EA Sports College Football 26: Deluxe Edition

College Football 26 is better than last year, but it's a sophomore season that's more focused on steady improvement rather than breakout success.

EA Sports College Football 26 builds on its solid foundations and celebrates what makes the college experience and its teams so unique.

One of the reasons for its best-in-class performance is that while Ultimate Team is here, and sound, other modes – and those rivalries! – are given the space to outshine it.

College Football 26 didn’t throw out the playbook from its first year back, but it didn’t need to. Instead, iterative improvements and quality-of-life adjustments build upon an already strong foundation.

Despite my shaky feelings on some of the core modes, College Football 26 is a marked improvement over College Football 25. I got a lot out of the smaller changes, like the new Dynamic Substitutions and supplementary Dynasty features. It’s yet to be seen if this franchise will fall into the cynical rinse and repeat pattern that Madden has been on for several years now, but for the time being, it’s more CFB goodness.

EA Sports College Football 26 is the second game in the revival of the franchise. After a solid debut, CFB 26 adds more to the mix with big improvements to neglected modes and presentation.

Everything that sold everyone on College Football 25 is bigger and better in College Football 26. Check out our review.

While it does not reinvent the wheel, the game does offer a solid update for players eager to play College Football, and I found the game deeply engaging and enjoyable.

EA Sports College Football 26 is a fantastic university football game, and arguably the best American football simulation available today. This year's version raises the bar with numerous upgrades that make the gameplay experience decidedly superior. With improved gameplay, especially on defense, and exceptional immersion, it's a top-tier product for all fans of the sport.

EA Sports College Football 26, especially patched up, will definitely get you ready for this year's IRL college football season. But I can't shake the feeling like it slipped a half-step or two. The honeymoon period is over. Let's see how they respond.