EA Sports FC 26 (hereafter EA FC 26) kicked off its early access phase on the 23rd, ahead of the official launch on the 26th. While many dedicated fans shelled out for pricier editions to get a head start, the PC version has been marred by a litany of technical nightmares, leaving the community in a state of fury. Steam reviews are currently 'Mixed' (51% positive), with players flooding the forums to vent about launch crashes, missing rewards, and general gameplay instability.

The most frequent grievance involves the game refusing to launch, often crashing straight to the desktop. Countless users have reported clicking the play button, only to be greeted by a brief loading screen before the game unceremoniously dumps them back to the EA App.

The community suspects the culprit is a conflict between EA's anti-cheat software and MS Visual C++ files. One user, identified as Male***, even took matters into their own hands, suggesting that certain system-level programs like Kryptopro are clashing with the anti-cheat. Reinstalling the Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable packages has been touted as a potential bandage, with some users confirming it worked for them.

Meanwhile, those tethered to the EA App have reported success by running the repair function through the installer, while others suggest that verifying Steam files or disabling overlays helps the anti-cheat play nice. EA has acknowledged the situation, stating it is an issue 'affecting some PC users on Steam,' but as the early access clock ticks away, an official patch remains nowhere to be found.

Though the impact varies by region, those who splurged on the Ultimate Edition are venting frustration over missing pre-order bonuses like Icon Packs and FC Points. It seems these rewards are being trickled out in waves rather than all at once, leading to widespread confusion. Some users have noted that their items eventually trickled in, but with no official word from EA, everyone else is left playing a waiting game.

The headaches don't stop there. Reports of controllers failing to register in online modes—affecting both PS5 and Xbox peripherals—are rampant, alongside severe lag and stuttering. To add insult to injury, the Remote Play feature present in previous titles has vanished, killing off couch co-op dreams for some. Many long-time players are calling this a recurring annual tragedy, with the anti-cheat software coming under fire yet again.

While some corners of the community are praising EA FC 26 for what they call 'the best gameplay yet,' the initial technical catastrophe is piling up negative reviews at an alarming rate. For those who paid a premium to jump in three days early, the lack of compensation or a swift resolution is a bitter pill to swallow.