Electronic Arts has announced significant updates to the match outcome rules in FC 26, directly addressing the long-standing community frustration caused by opponents quitting or disconnecting during online competitive matches. This critical change is aimed at restoring integrity to the competitive experience in modes like Rivals, Live Events, and Champions, ensuring that players who invest their time in a contest are not unfairly penalized when an opponent deliberately quits.
For years, a widespread issue colloquially known as the “no loss glitch” allowed players who were in a tied match and sensed an impending loss to prematurely exit the game via forceful disconnection. The remaining player would often be denied the deserved win, receiving only a small compensation of coins and the deeply unsatisfying message that the connection had been lost. This meant wasted time and effort, especially in high-stakes matches where progression is paramount.
The new structure guarantees a win for the remaining player when an opponent quits or disconnects while the score is a draw, provided certain in-game conditions have been met. These conditions serve as checkpoints that validate a sufficient commitment to the match has been made by the quitting player, thereby protecting the game from exploitation.
The Updated Conditions for an Awarded Win
The rules are designed to be specific and apply automatically across competitive online modes. For a win to be awarded following an opponent’s disconnection while the score is level, one of the following three conditions must be satisfied:
- Time Elapsed: A minimum of 20 minutes of in-game time has passed. This is a crucial update from the previous threshold of 45 minutes, significantly reducing the amount of time a player must commit to secure a result.
- Penalty Conceded: The quitting or disconnecting player has conceded a penalty kick. This immediately recognizes a game-altering event that necessitates a consequence.
- Red Card Issued: The quitting or disconnecting player has received a red card. Similar to the penalty condition, this prevents a player from escaping the severe disciplinary and tactical impact of being reduced to ten men.
This focused approach ensures that players can secure a win sooner in matches that were previously susceptible to exploitation, rewarding momentum and time investment.
Balancing Integrity with the Daily Cap
While the new conditions are a major win for fairness, EA must also protect the game’s economy and competitive rankings from systematic abuse like win trading or boosting. To counter this, a daily restriction has been placed on the new mechanism. A player can only receive a maximum of five wins per day through this specific disconnect rule. This limit resets globally every 24 hours at 00:00 UTC.
This safety measure represents a calculated compromise. It prevents malicious players from infinitely exploiting the system for guaranteed rewards while still allowing legitimate players to claim deserved victories several times a day.
The reduction of the time condition to just 20 in-game minutes is a clear acknowledgment from the developer that player time is valuable. By implementing these fixed, verifiable checkpoints, EA aims to eliminate one of the most frustrating loopholes in the competitive architecture, cementing a stronger foundation for competitive integrity in FC 26.
