EA FC 26 introduces several new skill moves, and also makes it easier for players to pull off skills.
Based on community feedback, EA made dribbling more responsive and fluid in FC 26. To accomplish this goal, FC 26 features more responsive ball control, tighter touches and turns, and improved dribbling animations. EA also heard complaints about players feeling too sluggish and heavy, particularly when changing directions or chasing down the ball.
In response, players feel more agile in the upcoming title, run styles are more natural, and attackers can outrun defenders more frequently. EA also decided to simplify acceleration types by cutting them back to three—Explosive, Lengthy, and Controlled.
Attackers also have more tools in their arsenal, thanks to a plethora of new skill moves and simplified controls.
Every New Skill Move in EA FC 26
Here are all of the new skill moves, and how to perform them on PlayStation and Xbox. Every player has a skill move star rating from one to five. If a player only has one-star skill rating, they won’t be able to perform too many moves. Yet, if a player has a five-star skill rating, they can do any skill move from 1 through 5.
| Skill Move | Skill Move Stars | PlayStation Controls | Xbox Controls |
| Explosive Stepover (From Stand and Jog) | 3-5 Star | Hold L1 + Rotate RS Forward to Left / Right (+ LS direction to exit) | Hold LB + Rotate RS Fwd to Left / Right (+ LS direction to exit) |
| Advanced Heel Flick (From Jog) | 4-5 Star | Flick RS Forward, Back + LS diagonal left or right or forward | Flick RS Forward, Back + LS diagonal left or right or forward |
| Drag To Chop (From Stand) | 4-5 Star | Hold L2 + Roll RS Left, Back, Right / Right, Back, Left | Hold LT + Roll RS Left, Back, Right / Right, Back, Left |
| Elastico Variation (From Jog) | 5 Star | Hold L2 + Rotate RS Right, Back, Left / Rotate RS Left, Back, Right | Hold LT + Rotate RS Right, Back, Left / Rotate RS Left, Back, Right |
| Trickster Rainbow | 1-5 Star | Flick RS Back, Forward | Flick RS Back, Forward |
EA also announced several other changes. This includes nerfing the speed boost caused by doing step-overs, which became a go-to skill-move in FC 25.
- Adjusted Lane Change to be faster and not push the ball forward at the end of the animation.
- Adjusted jog variation of Drag Back to be 10% more effective.
- Closer ball control when doing a Skill Move while sprinting.
- Reduced skill move error across all skill moves.
- Adjusted Fake Shot to Stops to transition to dribble faster.
- Enabled goalkeepers to do more skill moves such as Ball Rolls, Body Feints, and Roulette.
- Fixed unresponsive skill moves and increased responsiveness in some instances to be more consistent.
EA FC 26 Simplified Skills Expained
In the Accessibility options, there is an option to enable Simplified Skills. You can also activate in-game by pressing in on the right stick in any of the four main directions. With the setting enabled, you can use skill moves with a simple flick of the right stick.
However, Simplified Skills take longer to perform; you can only do a max of three skill moves in a row, and they are slightly more prone to error.
Here are the Simplified Skill controls, which change depending on the player’s skill move star rating.
- 1 – 2 stars
- Right Stick Forward – Low Skill Roulette
- Right Stick Left / Right – Ball Roll
- Right Stick Back – Feint Forward and Turn
- 3 – 4 stars
- Right Stick Forward – Roulette
- Right Stick Left / Right – Stop and Turn
- Right Stick Back – Feint Forward and Exit
- 5 stars
- Right Stick Forward – 3 Touch Roulette
- Right Stick Left / Right – Drag Turn
- Right Stick Back – Flair Nutmeg 180
Which skill move are you most excited to try out? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Forum.
For more on EA FC 26, check out how to provide direct feedback on the game, and all of the licensed clubs and leagues.
