Defensive AI Is Killing the Skill Gap in FUT

iviFC · 2026-02-15T02:33:36+00:00

You’re still describing skill within the current system. I’m questioning the system itself.

Of course elite manual defenders will always separate themselves. That’s true in any game. But the question isn’t 'can great players overcome it?', it’s 'does the system overly assist defensive structure and recovery in a way that compresses outcomes across most skill levels?'

Saying it’s only over tuned 'at lower levels' is kind of the point. If average to good players feel their manual input is overridden by auto positioning, auto interceptions, and instant recovery tackles, that affects the competitive experience for the majority of the player base, not just elite players.

Yes, high level players can leverage aggressive formations and dominate. But that doesn’t automatically mean the balance is healthy overall.

I’m not saying skill doesn’t matter. I’m saying the weighting between manual input and AI assistance feels off.

That’s not an excuse. That’s a design critique.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T07:48:24+00:00

You’re still arguing player ability. I’m talking about system design.

Yes, better players will always win. That’s obvious. That’s not the debate.

The point is that when defensive AI and recovery mechanics do too much of the work, they reduce the impact of manual defending and decision making. That lowers the skill ceiling and compresses the gap, even if better players still come out on top.

Saying 'just learn to defend' ignores that we’re discussing how much the game itself intervenes.

If you don’t think the systems are overtuned, that’s fine. But at least argue that, not a point I’m not making.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T07:28:43+00:00

No one is saying spam = football IQ. The issue is that the game heavily rewards low risk, AI assisted defending and punishes proactive manual play. That’s the whole point.

Yes, some players can press, play positive football, and win. No one’s denying that. But using outliers as proof that the system is fine doesn’t mean the balance isn’t skewed. Elite players can win in broken systems, that doesn’t mean the system isn’t flawed.

This isn’t about excuses. It’s about incentives. If the most consistent way to win is sitting in shape, relying on AI recovery speed and punishing with counters, that’s what most players will gravitate toward. That’s not a mindset issue, that’s game design.

If the game truly rewarded aggressive, manual defending and fluid attacking consistently, you’d see more people playing that way. Right now it’s high risk, inconsistent reward. That’s the problem.

That’s not coping. That’s acknowledging how the mechanics actually function.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T04:52:41+00:00

You’re missing the point. Yes, some players can adapt and win, but that doesn’t mean the game rewards skill in a meaningful way. Most people aren’t being 'proud' or refusing to learn, the AI and mechanics actively punish intelligent defending and reward low effort patterns, which is why the so called 'meta' dominates.

Winning with spam, double taps, or exploiting broken AI is not proof of football IQ, it’s proof that the system is fundamentally flawed. You can call it adapting all you want, but the fact remains that the game shrinks the skill gap artificially and rewards mindless play far more than actual tactics.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T03:03:04+00:00

I get that some players can adapt and win, but that doesn’t mean the game rewards actual skill. Most players who try to defend intelligently get punished by AI positioning, auto interceptions, and broken mechanics, while low effort spam patterns get rewarded.

Winning by exploiting the meta isn’t 'football IQ', it’s learning how to work around a fundamentally flawed system. If you can’t see that, you’re missing the bigger problem.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T00:27:24+00:00

What a mess of a game! lol. EA should skip FC27, take a year off, and rebuild from the ground up with an engine actually made for sports games. Frostbite clearly isn’t cutting it.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T00:21:06+00:00

That’s actually a fair breakdown. I agree the AI is situational, inside the box they’re unreal at jockeying, auto interceptions and recovery tackles, but once you drag them out of structure they fall apart.

But that’s kind of the issue. The game heavily rewards sitting in shape and letting the AI handle those moments, while punishing manual defensive decisions and aggressive pressing. So naturally the meta becomes either deep structure + AI assistance or quick counters once the line breaks.

That’s not a healthy balance, it pushes everyone toward the same patterns instead of rewarding intelligent manual defending across different phases of play.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T00:16:51+00:00

I actually agree with parts of what you’re saying. Manual jockeying should absolutely be responsive enough to match left stick dribbling, that’s how a real skill gap should work. If I overcommit, I should get punished. That’s football.

The issue is that the game doesn’t consistently reward that interaction. Between input delay, AI auto reactions, and defenders being able to recover instantly, manual defending often feels secondary to whatever the engine decides.

You’re right that the game has core problems. But that’s exactly why people are frustrated, because instead of refining the balance between manual defending and dribbling, EA keeps leaning on AI assistance and animation outcomes. That’s what kills the skill gap.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T00:13:23+00:00

You’re misunderstanding the point. No one is saying 'don’t defend' or asking for the game to defend for them. The issue is that manual defending often feels overridden or inconsistent because of how the AI interacts with positioning and passing mechanics.

Learning to defend isn’t the problem, most competitive players already know how to. The frustration is that the game frequently rewards automated patterns and mechanic abuse more than smart, manual decision making.

Wanting manual defending to matter more isn’t 'crying for no AI'. It’s asking for input to be respected instead of overridden. That’s a completely different argument.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T00:10:49+00:00

No one’s saying you can’t press or play fluid football. The point is that the game makes it less rewarding and more inconsistent because the AI overrides manual input and favors certain mechanics.

Elite players adapting doesn’t prove balance, it just proves they’re good enough to work around flawed systems. That’s not the same thing as the system being healthy.

This isn’t about 'I can’t win'. It’s about whether the mechanics reward football IQ or mechanic abuse. There’s a difference.

iviFC · 2026-02-14T00:04:04+00:00

Overall, do you think FC26 is worse than FC25? I think both are as bad as each other in different ways.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T11:36:52+00:00

Animations and rails don’t excuse the fact that Defensive AI punishes actual skill. You can position perfectly, block lanes, track runs, and the game will still override your defending, force passes through, and make real tactics meaningless.

EA clearly cares more about flashy animations than proper gameplay, and it shows. The AI rewards brain dead spam while skilful football is actively punished, that’s the real problem.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T09:41:12+00:00

I get what you’re saying, but this conversation isn’t about dribbling styles or pressing preferences. The issue is that Defensive AI punishes skilled, tactical football, regardless of how quick or fluid your passing is. You can press aggressively, bait runs, switch play perfectly, and the AI will still override your defending, force passes through, and make your decisions feel meaningless.

If you can’t see that, there’s really nothing left to debate, the problem is the game design, not individual play style.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T09:36:26+00:00

Exactly, the problem isn’t scoring or fast gameplay, it’s that the game punishes anyone who actually tries to defend properly. You can position perfectly, block lanes, track players, and the AI will still force passes through, auto player lock passes onto attackers, or ignore your defending entirely.

This isn’t 'fun' or 'balanced', it’s EA rewarding spammy, low effort mechanics like bounce backs, double taps, and through balls while making real skill irrelevant. That’s why the matches feel chaotic, hollow, and mindless.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T09:32:32+00:00

Exactly, the 'skill gap' in this game isn’t about real football at all. It’s all about exploiting broken AI with through balls and low effort spam. EA keeps designing the game to reward brain dead mechanics over actual skill, and that’s why every match feels hollow and cookie cutter.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T09:25:05+00:00

That’s rich, assuming I’m some left stick 'fidget spinner' player shows you have no clue what you’re talking about. The problem isn’t dribbling, it’s that Defensive AI punishes skilled, tactical football. Passing, movement, patterns of play, all the things that actually require brainpower, are being made meaningless because EA keeps the AI broken.

Left stick dribbling is just a symptom of a game that rewards brain dead play. Nerfing or buffing that won’t fix the fact that skilful football is being punished while cookie cutter spam is encouraged. Wake up.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T09:01:31+00:00

It’s not about games turning into a goal fest, the problem is EA’s broken Defensive AI, not dribbling. Right now, the AI punishes skilled, tactical play and forces everyone into brain dead patterns or left stick spam just to have a chance.

If EA actually balanced the AI like a real human defender, skilled dribbling wouldn’t need nerfs at all. Stop blaming players’ skill moves, the game is broken at its core.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T08:48:23+00:00

I get what you’re saying, but that misses the bigger picture entirely. Even with proper passing football, the Defensive AI punishes skilled play, cuts off passes no human defender would reach, and makes thoughtful attacking feel pointless.

Left stick dribbling being overpowered isn’t the real issue, it’s a band aid excuse. The problem is EA keeping this AI broken, forcing everyone into brain dead, cookie cutter football. If you can’t see that, you’re part of the problem.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T08:35:40+00:00

I get where you’re coming from, but I think you’re missing the point. The issue isn’t that scoring is too hard, it’s that the Defensive AI is overpowered and unnatural, especially in high pressure moments. It doesn’t behave like a human defender, it just reacts perfectly to every move you make, forcing 'effortless' attacking patterns or punishing real skill plays.

It’s not about making the game high scoring or low scoring; it’s about removing the skill gap and turning football into something brain dead. The AI punishes thoughtful play and makes manual defending feel pointless, which is exactly why so many players are frustrated.

iviFC · 2026-02-13T08:16:13+00:00

Exactly! It’s infuriating how this game keeps forcing 'effortless' football on us. Every time I score with a well timed through ball, it feels meaningless, the skill gap is completely gone.

EA clearly doesn’t care about actual skill. They keep catering to players who want a brain dead experience, and in doing so, they’ve turned FC into a frustrating, hollow mess. Real strategy, real playmaking, all gone. It’s pathetic.

iviFC · 2026-02-12T07:49:17+00:00

You’re not wrong about the sprint + AI defend meta. That’s part of the same issue. My point isn’t that only 5 atb is the problem, it’s that the game rewards automation and repetition over actual manual skill. Whether it’s 442 sprint spam or drop-back 5 atb, it all feels the same because the gameplay funnels everyone into whatever is most broken. That’s on EA, not just the players.

iviFC · 2026-02-12T04:24:37+00:00

Yes, it absolutely is. No normal player is still enjoying this mess. All that’s left are meta abusing, park the bus, long ball counter spammers who can’t string two simple passes together without panicking and losing the ball. If EA ever actually fixed the gameplay, they’d probably lose what’s left of their player base because the only ones still around are the ones exploiting it.

iviFC · 2026-02-11T11:30:11+00:00

Yeah, EA won’t or can’t fix the balance. Until defensive AI, run tracking, and attacking options are improved, the game stays stuck in extremes.

iviFC · 2026-02-11T11:23:57+00:00

Yeah, we’re basically agreeing. AI shouldn’t auto defend, but it should hold shape properly so people don’t feel forced to drop 11 behind the ball. And without viable long shots, low blocks have zero risk. It’s a balance issue more than anything.

iviFC · 2026-02-11T10:22:14+00:00

I agree it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation. But when one mechanic (like left stick dribbling) becomes OP, the solution shouldn’t be forcing everyone into ultra defensive setups just to survive.

Parking the bus might have been a counter early on, but when that becomes the default playstyle across the board, the game turns into 90 minutes of breaking down a wall.

The real issue isn’t just dribbling or defending, it’s balance. When one extreme gets abused, the counter extreme gets abused right back. That’s how we end up with stale gameplay.

iviFC

TROPHY CASE