FC 26 January Feedback Update Signals Big PlayStyle Changes Ahead

The FC 26 January Feedback Update has landed, and it quietly confirms what much of the community has been arguing for months. Through a new Discord poll and feature updates to Ultimate Team and Career Mode, EA SPORTS FC 26 seems to be on its way towards establishing one of the largest gameplay rebalancing efforts ever.

What started as a system designed to add personality to players has evolved into a mechanic many feel overshadows core Attributes. However, many things are going to be changed with the Feedback Update.

PlayStyles vs Attributes Debate Reaches a Breaking Point

PlayStyles were originally praised for making players feel unique. But now they have become overwhelming in terms of influence in the decision-making processes of playing Ultimate Team or Evolutions in EA FC 26. When new Evos drop, the first thing players check is not pace or dribbling. It is PlayStyle potential.

Community frustration peaked with viral examples, including a Weekend League run where a goalkeeper reportedly scored dozens of goals purely because of PlayStyle advantages. EA FC appears to have acknowledged this discussion by producing a specific poll and feedback channel on Discord.

Discord Poll Results Show Overwhelming Demand for Change

On the EA Sports Discord server, players were asked a straightforward yet insightful question: How impactful do PlayStyles feel compared to Attributes? The options ranged from Attributes clearly having more impact to PlayStyles clearly dominating gameplay.

92% of the votes indicate that PlayStyles are the Most Important, with another small percentage of votes indicating that PlayStyles have the Advantage. These numbers matter. Whenever EA runs community polls at this scale, they tend to guide future tuning decisions. The message from players could not be clearer. Balance needs to be restored.

Career Mode Update Adds Contract Negotiation Control

Beyond gameplay discussion, the January Feedback Update also includes a meaningful Career Mode change. When starting a new save, players will now have a new option for Contract Extensions under Transfer and Scouting.

The default setting for negotiating a contract extension will be set to Normal, where the player's playing time and squad role will be considered in contract extension negotiations. If you set this option to Lenient, players whose contracts are close to expiring will be much more willing to re-sign with the team.

While this is a small checkbox adjustment, it gives managers more control over their contracts and eliminates frustrating dead ends when continuing a lengthy save. With discussions already building around upcoming promotions, debates over balance and gameplay impact are also feeding into conversations such as FC 26 Future Stars Predictions, where PlayStyles and Attributes play a major role in player evaluations.

Ultimate Team Evolutions Get a Major Quality of Life Boost

Ultimate Team players also have something tangible to look forward to. EA announced players will now have direct access to Training Camp Evolutions within Ultimate Team, rather than all actions requiring a player to use the Companion App as they have been in the past.

This change speeds up progression and removes unnecessary friction, especially during busy promo cycles. It also reinforces the role that Evolutions now play in the overall FC 26 experience. Recent releases like FC 26 Serie A POTM Nominees January 2026 Released show how in-game systems and player traits remain closely tied to both gameplay balance and seasonal updates.