FIFA world champion Spencer “Huge Gorilla” Ealing has explained why manual defending isn’t the key problem with gameplay in EA SPORTS FC 26, but it’s something similar that makes stopping attackers so much harder.
Manual defending has been a somewhat regular complaint from FIFA or FC players in recent years, with EA progressively shifting control to players to enhance skill expression. Introduced more prominently with FIFA 12’s Tactical Defending, the system aimed to reward precision over reliance on AI.
However, complaints about sluggish mechanics have persisted. In FIFA 17, players criticized unresponsive jockeying, a grievance echoed in FIFA 20 when directional input delays frustrated defenders.
Jockeying a Major Problem in FC 26
Now, we’re up to FC 26, and many players are finding issues with defending once again – but it might not be just a manual defending problem, according to Huge Gorilla.
“Manual defending isn’t the problem,” he said. “It’s the fact that jockeying is like turning in mud and the attackers are 10x more responsive”
Manual defending isn’t the problem…
It’s the fact that jockeying is like turning in mud and the attackers are 10x more responsive
— Spencer (@Huge_Gorilla) September 29, 2025
He added in a follow-up that “If an attacker can turn left right left right super quick but you can’t match their movement because of the jockey speed, it becomes a problem.”
Is Kounde the Fix?
Many in the replies tried to suggest possible solutions to the jockeying problem, including trying Jules Kounde with the Jockey+ attribute, which provides increased maximum sprint jockey speed and improved transition speed when the player is jockeying.
However, Huge Gorilla said that it’s an animation thing more so than strictly gameplay, and that even Kounde struggles to keep up.
It’s an animation thing, even Kounde with jockey+ struggles
— Spencer (@Huge_Gorilla) September 29, 2025
It will be interesting to see how this affects pro level play, but there’s a good chance we see Kounde become an essential pick throughout the year.
FC esports could be set to change drastically in the coming years anyway, following the announcement that EA is to be acquired by a consortium that includes Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). While this could signal significant changes in the future for EA’s esports titles, whether it ends up really affecting the gameplay remains to be seen.