Alright, after a full day streaming AFL 26, here’s the honest truth — it’s definitely a step up from AFL 23, no question. The gameplay feels somewhat smoother, way more physical, and way more rewarding when you get things right.
That said, it’s still rough around the edges. There are bugs (some pretty funny ones, others... not so much), but we’ll get to that.
Gameplay First — And It’s Certainly Improved
The goalkicking is proper hard now. You’ve actually got to focus. No more auto-slotting them from 55m out. You mess up the timing? It’s a shank. You rush it? It’s a shank. But when you nail it from the boundary it genuinely feels like an accomplishment. It adds tension, and I love that.
Marking’s way better too. Pack marks are intense. It’s all about positioning, timing, and a bit of luck. You can’t just spam the mark button anymore and hope for the best. Leading does have its issues with defenders zipping infront of you. But contested grabs, intercept marks — they all feel way more satisfying when timed correctly.
And speaking of improvements, the physical stuff. Jostling, bumping, body-on-body contests — finally, it feels like footy. You can crash into packs, throw your weight around, and actually feel the impact, Players now hit each other in the air and dont phase into each other anymore. It’s not perfect, but it’s way more realistic than what we had last year.
Player Career mode is a much needed inclusion and Management Mode is way more detailed.
Still Got Issues, Though
Now, don’t get it twisted — there are still bugs. Some minor, some game-breaking. During my stream, I ran into a few weird T-Pose animations, some AI doing laps outside the ground, and a couple of crashes when running through the banner.
You can check out all the stuff I found over on my socials — just search GWSharpy and you’ll see the chaos.
The games menus feel clean but the text could be a bit bigger. A main issue is the commentary’s still so flat, and some player models are, let’s just say... unique. But look, compared to AFL 23, it’s clear they’ve listened. It’s not just a patch job — it actually feels like they’re building something better here.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, AFL 26 is a proper footy challenge. It’s harder, it’s rougher, and it rewards good play. Is it perfect? Nah. But it’s got the bones of a great game — and with a few more updates, it could be the footy game we’ve all been waiting for.
If you’re a diehard fan or just keen to see how it stacks up, give it a crack. Just be ready for a few glitches and don’t expect perfection straight out of the box.
7.5/10
For all my gameplay, thoughts, and bug clips — hit up my socials at GWSharpy.
