EA Sports’ College Football 26 is back for its second season since its revival in 2024. On paper, it is a college football fan’s dream. The game even has a polished Road to the College Football Playoff mode, a deeper Road to Glory experience, and a new presentation element that promises to replicate the Saturday gameday energy.
The early access to the game began on July 7 for Deluxe Edition owners, giving fans a head start before the July 10 worldwide release. But it looks like those who did get the access are not exactly happy with it.
“Ruins the Fun”: CFB 26 Early Access Leaves Fans More Disappointed Than Delighted
CFB content creator Bordeaux wrote on X not so long ago, “So is anybody else struggling in Road to Glory, especially high school, or was that just me? Heisman is no joke. I was shocked when I heard other difficulties had replays.” That statement opened the floodgates. The comments were filled with those who felt that the Heisman was not hard but rage-inducing.
To be fair, EA did warn the players. This year’s Road to Glory mode comes with drive goals. These are context-based challenges during each offensive drive. EA says they designed these to replicate high-pressure moments in real games.
so is anybody else struggling in Road to Glory, especially high school, or was that just me?
Heisman is no joke, I was shocked when I heard other difficulties had replays
— Bordeaux (@bordeauxyoutube) July 8, 2025
This, however, seems to get rather impossible on the Heisman level. As one fan writes, “The objectives on Heisman QB are near impossible, honestly. You’re bound to fail a few here and there.” This is not just random internet griping; it is the very structure of CFB 26. The Road to Glory experience hinges on what EA calls “moments”.
Moments are bite-sized, pressure-filled scenarios during a player’s five-game high school season. Each game features four key drives, each with one or two goals that define your “Tape Score.” Completing them could mean impressing scouts, and failing them could mean scholarship slipping.
That’s precisely what happened to one player. They hit a 50-yard bomb and earned a verbal offer from Clemson. But since they couldn’t consistently hit other drive goals, the rest of their offers were, in their words, “literal garbage.” Arkansas State was the best of the bunch. While EA balances each drive with a basic goal and a harder one, players on Heisman don’t get any room to breathe.
There are no moment retries on the Heisman level. One mistake could cost everything. Others gave up entirely on the quarterback route. One user shared: “QB was tough, and I abandoned it after a couple of games. HB is pretty easy if you’re fast and can get to the edge.” EA’s mechanics do reward big plays.
Not everyone is drowning, though. One outlier wrote, “I played on Heisman, started as a 3-star RB, and ended up as a 4-star/day 1 starter in the SEC.” Now, ratings are another significant change. It updates weekly based on performance, both in games and High School Scenarios.
The system now includes off-field interactions, text conversations with coaches, and even choices you make around studying or social life. So the players must perform on the field and handle distractions. Outlier netizen aside, this has been brutal to many.
Road to Glory walkouts in College Football 26 are so electric @GopherFootball #CFB26 #SkiUMah pic.twitter.com/UAV48t74Ip
— Paradise CFB (@Paradise_cfb) July 8, 2025
Another player went on to write, “Yeah, I was a 5-star had so many extra points, but the last game of my season I couldn’t convert the last challenge and drop a whole Star.” The reason is nothing but EA’s Performance-Driven Recruiting System that punishes inconsistency. It determines everything from which schools offer you a scholarship to what abilities you unlock before college. Miss the mark, and the consequences are immediate.
One player with a harsh critique wrote, “My frustration comes from challenges out of your control (e.g. win a press animation (as a WR) and the defender never presses you for an entire drive) If you have to score a certain touchdown, I’ll find myself diving at the 1-yard line to try to make it happen, which ruins the fun of the challenges”
That sounds like choreographed chaos. And while EA’s goal was to mirror the unpredictability of the sport, players say it just feels clunky. However, a player who was in 3 hours went on to write, “I started at all American and it’s not horrible.”
In a mode meant to replicate a college athlete’s emotional highs and lows, many fans feel the lows do too much of the heavy lifting. The grind, the randomness, and the impossible tasks are enough to make a 5-star prospect rage quit.
