EA Sports College Football 26 playbooks are frustrating players with their lack of rated plays, which is severely limiting the experience for players who use suggested plays and like going up against CPU-controlled opponents. While fans were happy to see EA Sports College Football 26 carry on the legacy of last year's game after the series' long hiatus, many are calling for a revision to its play-calling system.
Starting its life in 1994 as Bill Walsh College Football, the College Football series had gone inactive for a long time, with a gap of more than a decade between NCAA Football 14 and last year's EA Sports College Football 25. Any fears of another long period of dormancy were quashed in January, when EA Sports College Football 26 was officially announced. The game was released on July 10, and while most critical reviews so far have been positive, the issue of rated plays is causing distress for some players.
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One of the big features touted for College Football 26 in its pre-release media was the addition of more than 2,700 new plays. Each team is only able to access a fraction of these, as coaches' standard playbooks are limited to around 350 plays apiece, but some fans are now complaining that they're feeling much more limited than that number suggests. That's because some of the game's features will only allow the use of plays that have been rated for quality of use in certain situations, with Reddit user Accomplished_Spot282 pointing out that roughly five-sevenths of the plays in his team's playbook don't meet that criterion.
College Football 26 May Need Changes to Play-Calling
This issue affects players in a few different ways. First, it seems that CPU-controlled coaches in College Football 26 will ignore any plays that don't have these situational play ratings programmed in. That has led to many players complaining that, when playing single-player game modes, they're going up against teams that rely on utilizing many of the same plays repeatedly. The resulting disappointment is twofold, as players are becoming bored by the lack of strategy required to combat these repeated plays and frustrated that so many plays are included in the game but not being used against them.
It's also a problem for players who use coach suggestions, which is a feature identical to Ask Madden in EA Sports' pro football series. While players can manually select any plays in their playbooks, the suggestion feature aims to assess several factors, and the current state of plays means many will never appear when players request a suggestion. Some players have also complained about the AI's perceived over-reliance on specific passing formations in College Football 26, like pistol and shotgun, and some have questioned its choices, like calling for all receivers to run deep routes within a few yards of the end zone, effectively putting them all out of bounds before they can get open.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
In EA SPORTS College Football 26, the playbook is yours. Rise from high school recruit to Heisman legend, or cement your legacy as a coach by leading your program to glory.
GAMEPLAY FEATURES:
TRUE COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMEPLAY
Rep your colors across 136 FBS schools featuring over 300 authentic coaches, 2,700 new plays, and thousands of college athletes with upgraded abilities.
MORE LIKE SATURDAY
From intense White Out games in Happy Valley to new crimson light shows in Tuscaloosa. With new situation and stadium-specific music, fight songs, and commentary, the electricity of game day comes alive like never before.
OVER 300 REAL-WORLD COACHES
Go toe-to-toe with current coaches who bring distinctive playstyles to the field. Strategize like they would with their unique playbooks for a more authentic coaching experience.
WEAR & TEAR EVERYWHERE
Manage fatigue strategically and save your favorite playmakers for key moments with Dynamic Substitutions that allow you to rotate players in and out on the fly.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Rivalry games, the College Football Playoff, and other high-stakes matchups are now more affected by Stadium Pulse and Confidence & Composure.
GAME MODES
Dynasty
Build a powerhouse through recruiting and coaching enhancements, then etch your program into college football history in Dynasty.
Road to Glory
Stack your Trophy Room as you rise from high school recruit to Heisman legend in Road to Glory.
Road to the CFP
Experience a new way to play competitively and represent your favorite team in Road to the College Football Playoffs.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- Genre(s)
- Sports
