EAFC 26's New Stadiums Boost Career Mode Immersion

🏡 A Digital Homecoming

As the September 26th release date for EAFC 26 approaches, (September 19th for those who preordered the Ultimate Edition), the excitement within the franchise gaming community is building. While most of the news from EA has been related to the online game modes within EAFC, what resonates with the career mode gamers within the Franchise Faithful movement most has been the announcements of the new and updated stadiums. For us these venues don’t just provide updated visuals; they bring about a deeper sense of legacy and immersion to the digital pitch.

🪪 A Tale of Licenses

One of the most anticipated returns is that of FC Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, which has been absent from the EA franchise for years due to a licensing agreement with Konami and their PES/eFootball series. Its comeback is a massive win for fans who have long desired to have true immersion in their Bundesliga saves, which hasn’t been fully possible when the kings of Germany have been playing on a generic pitch. Also, the addition of Napoli's Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is particularly noteworthy. It's a significant inclusion given that many of the biggest Serie A clubs still lack official stadium and club licenses, forcing career mode players to compete on generic grounds against fake clubs with imitation badges and kits, (but still fielding the real life players). Napoli joins Juventus and Udinese as the only clubs in Italy with a licensed stadium in game.

🏟️ Stadium Updates and Deepening Immersion

EA has also included FC Nantes’ stadium for the first time, the Stade de la Beaujoire, bringing another Ligue 1 ground into the game. In England, Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium is a major highlight, as the game will include a significant update for one of Premier League’s most historic clubs. Additionally, several existing stadiums have been rebuilt and updated to be more authentic to their real-life counterparts, including Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, RCD Mallorca's Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, and Portsmouth's Fratton Park. This level of detail ensures that the familiar venues still feel fresh and immersive reflecting their real life upgrades.

Back to Germany, Darmstadt's Stadion am Böllenfalltor and Holstein Kiel's Holstein-Stadion are making their arrival in-game. This is fantastic news for players who want to enjoy a 2. Bundesliga career mode save, as EA have been doing a great job adding German grounds with now 28 out of top 36 teams having an authentic stadium in game.

For MLS fans, the inclusion of Messi’s Inter Miami's Chase Stadium is a welcome sight after two consecutive years with no new MLS stadiums in-game. Considering EA’s headquarters being located in MLS territory, it’s a surprise we haven’t seen more American and Canadian stadiums represented over the years. Beyond licensed grounds, EA has also updated several generic stadiums like Union Park Stadium, Stade Municipal, Stadio Classico, and Molton Road. These improvements are great for teams that have unlicensed stadiums and need to choose a solid generic one for a save.

🌎 A Global Push

Beyond the marquee names, EA is continuing a recent trend of adding stadiums from leagues outside of the traditional top-5 European leagues. Beşiktaş's Tüpraş Stadyumu from Turkey (bringing the total of Turkish stadiums to 3), and a trio of stadiums from Austria and Switzerland: RB Salzburg's Red Bull Arena, BSC Young Boys' Stadion Wankdorf, and FC Basel's St. Jakob-Park. For years, taking on a project with a team outside the elite leagues meant playing in a nameless, generic arena with no authentic atmosphere. Now with these additions and many others, managing a club outside of the top-5 leagues can feel more authentic and immersive than ever before.

🎮 What does this mean for the Franchise Faithful?

These additions are unique because they almost uniquely affect career mode players. Ultimate Team users can equip a stadium to be used in certain online events within the mode, but they are tedious to even try and find on the transfer market. While there may still be a long way to go when it comes addressing all that is missing or broken in career mode, you have to admit that these new stadiums are tailored to the career mode community. This focus on stadiums and smaller leagues is a direct response to the career mode community’s call for greater representation, and it shows that there is some amount of listening on EA’s end and that is a step in the right direction.