FC 26 Pitch Notes v1.1.0
The EA SPORTS FC 26 v1.1.0 Pitch Notes deliver one of the biggest updates since launch, focusing on core gameplay improvements, Ultimate Team enhancements, and major Career Mode fixes. This comprehensive patch fine-tunes key on-pitch mechanics such as defending, passing, dribbling, and goalkeeping to create a more balanced and responsive football experience. Beyond gameplay, it introduces new quality-of-life upgrades to Ultimate Team, refines AI logic in Career Mode, improves visual and audio presentation, and resolves numerous stability and UI issues across all platforms. Whether you play competitively online or prefer offline modes like Career or Clubs, Title Update v1.1.0 is designed to enhance consistency, realism, and overall immersion throughout the entire EA SPORTS FC 26 experience.
Gameplay Overhaul: Smarter Defending and Faster Reactions
Defending sees some of the biggest upgrades in this patch. EA has increased AI man-marking aggressiveness around kick-off, while user-controlled defenders now enjoy faster and more responsive jockeying. Sprint Jockey speed has been slightly increased, and tackling animations have been refined for smoother and fairer challenges.
Other defensive improvements include:
- More players staying back during corners.
- Improved standing tackle animations and logic.
- Fixes for unfair ball rebounds where attackers regained possession too easily.
- Refined referee logic to make foul calls more accurate and penalties fairer.
These changes aim to create a more balanced and competitive experience, especially in online matches and Competitive Gameplay settings.
Passing and Movement Refinements
Passing in EA FC 26 is now less assisted and more precise, demanding better player input. Ground and Lofted Through Passes are more responsive to your aim, and first-time passes react quicker to medium-height balls.
Key passing fixes include:
- Improved through pass accuracy and responsiveness.
- Fixed low cross and clearance input delays.
- More natural ball trapping and animation transitions.
- Reduced accuracy for headed lobbed passes and crosses to increase realism.
Movement also sees a major shift. Controlled Sprint Dribbling has been moderately slowed, giving players more realism in ball control. AI teammates now make smarter attacking runs, avoiding offside positions and teammate collisions.
Goalkeeping Enhancements
Goalkeepers have received several vital improvements to increase realism and reliability:
- Better near-post reactions and punch strength.
- Improved logic during corner kicks to stop easy far-post goals.
- Fixes for goalkeepers incorrectly deflecting shots into their own net.
- Manual goalkeeper control improvements to ensure proper reactions during user input.
These updates make goalkeepers behave more consistently, closing one of the biggest frustrations for FC 26 players.
Dribbling and Skill Moves
Ball control has been refined to reward precision and skill:
- Players now maintain better movement speed while trapping the ball.
- Fancy traps are restricted to players with Trickster PlayStyles.
- Skill Move registration issues and flick-up bugs have been fixed.
- Fake shots and Croquettas now respond correctly to user input.
These tweaks improve the fluidity and predictability of attacking gameplay in both online and offline modes.
Ultimate Team: Quality of Life and New Features
Ultimate Team (UT) receives a range of new quality-of-life improvements and interface upgrades, all designed to make managing squads, Evolutions, and Objectives easier than ever.
Key additions include:
- Ability to sort SBCs by Newest or Expiry Date.
- Preview Evolution challenges and player eligibility before unlocking them.
- Favourite and track Objectives – now viewable directly in the Pause Menu.
- Enhanced UI clarity for Evolution previews and upgrade indicators.
Several critical bugs have also been addressed, including formation display errors, UI overlap, and issues with the Transfer Market, Objectives tab, and Champions qualification pop-ups.
Career Mode Fixes
Manager and Player Career fans will notice smoother and more authentic experiences. EA has reduced unnecessary Manager Market emails and improved AI manager job logic to better reflect realistic career paths.
Other important fixes:
- Corrected manager ratings and job offers.
- Fixed repeated “homesick player” events.
- Addressed social media, trophy display, and statistics bugs.
- Improved lighting, player customization, and save reliability.
These updates enhance the overall immersion for Career Mode managers and players alike.
Clubs Mode & General Improvements
In Clubs, user-controlled players now take penalties before AI teammates in Drop-In matches. EA also fixed various UI and customization issues, improved My Pro editing, and addressed visual glitches during goal celebrations.
General updates include:
- Improved graphics, lighting, and stadium effects.
- Better PC performance through shader caching and GPU optimization.
- Fixes for camera angles, match cinematics, and Skill Games functionality.
Final Thoughts on the EA SPORTS FC 26 v1.1.0 Title Update
The EA SPORTS FC 26 v1.1.0 Title Update represents a major step forward in refining gameplay balance, realism, and overall player experience. From smarter defending and sharper passing to improved goalkeeping reactions and smoother Ultimate Team management, this update brings meaningful improvements across every mode. EA’s continued focus on responsiveness and player feedback shows its commitment to evolving the FC 26 experience throughout the season. For the complete and detailed list of all fixes and gameplay adjustments, you can read the official Pitch Notes on EA’s Trello board here: EA SPORTS FC 26 v1.1.0 Title Update – Official Patch Notes.
