when defending manually. For example, the AI is not fast enough to close an angle and cannot reach the ball to make an interception. But when you take control, a quick maneuver allows you to get into position and reach further to gain possession of the ball.

In addition, the developer minimized automatic AI tackles in competitive gameplay. The AI will still be able to gain possession of the ball if dribbling is directed at it, but it will almost never slide tackle or attempt to tackle the ball.

Players will now bend along the defensive line and read open spaces better. A new “off-balance dribbling” will also appear. Developers explained that elite dribblers will maintain control of the ball even when they stumble and overcome resistance. EA Sports FC 27 also improved “walls” and quick pass combinations.

In this installment, “corners” will be divided into two phases. One for preparing the pass, and another for creative control over the run: “Choose a spot and make a powerful cross. Then you will have a few seconds to get away from marking and calculate your run to appear at the perfect moment.”

You can add EA Sports FC 27 to your Steam wishlist via this link. The release is scheduled for September 25, 2026, not only on PC, but also on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The most expensive edition was priced at $150.