Key New Features & Improvements

EA has taken a lot of player feedback into account this year. The goal seems to be balancing realism with fun, giving more choice in how you play, and tightening up many gameplay fundamentals. Here are the biggest upgrades:

1. Two Gameplay Presets: “Competitive” vs “Authentic”

   • Competitive is more fast-paced, tuned for online modes (Ultimate Team, Clubs). Think quicker passing, more direct control, more dynamic keeper rebounds.

   • Authentic is more simulation-oriented. It focuses on realistic player positions, more authentic corner success rates, lifelike goalmouth scrambles, etc. Great if you like your matches to feel “proper.”

2. Refined Gameplay Fundamentals
   Many of the small (but important) tweaks:

   • More responsive dribbling; better directional control. 

   • Smarter AI positioning for both attackers and defenders. 

   • Retuned run curves for players with explosive pace. So sprint & acceleration feel more believable.

   • Improved ball shielding (so players can protect the ball better) and more lifelike animations (“close-body volumetric animations”).

3. Goalkeeper Enhancements
   The keepers have got some work:

   • More natural reactions and animations. 

   • A reinforcement-learning based positioning system, meaning keepers better judge attacking situations and position accordingly. 

   • Better control of deflections and rebounds, hopefully reducing those moments of “ball slaps back to attacker” far too easily. 

4. Career Mode & Manager Features
   More depth and variety off the pitch:

   • Manager Live: challenges that span real-world scenarios, storylines, sometimes restricting what you can do (e.g. only young players, financial constraints, etc.)

   • A Manager Market, where you can see the job market for coaches, track which clubs are looking, your job security, etc. 

   • Unexpected Events to shake things up: random incidents, maybe positive or negative, which require adapting. 

5. Archetypes, PlayStyles & Player Roles
   Adds more character and customisation, especially in Clubs & Player Career:

   • Archetypes are like “classes” (e.g. “Magician,” “Boss,” etc.) for your player in modes such as Clubs or Player Career. You gain experience, unlock perks, shape their style more meaningfully.

   • • Fresh PlayStyles & Player Roles that impact how players behave/render on pitch. 

6. Ultimate Team / Live Events / Tournaments

   • More options & variety for live/competitive modes:

   • Refreshed Rivals & Champs structures. 

   • Gauntlets: series of matches with different players, forcing more squad rotation instead of relying only on your “best XI.” 

   • New Live Events and Tournaments being added or expanded. 

   • Accessibility & Visual / UI Enhancements
     They’ve also improved how the game accommodates more players:

     • A High-Contrast Mode for visibility. 

     • More languages, better UI in general.