AFL 26 is a commendable iteration that refines its predecessors’ foundation while introducing meaningful improvements. The enhanced marking system, deeper tactical options and more challenging goalkicking contribute to a more engaging experience, despite the persistence of some long-standing issues. While the PlayStation 5 version is fast for load times and performance, it doesn’t represent a groundbreaking leap forward for next-gen hardware. Nevertheless, AFL 26 is a significant step in the right direction for Australian Rules Football gaming and fans of the sport will undoubtedly appreciate the considerable effort put into this title.

AFL 26 is for the fans who love their footy enough to forgive the rough edges, push through the clunky gameplay, and accept the long-standing frustrations that have plagued AFL games for decades and likely always will, to chase their dream of lifting the Premiership Cup.

Those gripes and wishlish items are minor issues that would be nice to see Big Ant address in future titles, but I don’t want to take anything away from AFL 26. It plays incredibly well and has had a lot of effort put into it, despite being a game that only really has Australia to count on as far as marketability. What’s more, Big Ant’s still patching away. It’s going to be fascinating to see where this one ends up in a year.