After early access for Ultimate Edition players, FC 26 just kicked off for everyone. The latest instalment in the long-running football franchise is the most realistic yet, with smarter goalkeeping, sharper dribbling, new Archetypes for player roles and a Career Mode built around real-world challenges.
This year, the game features Real Madrid’s Jude Bellinghamand Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala on the Standard Edition cover, and Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic fronts the Ultimate Edition, recreating a famous photo of his younger self in a bedroom covered with Ronaldo posters.
Though it’s just launched, the game already has some discounts. Here’s everything you need to know about FC 26, from the new gameplay mechanics to the best deals.
The best ‘EA Sports FC 26’ deals in the UK
‘EA Sports FC 26’, Standard Edition
The Standard Edition of EA Sports FC 26 comes with the full base game and dual entitlement, meaning you can play it on both PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 or Switch 1, with a single purchase. It includes access to all core modes, including Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Clubs and more, but you won’t get any extra FUT Points.
Unfortunately, you’ve missed out on the preorder bonuses. If you preordered the Standard Edition, you got an archetype unlock consumable, two double archetype XP consumables good for 10 matches, and three icon players that can be used in both player and manager careers. On top of that, there was a five-star coach and a five-star youth scout for career mode, plus access to exclusive manager live challenges. There was even a bonus that carries over into Ultimate Team in FC 25 – a 92+ OVR icon card, though it’s untradeable.
EA Sports FC 26 Standard Edition, PS5 and PS4
EA Sports FC 26 Standard Edition, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One
EA Sports FC 26 Standard Edition, PC
EA Sports FC 26 Standard Edition, Nintendo Switch 2
‘EA Sports FC 26’, Ultimate Edition
The Ultimate Edition version of the game launched on Friday 19 September, and it’s for anyone serious about Ultimate Team. As well as the game, you get up to 6,000 FC Points over two months, a Season 1 Premium Pass and an additional Player Evolution slot, but the pre-order bonuses aren’t available anymore. The Ultimate Edition is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch 2.
EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Edition, PS5 and PS4
EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Edition, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One
EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Edition, PC
‘EA Sports FC 26’: What’s new?
FC 26 is EA’s most community-driven release yet, with many of the new features shaped by player feedback. The developer says it has focused on improving how the game plays, rather than introducing a standout new game mode or feature, with updates across movement, control and Career Mode.
According to EA, the way players move has been adjusted, with changes to dribbling and run curves designed to give gamers tighter control. Goalkeeper positioning has also been overhauled using reinforcement learning, which EA says will lead to more realistic behaviour in one-on-one situations and better reaction times overall. New “close-body volumetric animations” have also been added to improve player interactions, particularly in shielding and tight spaces.
Matches are more cinematic, with EA stating that there are streamed environments, more impressive lighting, new weather effects and flyover-style intros that zoom in from a bird’s-eye view to set the scene.
EA has also introduced two distinct gameplay presets: Competitive Gameplay is now the default setting in online modes like Ultimate Team and Clubs, tuned for tighter responsiveness and faster pacing. Authentic Gameplay, meanwhile, brings a slower, more realistic feel to Career Mode and offline matches, with smarter AI defending, new foot-preference indicators and more deliberate passing and build-up play.
Career Mode gains a new Manager Live hub, which features a set of rotating, real-world-inspired challenges that will change throughout the season. EA says it sits alongside existing Career options and is designed to add more variety and replayability. There is a new Archetype system for Career and Clubs, letting gamers develop specific roles by upgrading attributes and unlocking targeted perks. Players can now work towards 13 distinct Archetypes across roles such as Magician, Finisher and Shot Stopper, with levels ranging from Bronze to Icon.
For Ultimate Team gamers, EA has added new seasonal Live Events and tournament modes. The structure of Rivals and Champs has also changed, with the removal of playoffs and the addition of a new Challengers tier, designed to give players more varied ways to progress. Disconnected wins will now count automatically, and repeatable Evolutions, including Evolution slots for goalkeepers, will make it easier to upgrade your favourite players throughout the season.
Clubs is also getting a sizeable overhaul. Players can now affiliate with up to three clubs at once, with their favourite club tracking progress and rewards. AI teammates can also be recruited to fill in for absent players, and new rotating Live Events like Clubs Rush will have fun new rules, like limited-goal scorers or no-slide tackling. On the pitch, a new goalkeeper role now includes new camera angles, visual indicators and unique PlayStyles.
Women’s football also sees some big changes. FC 26 includes returning and newly licensed clubs and competitions, including the Barclays Women’s Super League, Arkema Première Ligue, UEFA Women’s Champions League, UEFA Women’s Euro and teams like OL Lyon, Chelsea Women, and FC Bayern Women.
On top of that, several new stadiums are being added this year, including Bayer Leverkusen’s BayArena, UD Las Palmas’ Estadio Gran Canaria, Real Valladolid’s Estadio José Zorrilla, Wrexham’s SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) and the return of the Allianz Arena and St. Andrew’s. EA has also confirmed a wider batch of fan-requested venues, such as Napoli’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and Besiktas Tupras Stadium, bringing the total number of fully licensed stadiums to over 120.
‘EA Sports FC 26’ platforms
FC 26 is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, the Nintendo Switch and the newly released Nintendo Switch 2. Last year’s game was the first to bring the full Frostbite engine to Switch, dropping the legacy edition format, and that parity continues.
FC 26 on the Nintendo Switch 2 also launches with HyperMotion, but it will run at 30fps rather than the 60fps HyperMotion V found on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The Switch 2 has comparable graphics to the PS4 version.
Looking for more gaming advice? Read our round-up of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games right now
