Players were quick to report the issues, and thankfully, EA addressed them with this latest patch. As Eurogamer reported, one major change targeted referee logic so that yellow card scenarios would be decreased. Additionally, the Ball Roll to Scoop Turn skill move combination was adjusted to require a five-star skill and EAFC 26 Coins move rating, and the Royal Wave celebration is now an option when players request a random celebration.
Aside from these more major changes, a long list of bugs were addressed, such as referees ending games during inappropriate situations in stoppage time. A few silly yet frustrating glitches were taken care of, including one where players would float in midair for a moment after a physically contested header, and one where player heads would "shift erratically." FC 26's Title Update 4 has been available on PC since October 27. and the update hit Xbox One and PS4 this week for players to download.
The next generation of consoles is slated to arrive this month, with Xbox Series X and S releasing on November 10 and PlayStation 5 following suit two days later. Since FC 26 hit stores so close to the next-gen console release dates, an enhanced version of the game is headed to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on December 4. Thankfully, for gamers who plan on snagging the new consoles, EA announced a Dual Entitlement scheme that will allow people to upgrade their copy of FC 26 for free for the duration of the game's season and until the release of FC 26. This latest patch certainly did wonders for player complaints, but there is still plenty of work to be done, and hopefully EA will be working on even more improvements to be unveiled alongside the next-generation copy of the game.
The court of The Hague has ruled the Netherlands Gaming Authority is allowed to fine EA €500.000 a week for as long as it continues to sell loot boxes in FIFA Ultimate Team. The decision comes two years after the Gaming Authority decreed the game's Ultimate Team Packs were in violation of the Netherland's gambling laws and originally recommended a fine of €10 million per week until the packs were disabled. EA appealed the original ruling and has stated it plans to to appeal The Hague's decision as well.
The ruling is the latest blow in an ongoing series of EA lawsuits that decry the loot boxes as an illegal form of gambling. Gambling laws in Europe, Canada, and the United Kingdom are stricter than those found in the U.S. in an effort to discourage minors from developing an addiction to gambling through video games. FIFA's Ultimate Team packs are purchased with real money and contain a random selection of soccer (football) players, including the best ones with the highest stats to be used online in matches against other human players or the computer.
Criticism has long since been levied against EA for this extremely lucrative practice, which is essentially "pay-to-win" and encourages kids to buy packs in order to get better players. While the U.K. eventually ruled FIFA loot boxes didn't constitute gambling, other European nations with cheap EAFC 26 Coins aren't quite so sure. In 2018. the Belgium Gaming Authority decreed loot boxes did, in fact, constitute gambling and threatened criminal prosecution against EA if they refused to remove them. EA complied with the order with minimal complaint, and several other mainstream companies, such as Valve and Blizzard, followed suit.
