I’ve been playing EAFC since 1995. It was introduced to me when I was young a simple football game that quickly became a part of my life. Back then, it felt magical. The graphics, the crowd chants, the feeling of scoring a goal from midfield it was pure joy. Every new version brought excitement, a fresh cover star, and a sense that I was part of something global.
Over the years, I competed with some of the best players, spent countless nights practicing free kicks and tactical formations, and watched the game evolve from pixelated stadiums to lifelike realism. With every new release, I convinced myself that this year’s edition would finally deliver something truly different. But now, after more than two decades, I’ve started to reflect and I realize that despite being a great player, I gained nothing of real value.
EA Sports FC 26, the newest chapter in the franchise, feels like another reminder of this endless cycle. Every year, players pay over a hundred dollars for the same core experience slightly improved graphics, minor gameplay tweaks, and new kits. The excitement fades fast, replaced by a feeling that it’s all just another annual subscription disguised as innovation.
Looking back, I think about all the hours I spent perfecting my skills, mastering dribbles, and chasing online ranks. I was good very good but where did it lead? Unlike real-world skills, gaming mastery in titles like EAFC doesn’t translate into something meaningful outside the screen. There’s no income, no growth, no lasting value.
If I had used even a portion of those years to learn something new coding, design, investing, writing I could have built something real. I could have developed skills that paid off, opened doors, or even helped me create my own games. Instead, I invested thousands of hours in a digital loop, chasing rankings that reset every season.
That’s the harsh truth behind EA Sports FC 26 and games like it. They’re designed to keep us coming back, to make us believe that buying the latest version is progress. But in reality, it’s the same pitch, the same patterns, and the same outcome we pay, we play, we move on, and nothing changes.
So my message is simple: don’t get trapped. Don’t feel pressured to pay for new editions or expensive online modes year after year. Enjoy games for fun, but know where to draw the line. If you’re spending hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours each year, ask yourself what are you truly gaining?
Instead of another $100 on a slightly improved football sim, invest that money and time in learning something valuable a skill that stays with you for life. Build something real, something that pays back. Because when the servers shut down and the hype fades, all that remains is the time you’ve spent. Make sure it counts.
