On July 23, 2026, just after World Cup ended, pre-orders for EA Sports FC 27 began. However, the sales were unexpectedly low, even described by some players as "lowest pre-order numbers in history".

Why did this happen? Many players believe it's due to FC 27's long-standing neglect of user experience and its involvement in microtransactions controversies. But in reality, the low pre-order sales of FC 27 may have complex causes, and this doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad game.

Next, I will analyze the complex logic behind the low pre-order sales of FC 27 in detail.

Negative Player Feedback

First, the negative feedback from players who had early access to the game is indeed a significant reason for the game's lower-than-expected pre-order performance.

For a long time, EA Sports' FC series games have been criticized by players as copy-and-paste, and FC 27 similarly copied some of long-standing problems.

Game Optimization Issues

In FC 26, numerous players reported severe input lag, menu stuttering, and random frame rate drops.

Some players complained on forums, "Starting with EA FC 24, the game only runs at 5 frames per second unless run in windowed mode; I've tried everything to no avail". This problem persisted in FC 27.

Another long-standing nightmare was that the game would freeze if the player disconnected the controller mid-match, requiring a forced restart to resolve.

Poor UI and Control Logic

UI design of FC series was widely criticized in FC 26. Players generally reported that the main menu and mode navigation logic were chaotic, and excessively bloated animations caused extremely slow response times.

Many players even reported that opening each page required loading a large amount of resources, causing prolonged game lag. These issues severely impacted the gaming experience and led some players to abandon FC series altogether.

Ultimate Team Mode Controversy

Ultimate Team mode is considered a signature feature of FC series. In this mode, players need to farm a large number of FC 27 Coins to acquire player cards and build a team.

However, changes to this mode in FC 27 sparked huge controversy: EA officially claimed that they reduced the rewards for SBC and player upgrades to combat players using automated tools to complete SBC.

However, many players believe that EA is forcing players to use Microtransactions.

After all, SBC used to be the primary way for players to acquire player cards - especially for those who only have a little time to play each day. EA's move seems to be forcing players to make a choice: either spend more time in the game or use Microtransactions.

Although Microtransactions were later removed by EA due to the controversy, the rewards for SBC and player upgrades were not restored.

Also Read: EA FC 27 Editions Breakdown: Pre-Order Rewards Before August 31st, FC Points and Value

Intense Competition

Furthermore, the unprecedentedly fierce competition in the recent game market is also a key reason for the diversion of FC 27 pre-orders.

Terrifying Influence of GTA 6

When it comes to the most anticipated game of the second half of 2026, GTA 6 is undoubtedly at the top of the list. The game's pre-orders immediately demonstrated its terrifying money-making power.

Reports indicate that GTA 6 generated approximately $180 million in revenue in its first week of pre-orders in major US and European markets alone. Global sales in the first week are projected at 51 million copies, with estimated sales between $3.3 billion and $5.2 billion.

Players have limited spending budgets and time. Faced with a title like GTA 6 that could define gaming standards for the next few years, many players have temporarily postponed their plans to purchase NES games.

Internal Competition within EA

Beyond NES football game market, EA's other products are also vying for market share. For example, Madden NFL 27 officially launched on August 14th and quickly topped US PlayStation Store sales charts.

While many players focus on a single sports game, even more enjoy playing multiple sports games simultaneously. However, players have limited funds, and those who have already played Madden 27 are likely to forgo pre-ordering FC 27.

FC 27 a Failure?

While we've analyzed the reasons for FC 27's poor pre-order figures, we shouldn't overlook a crucial question: Does a low PC pre-order figure signify a game's failure?

In reality, these pre-order figures don't tell the whole story; we need to interpret them within a more complex market context.

First, remember: these pre-order figures only represent PC platform, which isn't the whole picture. FC series' primary focus remains on console platforms.

According to PlayStation Store charts in various countries, Ultimate and Standard editions of FC 27 ranked in the top 3 of pre-order charts in UK, Germany, France, and many other countries, alternating with GTA 6 in the lead.

This indicates that the game's core player base remains solid, and PC failure doesn't fully represent the game's overall performance.

Meanwhile, with many highly anticipated games recently opening for pre-order, many players will choose to postpone their FC 27 pre-orders and wait until its official release.

Finally, as the official release date approaches, EA will undoubtedly launch a large-scale marketing campaign and media reviews, while also addressing in-game issues based on player feedback.

Therefore, in conclusion, although FC 27's pre-order figures on PC are not ideal, this does not mean the game has been abandoned by players. In fact, there is a considerable number of fans of FC series.

In short, let's all look forward to the official release of FC 27!