EA Sports College Football 26 steps onto the gridiron on July 10, and EA has shared the first gameplay details after revealing the cover athletes yesterday. Players can expect over 2,700 new plays, a fresh roster of collegiate players and coaches, and other tweaks to last year’s modes and features.
This year’s edition features 300 real-world coaches, including Dan Lanning, Kirby Smart, and James Franklin. Player types and abilities have been expanded with 84 total abilities and 10 new archetypes. Player fatigue and injuries can be managed without pausing the action and customized to fit your playstyle. Enhanced AI, dynamic play-calling adjustments, and improved blocking and coverages bolster the core gameplay.
In terms of presentation and immersion, College Football 26 features a revamped Stadium Pulse system that introduces new crowd challenges such as clock distortion, extreme screen shake, and rattled HUDs in rivalry and playoff games. Players will hear over 160 new school-specific chants, 10 new PA tracks (including Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”), and well-known visuals like Texas Tech’s Double T Saddle Monument and Coastal Carolina’s King of Turnovers. The commentary team includes Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, Desmond Howard, and David Pollack.
This year’s Dynasty mode features expanded College Football Playoffs with cross-play support for Online Dynasty. New Dynamic Dealbreakers allow you to avoid player transfers, and you can upload your program using advanced Team Builder customization tools. Road to Glory, which lets you guide a high school student from rookie prospect to Heisman winner, returns, and you can continue your player’s journey in Madden NFL 26. Road to the College Football Playoff features a new online progression format to ensure every win matters.
EA Sports College Football launches on July 10 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. You can read our review of last year’s game here.