EA SPORTS FC™ 26 | FUT Deep Dive

A brand new chapter for Football Ultimate Team.

In FC 26, FUT is altering based mostly on the way you play and what you’ve requested for.

New methods to compete with Live Events. Tournaments are again with knockout play. A brand new mode known as Gauntlets brings all new challenges. Rivals and Champions are additionally getting large enhancements.

For the primary time, FUT could have tailored gameplay tuning in Competitive Gameplay, which provides extra management, consistency, and responsiveness. 

We’ve additionally made adjustments to Evolutions, match outcomes, and extra, all based mostly in your suggestions. Let’s leap in.

What’s New?

• Competitive Gameplay: Gameplay centering on responsiveness, extra consistency, and better management.
• Live Events: A brand new method to compete, with different match settings, entry necessities, and new codecs together with Tournaments and Gauntlets.
• Rivals & Champs Revamp: No extra Playoffs. Direct qualification, new Bounties, and Limited Checkpoints.
• FUT Match Outcome Improvements: Additional updates in FC 26 to award a win when an opponent quits or disconnects throughout a draw.
• Evolutions Updates: Evolve Goalkeepers, mix beauty upgrades with out shedding current types and preserve the look of your gamers when upgrading them.

Let’s dig into the total particulars.

Building on Friendlies, Live Events are a brand new pillar of FUT’s aggressive construction. They’re designed to convey extra selection in what you play, and the squads you employ all through every season. This is the place you’ll expertise themed competitions which problem your skill to construct and play with completely different squads.

You’ll entry them by the brand new Event Hub, constructed with a streamlined interface that makes it simple to test occasion availability, necessities, rewards, and your progress at a look.

Entry Requirements

To enter some Live Events, your squad might have to fulfill customized standards. Requirements are supposed to create a aggressive layer of development and may allow you to qualify for particular locked Live Event which can embrace:

• Completing a selected Objective or Objective Group
• Reaching a Rivals Division
• Rarity, Club, League, or Nation depend
• Player Quality
• Chemistry or Position guidelines

Custom Rules & Match Settings

Live Events may embrace:

• House Rules (Classic Match, Max Chemistry, First to X Goals, Mystery Ball, No Rules, Long Range, Swaps, and Survival)
• Match Limits
• Solo solely, Co-op solely, or open matchmaking

This means you’ll encounter occasions the place each match feels completely different.

Objective Linking

Rewards and your development in direction of them are well-known to Friendlies followers, however typically require you to leap throughout a number of menus to trace your progress. Events are streamlining this for you, supplying you with direct entry to say what you’ve earned with out digging by the Objective menus. In FC 26 you’ll have the ability to spend extra time on the pitch and fewer time navigating menus. Each occasion will spotlight its personal set of Objectives that you’ll be able to full in that occasion.

Matchmaking

Matchmaking could be configured for every particular person Live Event to make use of both:

• Per Event winform: Your match report in that particular Live Event solely
• Global winform: Your match report throughout different Global winform occasions

The FUT Play Menu has been reworked from the bottom up in FC 26 to make it simpler to navigate, uncover, and leap into your most popular modes. Allowing you to not solely see new and upcoming Live Events at a look, but in addition their rewards.

The redesigned menu makes use of the next classes:

For You

The For You tab is your customized hub throughout the new Play Menu, surfacing essentially the most related content material based mostly in your exercise.

It accommodates three distinct classes:

• New: Freshly launched competitions, up to date in real-time
• Continue Playing: Shows your final performed modes
• Upcoming: Shows future occasions in chronological order, permitting you to preview entry and squad necessities to arrange your squads prematurely

Online

• Rush
• Rivals
• Champions
• Challengers
• Online Draft

Play vs. CPU

• Squad Battles
• Moments
• Single Player Draft

Play vs. Friend

• Couch Play (Classic Match)
• Play a Friend (Classic Match)

We’ve streamlined Friendlies by eradicating Online Play and all House Rules match sorts focusing this area solely on Classic Matches.

Other Tabs

• FC Pro
• PlayStation Tournaments
• Up to six Live Events tabs, populated dynamically all through the season

Tournaments convey again a traditional knockout format with new buildings and a versatile schedule, designed to look at key moments fairly than run each week or keep evergreen like Rivals or Champs. Full particulars on timing and rewards can be shared within the Launch Update Pitch Notes.

Tournaments could embrace:

• Specific entry necessities (Objective progress, Division rank, and so on.)
• Entry limits with refreshes

Each Tournament brings its personal rewards, with completely different squad guidelines and setups throughout the season to maintain issues contemporary.

Gauntlets are a brand new method to take a look at your membership depth and your skill throughout a number of matches. Each Gauntlet consists of as much as 5 matches. However, as a substitute of utilizing the identical squad every match, you’ll want to make use of a very completely different squad for each match, together with your complete subs bench.

At launch we’ll kick issues off with the Ultimate Gauntlet, that includes three rounds (requiring three distinctive squads) and operating each two weeks to start out. This is only the start, with extra particulars to return in our launch replace.

Unlike Tournaments, there’s no elimination right here. You can preserve enjoying by the total Gauntlet no matter outcomes, however the extra you win, the higher the rewards.

It’s a format the place squad constructing decisions matter simply as a lot as what occurs on the pitch.

FC 26 integrates immediately with FC Pro for the primary time and offers top-tier Division Rivals gamers the chance to compete towards the easiest. On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, you may:

• Register for FC Pro competitions immediately from inside Football Ultimate Team
• Compete, win and climb regional leaderboards based mostly in your peak ELO
• Qualify for onward FC Pro competitions such because the FC Pro Open (PS5 solely)

Our focus in FC 26 is bringing extra fan requested adjustments to Football Ultimate Team. As we listened to your suggestions on Rivals three key themes emerged: 

1. In Football Ultimate Team, it seems like there are too many matches to play, particularly for those who’re aiming for prime ranked rewards.
2. Once you’ve climbed the Divisions and are constantly matched up towards equally expert gamers, the motivation to maintain enjoying can taper off.
3. Hitting a great run of type can go away you stranded in the next division that you just won’t belong to, creating large shedding streaks as you watch for the season to refresh.

We’ll have extra particulars to share on Rivals matches and rewards nearer to launch within the Launch Update Pitch Notes, however know we hear you and we’re engaged on it. Today we’re going to run by new programs designed to make Rivals really feel thrilling and rewarding, even for those who don’t stroll away with the win.

Bounties

Bounties are randomly triggered challenges that apply to your subsequent Rivals match. Complete one and also you’ll earn rewards instantly starting from Rivals Points, Champions Qualification Points, Coins, Packs, Season XP to even Rivals Stage Skips, permitting you to progress up the ladder sooner.

These are some examples of Bounties that you just may encounter whereas enjoying:

• Score the primary purpose
• Score the final purpose
• Win by two or extra
• Keep a clear sheet

Many Bounties could be accomplished even for those who don’t go on to win the match, making certain that you just nonetheless have one thing to play for in every match.

Duels

Duels are particular Bounties that try and match you with opponents on the identical problem, like Score First, making certain that just one participant can stroll away with the reward.

Limited Checkpoints

Limited Checkpoints are a brand new type of breakable checkpoint that tracks losses and allows relegation as soon as damaged. You’ll see what number of losses stay when deciding on the Limited Checkpoint, and the variety of losses earlier than it breaks could be completely different between every Checkpoint.

These Checkpoints are supposed to assist stop gamers from getting caught outdoors of their talent equilibrium for lengthy durations of time, and can reset at the start of every Rivals season.

At occasions, qualifying for Champions by Playoffs was a harder competitors than Champions itself whereas for our most expert gamers, it was an additional talent test every week.

In response to suggestions across the variety of required matches, Playoffs have been eliminated in FC 26 and are now not a part of Champions.

Instead, you’ll qualify immediately for Champions by reaching a selected Rivals Division and amassing Champions Qualification Points.

We’ll have extra particulars on the precise Rivals Division to qualify for Champions within the FUT Launch Update Pitch Notes nearer to launch.

Challengers

For gamers outdoors the highest divisions, we’ve added Challengers, a brand new tier of Champions with its personal format and rewards. This offers extra gamers an opportunity to expertise the Champions feeling whereas retaining Champions as the best degree of competitors.

Competitive Gameplay is a brand new tuning set made particularly for FUT, constructed round three core concepts: responsiveness, extra consistency, and better participant management.

This change is a direct results of your suggestions, from the feedback, posts, and threads, to the hours of conversations we’ve had with the neighborhood about how our sport may enhance. Now we will tweak, tune, and alter gameplay particularly for Competitive play.

You’ll discover it within the particulars:

• Fewer keeper rebound objectives and tackles bouncing again to opponents, chopping down on randomness throughout the pitch
• Adjusted participant stamina, so managed gamers keep agile longer, encouraging energetic defending and sensible switching
• More responsive one-touch passing and taking pictures, now triggerable as little as one body earlier than receiving the ball

It’s not simply fast-paced. It’s supposed to be a extra constant gameplay expertise.

More data on Competitive Gameplay: https://www.ea.com/video games/ea-sports-fc/fc-26/information/pitch-notes-fc26-gameplay-deep-dive.

In EA SPORTS FC 25, we launched a post-launch replace to match outcomes in FUT, centered on participant frustration round not receiving a win when an opponent quits a Football Ultimate Team match when it’s a draw.

In FC 26, we’re taking one other step ahead right here, including disconnects (together with dashboard quits) to the beforehand enabled quits.

What this implies is that when sure circumstances are met, when enjoying Live Events, Rivals, and Champions you’d obtain a win when your opponent both quits or disconnects from the match when the rating line is a draw.

We are nonetheless finalizing what these circumstances can be, however much like how this labored in FC 25, there can be a restrict on the variety of occasions a participant is ready to obtain a win from this every day, in addition to a set of circumstances throughout the match itself that will should be met. We will talk the specifics round these circumstances nearer to launch within the Launch Update Pitch Notes.

As we mentioned final yr, this can be a advanced area. When we modify how gamers get wins, attracts, or losses, exploits could happen, so we have to be cautious about how we make these adjustments. What is listed right here may change, based mostly on whether or not our evaluation and/or observations point out that these adjustments are negatively impacting the participant expertise.

More to return on this nearer to launch.

We know that the perfect RUSH matches are constructed on the experiences you have got together with your teammates. So when these teammates are quitting or disconnecting, it may be a irritating expertise.

To encourage teammates in FUT RUSH to maintain preventing till the tip of the match, we’re introducing matchmaking delays in FUT RUSH for gamers who constantly go away matches early.

We are nonetheless finalizing the specifics round this, which we are going to talk to you forward of launch within the Launch Update Pitch Notes. We can even be intently monitoring suggestions on this because it’s a brand new area for FC and we could must make changes as we see the way it impacts the participant expertise.

Yes, GK Evos are coming to FC 26!

We’re additionally making extra adjustments that offer you extra freedom & clearer development as you construct your Football Ultimate Team.

Repeatable Evolutions

Repeatable Evolutions offer you extra flexibility, with some in a position to be accomplished a number of occasions, much like choose SBCs or Objectives.

Most can be restricted repeatable, which means they are often accomplished a set variety of occasions. Allowing you to use them to a number of Player Items and even use them once more on the identical Player Item if eligible. It takes the stress off making the “perfect” alternative instantly and offers you extra freedom to form your squad your approach

Cosmetic Stacking & Rarity Layers

• You can now evolve gamers with out altering their merchandise design, except a selected Evolution adjustments the rarity. 
• Evolution standing is marked with new Badging that can be utilized in Squad Requirements, making it simpler to trace and construct round advanced gamers in Live Events, and Rush. 
• Cosmetic upgrades now stack, and solely overwrite one another after they have an effect on the identical kind, so your distinctive appears keep intact throughout Evolutions. 
• Even when an merchandise’s rarity adjustments, animation and badge results that aren’t tied to rarity will carry over. Plus, Evolution consumables now preview the cosmetics and rarity they unlock, serving to you select the precise path on your squad.

Note that FC 26 Ultimate Edition homeowners begin with 2 energetic Evo slots at launch.

Graduated Access, which limits some accounts’ entry to the Transfer Market after they first entry Football Ultimate Team, has been reside in EA SPORTS FC 25 on PC since late 2024. In FC 26, it will likely be energetic for all platforms, beginning at launch.

If you are a returning FUT participant on the identical platform (Xbox, PlayStation, PC or Switch), and your account meets the necessities and is in good standing, you’ll have speedy entry to the total Transfer Market while you log in for the primary time in FC 26.

If you’re a new participant or your account didn’t meet the necessities, a collection of Foundation Objectives will grant Transfer Market entry as soon as they’ve been accomplished, and a time frame has handed.

Limiting switch market entry for brand new accounts helps defend the economic system from potential rules-breaking exercise whereas making certain that precise new gamers are launched to FUT at a extra measured tempo. It’s another approach we’re specializing in participant belief and system integrity from day one.

Objectives

Previously, you would need to navigate to Objectives so as to discover accessible aims and their rewards. In the brand new FC 26 Play Menu, related aims can be viewable whereas highlighting every sport mode. For Live Events, you can even see the entry necessities, so you realize precisely what’s wanted to hitch.

We’ll be sharing much more FUT particulars in upcoming Launch Update Pitch Notes and on our social channels, so be sure you preserve a watch out for that. As all the time preserve the suggestions coming, preserve letting us know what you assume over on the Feedback Hub.

Pre-orders are now accessible for EA SPORTS FC 26, which can launch on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. EA SPORTS FC 26 can be accessible worldwide to play on September 26, 2025, with early entry by the Ultimate Edition starting September 19, 2025*.

Thanks to those that’ve offered and proceed to offer suggestions. Throughout the course of the EA SPORTS FC 26 season, we’ll give you extra info and updates if and after they turn out to be accessible. Be positive to observe @‌EASFCDIRECT on X and to take a look at the EA SPORTS FC Tracker for the most recent information and updates. Stay within the dialog on all issues EA SPORTS FC™ by becoming a member of our official Discord, following us on our official X, Instagram, and YouTube, and collaborating within the official EA SPORTS FC Forums.