It’s been 12 months since I bit the bullet, laid out my hundred bucks, and invested in a copy of AFL 26
I tend to get a bit excited when a new video game releases in an area I have an interest in, and given I run The Mongrel Punt, the release of a new AFL game always grabs my attention.
Almost always, at least.
The last time Big Ant Studios released an AFL game, I had a bit on. As such, I decided to wait a few weeks before buying it. And then came the reviews. Suffice to say, they were not positive, and it kind of turned me off, a little. Or, at least, it made me feel like I didn’t need to rush to purchase the game. I eventually took the plunge, bought the game, played a bit, and I was done with it. It was pretty buggy and, to be honest, it wasn’t fun.
I felt like I wasn’t really in control of the footy at times, and I didn’t like that. I didn’t invest much into the game, and as such, I kind of went into AFL 26 feeling I’d been there and done that before.
Had the company learned their AFL 23 lesson with the release of AFL 26?
Hell, had I?
Or was I going to leap into a new AFL game only to be let down again?
A year after a release that drew mixed reviews this time round, what have we seen from the AFL’s only current generation video game release?
Firstly, I should note that I am not a hardcore gamer. I don’t live and die based on whether I love a game, and really, there are far too many whining bitches online without me adding to them because I couldn’t get a suitable game in the online lobby. If that’s what you’re expecting, this review will disappoint you.
I was there for AFL on the Nintendo.
I played AFL 98 on my PC and loved it.
And then I may have missed a couple of games through several console generations along the way. If the game is enjoyable, I’ll state it. If it has problems, I’ll state them, as well. But I have no dog in the fight – I have no connection to the studio that created the game, or a Twitch account for you to be funnelled to in order to watch me cock up the most basic of gameplay.
I’m just a guy who parted with a hundred bucks in the hope that this time, we get good value.
Let’s jump in.
After the inevitable “this game is broken” complaints from the people who state that about every game for the first two weeks of its life, things settled pretty quickly with AFL 26. Launched in the Autumn of 2025, it hit the shelves with little fanfare.
I get the feeling that Big Ant Studios isn’t afforded a massive budget for promotion, and after the failure of AFL 223, they took a lower key approach to this game.
A wise move.
This game needed to be one that redeemed themselves in the eyes of AFL gamers, and I reckon the company has done just that.
TUTORIALS
Ah yes… AFL 23 didn’t have these, and it is why I spent my time playing that game, feeling like the work experience kid trying to operate the photocopier.
Big Ant have fixed this, and I have to say… I fucking nailed these tutorials. I could immediately tell I was going to be a gun at this game. Still, even after a year, I’ve only ever played three other actual humans online. The reslts of those games amount to one win, one game that was called a win because the opponent dropped out or something, and one absolute flogging. I stayed to the end of the flogging, too – just like I do when I watch my team get its pants pulled down in the AFL. Don’t quit – get better.
Anyway, that flogging aside, video games are fantasy, and in this fantasy, I am good at this game.
So, you learn to kick and handball, kick for goal, spoil, take a speccie, and bump the opposition.
Seriously, I flattened this poor Brisbane bloke so many times in the tutorial, I am surprised Michael Christian didn’t step in and suspend me from the XBox. I may have even needed Carlton’s lawyers.
After feeling pretty confident I was doing the right thing, I decided to venture into the PLAY NOW mode to test myself against North Melbourne… because I figured they were pretty shit at the time in real life, and they’d be shit in the game, as well.
It was a mistake.
I was the shitty one, and the Roos hammered me.
I forgot how to tackle immediately, and had massive issues defending whenever there was speed on the ball. The Roos took marks on the lead over and over, and in a game with 3.5 minute quarters, on whatever difficult the default is, I got beaten by five goals.
It sucked, and I wanted to return the game immediately, but then I remembered I’m not a spoilt little asshole, and decided to play some more.
On reflection, I liked that I got beat. It meant the game wasn’t too easy to accommodate noobs like me, and I had to work to get better.
Quick clearance handballs and remembering both how to tackle and mark saw me lose the next game by a goal, and the next game by four points after falling behind early. However, in my fourth game, I was able to squeeze out a win.
“We’re a happy team at Hawthorn…” was good to see the boys sing the song in celebration of my huge efforts.
Was it perfect game play?
Look, I reckon an AFL game is tough to get right. I’m genuinely not sure it’s ever been done perfectly, but for fun, and for someone who doesn’t care too much about everything being flawless, I didn’t find much wrong. I got caught holding the ball a bit when I thought I had time and space, but really, that happens in real life, so maybe they have that aspect right, and I just wanted it to be free and easy on the outside.
Oh, and don’t try to play on quickly if you take a mark – you’ll get caught. Ask me how I know.
PRO-TEAM
This is the mode that many seem obsessed with, and as the year has progressed, this is the mode that has kept me engaged.
The challenges keep coming on a weekly basis, providing fresh content in a mode that is constantly updating. Certain statistical milestones, some reflecting the current weekend in footy, are your goals. A series of achievements are required to unlock high-profule, and highly-rated players.
It’s a great way of building a team and improving a list of players to choose from.
Initially, you had the playing lists from 2024/25, but there were legends – Peter Bosustow, Nathan Buckley, Michael Voss, Richo, Barry Hall, etc… thrown into the mix , past players, and different versions of current players added which you can find via packs, with in-game currency.
Of course, you can also buy chances to get these players using real currency, and that is the downfall of the mode, particularly if you’re on a budget.
This year, they have updated all lists and now we get the 2026 rookies, as well as new versions of the entire league.
If you need to be the best and absolutely get obsessed with games, I would probably avoid this mode – it will suck you into spending money, and in a game that already cost a hundred bucks, you may not want to fall into the microtransaction trap.
That said… I do like the mode, and I am happy to play and see what I can and cannot do without shelling out coin for top tier players. I’ve done that in NBA games in the past, with their My Team concept (which this basically is) so you can play and compete without shelling out bucks. Of course, if you’re playing head-to-head online, and run into cashed-up lineups who have forked out big money to populate their teams, it won’t be as fun for you.
There is also an auction house, where you can buy players from other Pro-Team users. You can sell your own. This mean that when you do finally get that top-tier player, you can either offload them for some coin, or build around them.
The team I chose was the Hawks, and I got three decent players – Mabior Chol, Will Day, and… someone else who I can no longer remember. Oh, it was Nick Watson. They were rated 80. The rest of the team comprised of 67-75 rated players, and it showed.
The idea, for those interested, is that you create your team and upgrade it with better players via these “packs” that come as a reward for some gameplay milestones. It was funny to read people complaining (video gamers complaining… name a more iconic duo) that we were able to get players rated 99 overall too quickly.
Now, there are players rated 101… I like it.
I’ve also heard a lot of people upset about having to allocate contracts to players to get them on the park. This was apparently a massive issue in AFL23, and to be honest, it’s not my favourite part of the game. I have 100 players sitting in my inventory without contracts… but I guess that’s the point, right? You allocate the contracts to the blokes you DO want to play.
The gameplay itself?
Fun!
I was fully engaged and, as I was home by myself, actually gave some of my players a bake when they didn’t dispose of the footy quickly enough. I was also pretty happy with a nice Paul Curtis stiff arm to dispose of a defender and a snap from the boundary… lovely stuff.
Some of the other legends in this mode include Eddie Betts, Nick Riewoldt, Brent Harvey, and Dane Swan. Personally, I’d love to see more of the game’s greats, but I believe Big Ant has to negotiate with each one, unlike the NBA games where they’re all just included automatically.
My best player?
A 101-rated Luke Jackson. He rips it to shreds, Freo fans.
My wishlist – more legends in ProTeam would be wonderful.
If I had to pick three, gimme Wayne Carey, Dermott Brereton, and Tony Liberatore, with his tackling ratings through the roof.
PLAYER CREATION AND DOWNLOAD
This is wonderful, although the hairstyle options make it tough to create Kevin Bartlett or Bruce Doull… they need to add some “going bald” styles. Hope they do – a completely bald KB doesn’t do it for me. The database of players now includes entire premiership teams from the 80s and some even before, which is brilliant. Kudos to the people who have put in the time and effort to create them and update them. You can download user-created players, teams, and stadiums, or create your own.
Winner.
Even tried my hand at creating a few, and people rated them five stars… either I did a good job, or they’re very easily pleased.
CAREER MODE
I’ve started this, but find myself gravitating back to the ProTeam concept more often than not.
Anyway, you create your player, come through the system and into the draft. I was drafted third overall… pretty disappointing as just about everyone I read about went first overall, so either I was not as good as I think, or they’re lying.
Let’s just say they’re all liars to make me feel better, okay?
Yeah… dirt, rotten liars!
Anyway, I got drafted by the Tigers, and played both modes where you control either the entire team (easy to get a kick that way) or just your own player.
I started in the VFL like some pauper, but by Round Three was in the senior team, and that’s where I’ve remained. Best on Ground is awarded after every game (3-2-1 format) so if you’re appearing on that list, you’re doing quite well.
I’m at the pointy end of my first season and will continue the journey soon enough. Apparently there are awards at the conclusion of the season – if I don’t win the Jack Dyer Medal, there might be an issue.
The one drawback, I suppose, is I regret not taking more care when creating my player, because he looks a little… well, he’s a bit of a fat prick.
Art imitating life, I hear you think?
Anyway, I added some knee strapping so I could differentiate him from any other fat blokes running around in Richmond colours.
MANAGEMENT MODE
I’ve only dabbled here, so I can’t impart much info, other than you take control of the entire organisation, including drafting, trades, coaching appointments, and so on.
I did a speed run through only simulating so I could get to the trade section, but some of the deals I was putting through were a bit wild, so I decided to opt out of this for a while until the devs got things a little more realistic.
It’s been 6-7 months since I had a crack – might be time to jump back in.
AFLW
And yes, there is an AFLW component to the game for those who prefer to have a crack with the ladies.
And we all like that, don’t we fellas? Eh?
Eh?!?!
Seriously, half of them would beat the shit out of me – I am just going to be quiet. No ProTeam mode for the AFLW, and I haven’t really delved into any mode that features them, so it’ll be a magical mystery tour for you if that’s what floats your boat.
COMMENTARY
Surprisingly good.
Not too many of the classic lines that were buggy as hell, but hilarious at the same time in other games. Remember them?
“I’m going with Essendon today.”
“I disagree – I’m backing the Bombers.”
Always makes me smile.
Anthony Hudson and Daniel Harford are the main men in commentary, with unique lines for certain parts of the game “Only Fred Fanning has kicked more in a game…” or “Thirteen… thirteeeeeeen!”
After a year in, once in a while, I hear something new, which is nice. Nothing has got particularly old, whic is a good sign. Those who hear it multiple times per day might feel differently.
The Big Ant boss – Ross the Boss – even commented he might see if he could get Huddo to add a “whoa Bosustow mark of the year” to the commentary at some stage.
That’d be sweet. Helps that he loved The Buzz, as well.
ISSUES
It seems that there are times when something is fixed via an update, and it breaks something else.
I’m not sure whether that is standard for sports games, but I have seen it elsewhere in my limited experience, and I think I am just more patient than some with things like this.
It is either hot-fixed if it is something important, or rectified in the weekly update. For me – someone who might squeeze in a game a day, two if I am lucky – it isn’t a big deal, but I understand the frustration of some who play it more often.
I’ll circle back if the trade thing is still a bit screwy in the management mode when I jump back into that mode.
CONCLUSION
I’ve definitely got my money’s worth from this game.
I commented recently somewhere that I am of the belief this is the best AFL anyone has produced. Someone else suggested AFL 2004 was a pretty good effort, and I agree, but as we ask for more and the systems are capable of more, games like this surpass it.
Could it be better?
Look, probably – some people expect the same detail as the big EA or 2K studios, but you’re not going to get it here. This is a small studio who will actually respond to you when you are respectful on X, or via their support forms.
That’s my experience, anyway.
Is it worth a hundred bucks now?
Yep, I’d happily pay it – the best AFL game to date.
Should you buy it?
Make your own mind up – I’m not your dad. But if I were a gamer with a passion for footy, this would be one I would put time into. It turns out… I am, and I did.
And I am pleased that I did.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
Like this content? You could buy me a coffee – I do like coffee, but there is no guarantee I won’t use it to buy a doughnut… I like them more. And I am not brought to you by Sportsbet or Ladbrokes… or Bet365, or any of them.
