Two back-to-back patches have landed for EA Sports FC 26, addressing both critical stability issues in Ultimate Team and refining the on-pitch experience. While Title Update v1.2.1 operates largely as a stability hotfix, the preceding v1.2.0 patch introduces significant adjustments to gameplay mechanics and quality-of-life improvements across Career Mode and Clubs.
Gameplay Adjustments: Nerfing the Acrobatics
The most substantial changes in Title Update v1.2.0 target specific scoring methods that were arguably overperforming. EA Vancouver has addressed an issue where Acrobatic shots were occurring with unintended accuracy. If your offensive strategy relied heavily on forcing these flashy finishes in crowded boxes, you might find them far less consistent now.
Beyond shot mechanics, the update tweaks the AI to improve match flow:
- Teammate Intelligence: AI-controlled teammates now make smarter runs, offering better support options during attacks.
- Goalkeeper Logic: Decision-making for keepers has been updated, likely reducing those frustrating moments where they hesitate on loose balls.
Ultimate Team: Stability and Evolutions
For the FUT grinders, the arrival of Title Update v1.2.1 is specifically aimed at stability. This patch addresses a critical crash related to the Multi-Swap functionality. If you've been managing a large club or churning through SBCs, this fix should prevent the game from closing unexpectedly when moving multiple items.
From a feature perspective, v1.2.0 added a highly requested quality-of-life change: you can now view eligible Evolutions directly for Player Items. This removes the guesswork of checking if a specific card fits a new Evo path, streamlining the upgrade process significantly. The update also cleans up various UI bugs across Objectives and leaderboards.
Is Career Mode getting any love?
Yes, though the changes are focused on information visibility rather than mechanics. Managers can now see an injury duration and severity banner directly in the Team Management screen. It’s a small detail, but knowing exactly how long a star player is out without navigating through multiple menus is a solid workflow improvement. Additionally, you can finally save default kits, preventing the need to re-select strips constantly.
Clubs Improvements
Social play sees some cleanup as well. The developers have fixed issues surrounding Rush introductions and added an option to reduce on-screen player indicators. For those who find the HUD too cluttered during 11v11 matches, this customization option helps keep the focus on the ball rather than the UI.