gameplay

Just like I did with the Madden NFL 26 gameplay deep dive, I won’t be sharing the entire deep dive here, but I will be sharing some of the highlights from the Campus Huddle post and my experiences during the hands-on preview.

DYNAMIC  SUBS – NO MORE PAUSING, JUST PLAYINGFor as long as football games have existed, making substitutions meant pausing the game, diving into menus, and breaking the flow of the action. With the addition of Wear and Tear and Confidence and Composure, you told us you wanted more options when it came to moving players in and out. We listened.Introducing Dynamic Subs, a new feature that brings real-time roster management directly onto the field. Now, strategic substitutions can happen seamlessly—without ever leaving the action.

This was a community request for most of last year. Now, you’ll have full control over your team in-game substitutions from a flick of a button. I’ll be excited to see how some of the more competitive players start to use this, especially in the highly competitive game modes.

WEAR AND TEAR – MORE DEPTH, MORE CONTROLWe were thrilled by your response to the Wear and Tear system last year. Introducing a completely new, physics-based damage mechanic is always a bit nerve-wracking, but your enthusiasm showed we hit the mark. Wear and Tear was never meant to be just another injury system—it was designed as a gameplay balance mechanic, bringing real strategic depth and meaningful roster decisions. The foundation was set, now we continue to build on it.

Last year, we were introduced to the Wear and Tear system with the response being pretty good overall. The team at EA Sports taking that and not being complacent with it has me cheering. It’ll be interesting to see how the new updates will impact how we play Road to Glory and Dynasty modes. If you run as a QB every play, will you make it to your senior year? Can you run your duo of running backs into the ground and them make it to the NFL? It’ll be interesting to test the boundaries of the new Wear and Tear tech.

WEATHER THE STORM, WIN THE GAMEThrough conversations with real-world coaches and players, one recurring theme emerged clearly: weather significantly impacts player wear and tear. Reflecting this real-world insight, we’ve integrated weather-based modifiers into the Wear and Tear system. 

Just like I mentioned before, the best part of some of these updates will be seeing how it impacts the longer-term game modes. If you have your WR trying to catch passes in the snow and he keeps getting hit over and over, maybe he won’t be able to finish the game. I’m always a fan of dynamic weather, so it’s exciting to see more moving forward. I played a game in the snow during my preview and it was such a blast visually.

Field Vision: Height Finally MattersIn our quest to make pocket passers as valuable as they are in real life, we introduced real-world challenges to level the playing field. This is where Field Vision comes into play. No, there’s no Vision Cone on the field. :)Through conversations with coordinators across the country, one theme kept coming up: the importance of moving the quarterback’s launch point and how interior pressure can impair vision. We took that to heart.Field Vision accounts for your quarterback’s height, the size of offensive and defensive linemen, and their proximity to the pocket. Smaller quarterbacks under center—especially on quick drops or throws between the numbers—will experience realistic visibility limitations. That’s why many real-life QBs favor shotgun or pistol looks. In College Football 26, when shorter QBs are surrounded by taller linemen, receiver icons may fade to reflect obstructed sightlines. You can still attempt those throws—but expect an accuracy penalty, mirroring the real-world challenges these players face.

This has me excited on so many levels. Finally, height will impact the game! If you have a Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, Johnny Manziel type QB, he may not be able to see over the 6’6″+ linemen all of the time. Meaning he’ll be looking through the holes in the line and moving around and outside the pocket. Meanwhile, a Peyton Manning, Cam Newton, Brock Osweiler type QB may not need as much movement to see the field.

Core Tackling Improvements:This year’s core tackling improvements go beyond just adding new animations—they’re about capturing the emotional core of college football. Whether it’s a critical third-down stop, a game-altering sack, or a tone-setting hit early in the game, these improvements are designed to recreate the chaos, energy, and momentum swings you see every Saturday. We wanted defenses to feel as dynamic and capable as the offenses they’re trying to stop, and that started with building out core tackling in a way that looks better, feels better, and plays more responsively.

I’m always a fan of anything to make playing defense more dynamic and fit the vibe of College Football. The plays like Jadeveon Clowney making a huge hit that stays on a constant cycle on social media should be a big moment in-game, and it seems like this will be a focus for College Football 26.

Block Steering: Take Control of LeverageNew to College Football 26, Block Steering is a foundational trench feature that gives both users and AI the ability to physically influence the direction of a block once an engagement has started.Just like you’d see from interior disruptors like Warren Sapp or Terrell Suggs—defensive linemen who don’t need finesse moves to wreck a game—Block Steering captures the subtle war of leverage and momentum. Sometimes it’s not about winning clean. It’s about squeezing the gap, clogging the lane, and turning a six-yard run into a stalemate at the line.

Again, any reason to make defense more interesting to not only play, but to watch. Giving the top-tier defensive players ways to show their skill and power will be enjoyable to play during games and will lead to new guides in Dynasty for getting players who fit your schemes better than ever before.

There are so many new additions that Scott talks about, make sure you read the full Gameplay Blog here!

Finally, here is the great video done with the iconic voice of Kirk Herbstreit to give us some details and new footage from College Football 26.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for all your news, reviews, and interviews about College Football 26.

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