EA SPORTS FC™ 26 | Classic XI Hero Offer until January 12
Introducing Classic XI Heroes; unforgettable Club & League Heroes who have won the hearts of fan bases around the world. Starting this December until January 12, add one of these Hero Items to your Football Ultimate Team™ with the Classic XI Hero pack. PLAY EA SPORTS FC 26 TODAY TO GET A CLASSIC XI HERO PACK* Welcome a Classic XI Hero to your dream squad in EA SPORTS FC™ 26 with the Classic XI Hero Pack, with each Hero celebrating the era in which they cemented their legendary status. To secure your Classic XI Hero pack, all you need to do is log into Football Ultimate Team™ in EA SPORTS FC™ 26 with your EA Account by 12 January at 9:59 am PT. Eligible players will be able to find their Classic XI Hero Pack in the my packs section of the store. Celebrating the special Classic XI Hero Item, at the start of Team of the Year these new items will also receive a special one-time upgrade, transforming into Team of the Year Honourable Mention Heroes, to capture the Heroic Moments that defined their Career. See the full Classic XI Heroes coming to FC 26 below Blaise Matuidi Claudio Marchisio Guti Ze Roberto Jean-Pierre Papin Mario Gomez Gianluca Vialli Diego Forlán Tim Howard Harry Kewell Vincent Kompany *Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-26/disclaimers for details.Football Ultimate Team™ 26 - Unbreakables
DO WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN Unbreakables celebrates football’s unlikely success stories, overcoming injuries and setbacks to come back stronger than ever. Prepare your squad for new, elevated knockout tournaments in Football Ultimate Team™ and meet the Heroes and ICONs that embody the Unbreakables name. Expand your Football Ultimate Team™ through new Live Events, SBCs, Objectives, and Evolutions. AGAINST THE ODDS From overcoming difficult starts to battling career-threatening injuries, or navigating the perils of the football pyramid, Unbreakables have seen it all and lived to tell the tale. To mark their achievements, a number of remarkable current players, Heroes, and a selection of ICONs make their way to Football Ultimate Team™. Unbreakables brings a number of Comprehensive Evolutions to EA SPORTS FC™ 26, with broad stat upgrades taking your chosen player on their own journey of growth and resilience. Consumable Evolutions will also be unlockable through Objective rewards, adding a set of PlayStyles or a combination of stat boosts and PlayStyle upgrades. BACK-TO-BACK COMPETITION Make any Unbreakables player the star of your team or carve a new legend in the new Unbreakables Daily Play League, featuring new daily play and themed Objectives. The Daily Play League requires one Unbreakables Player Item or Unbreakables Evolution player, making it the perfect place to advance your Unbreakables chained Evolution or flex the top Unbreakables players in your squad. An Unbreakables Player Item will also be made available on a timed-loan to ensure access to the Live Event, with the loan ending alongside the Unbreakables campaign itself. The competition continues with the third World Tour Silver Superstars, challenging you to gather your greatest silver squads to unlock new rewards in Season 3. RISE TO THE CHALLENGE Don’t miss the new Squad Building Challenges coming to Football Ultimate Team™ throughout Unbreakables, including new Upgrade SBCs and Marquee Matchups. Additionally, there will be three Challenge SBCs released throughout the campaign, and a variety of player SBCs, highlighted by an Unbreakables Hero, four current Unbreakables players, a World Tour Player, and a Base Matchday ICON 1 of 2 Player Pick.Football Ultimate Team™ 26 - Joga Bonito
TAKE IT BACK TO THE STREETS Celebrate samba style as Joga Bonito brings a wave of free-flowing 5v5 Rush matches and new 5-Star skill upgrades for current players and Heroes to unleash their true flair in Football Ultimate Team™. Don’t miss out on new SBCs, Objectives, and Evolutions to give your Football Ultimate Team™ a new look. PLAY THE JOGA BONITO WAY Joga Bonito is a footballing philosophy born on the claustrophobic concrete pitches of Rio and played out across the world, from London’s famous cages, to the banlieues of Paris, the streets of Barcelona, Berlin’s underground tunnels, and beyond. It’s one thing to win, but the Joga Bonito way brings the spectacle, with flair and creativity at the forefront. Joga Bonito players are a joy to watch, setting the world alight with exceptional skill and style. Championing this, all Joga Bonito Player Items in Football Ultimate Team™ will have 5-Star skills and PlayStyles that reflect the way they carry themselves on the pitch. Joga Bonito will also introduce a number of Heroes, including debuts for the following: Pablo Aimar – The Escape Artist: With a smile on his face and a trick up his sleeve, this Argentinian wizard can wriggle out of any tight space. Twisting and turning past every defender, Aimar earned his way into the hearts of supporters across The World’s Game as he claimed league titles in Argentina, Spain, Portugal, and Malaysia. Ricardo Quaresma – Moonshot: Flexible, strong, inventive. The king of the trivela bends the ball to his will, finding teammates and top corners in equal measure. Taking his talent from Portugal to Spain, Türkiye, Italy, England, and the United Arab Emirates, Quaresma collected personal accolades, league titles and domestic cups alongside winning the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan and claiming a European title for his national team, before returning to Portugal to hang up his boots. Louisa Nécib – Agent 10: Elegant on the ball and effortlessly creative. The tactically astute attacker mixes elite footballing IQ with flawless footwork to dance through defenders. A Lyon legend, Necib’s poetic playmaking inspired multiple league titles and saw her lift the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2011, racking up hundreds of appearances for club and country in the process. FEEL THE RUSH Two themed Flash Rush events debut during Joga Bonito, Rio Rhythm, and Cage Champion. Rio Rhythm brings the streets of Brazil to EA SPORTS FC™ 26, with Brazil-themed Objectives rewarding a Joga Bonito Yan Couto for completion. Cage Champion takes the action to urban grassroots football in England, with England-themed Objective rewards, including a Joga Bonito Wilfred Zaha. Additionally, Ultimate Gauntlet 6 will be released during Joga Bonito, complete with Objective and Bonus Objective groups. SKILLFUL SBCs AND ELEGANT EVOLUTIONS Add some creativity to your club through a variety of Joga Bonito themed Squad Building Challenges, each bringing their own unique style to the pitch. SBCs include themed Puzzle SBCs, themed Player SBCs, a Joga Bonito Hero SBC, and Player of the Month challenges for both Liga F and LA LIGA EA SPORTS. Joga Bonito also delivers style on and off the pitch with a variety of player Evolutions, Evolution consumables tied to Objectives, and Cosmetic Evolutions.EA SPORTS FC 26 Version 1.3.0 Update Notes
The EA SPORTS FC 26 Holiday Update (v1.3.0) is dropping soon and includes updates to goalkeepers for more authentic play based on your feedback, improvements to Career Mode and Clubs, Rush rematches, and Classic XI Teams additions to Kick Off. Ultimate Team Made the following change: Added the ability to rematch in Rush. Rush rematches will become available shortly after this update, following a server release. To learn more about Rush rematches, scan the QR code on the right to visit the EASFC Tracker. Addressed the following issues: The radial menu displayed an incorrect expiration time when previewing Training Camp Evolutions. The Objective tracker within the pause menu displayed incorrect information when an Evolution Player Item was present in the squad. An expiration timer for a Group Objective was not in the Favourite Objectives Tab. [Visual Only] The group reward was missing when viewing an Objective that was marked as a favourite. When Authentic settings were turned on, they were unintentionally applied to some offline modes. After getting access to the Transfer Market, the menu tile for it could have shown 0 Live Transfers until entered. Newly obtained Player Items added directly to the squad could not be started in Evolutions. The Concept Players in the Club did not display the View Available Evolutions option in the radial menu. Sometimes, the radial menu options displayed incorrect Evolution status for completed Evolutions. Gameplay Made the following updates: Goalkeepers Greatly reduced movement speed and amount of ground covered when using Manual Goalkeeper Movement in open play. Removed Goalkeeper Rush To Center mechanic from open play, it can still be performed during set pieces. Addressed an issue where goalkeepers could have sometimes reacted poorly to first time shots. Addressed cases of the goalkeeper not being able to save certain shots when diving to the opposite side of the goal. [Competitive Only] The goalkeeper can now transition faster to the next action after catching the ball. This includes but is not limited to actions like throwing the ball, dropping the ball to feet for a pass, moving with the ball, and more. Be A Goalkeeper Reduced amount of ground covered during a requested sidestep. Removed instances of a requested save being canceled after a shot deflection. Improved grab ball logic in 1 on 1 scenarios and when chasing an easy to get to loose ball. Improved auto ball pickup logic when chasing an easy to get to loose ball. Added a Super Cancel option when attempting to intercept crosses. Flicking the Right Stick input upwards during crosses will now request a punch. Increased positioning assistance during cross claiming actions. Increased consistency of the goalkeeper’s ability to catch crosses. When attempting to claim a cross that results in a shot, the goalkeeper can attempt to make an auto save. Slightly increased auto save assistance range across all assistance levels. Addressed instances of the goalkeeper incorrectly interacting with the goal net. Streamlined height selection input for Right Stick save requests, with more shots being covered by flicking the stick left or right, and corner shots requiring more precise inputs. Skill Moves Slightly increased animation transition speed when following up a Drag Back with another Skill Move or dribble. Set Pieces Addressed instances of user-controlled players becoming unresponsive during set pieces. The CPU AI could have sometimes incorrectly kicked corner kicks out of play. Rules In some cases, an offside call could’ve been made on an incorrect player. Improved referee logic when making penalty calls that involved goalkeeper fouls. Attacking Players who were trying to avoid going offside could’ve become unintentionally passive, and they will now look to run into open space more often. Passing Slightly decreased the accuracy of headed passes. Lowered crossing ball trajectory height to reduce the amount of crosses that were keeping the ball in the air for too long. Defending Addressed cases of the secondary contain indicator appearing incorrectly during possession. Career Mode Made the following changes: Added a new field in Squad Hub indicating players' willingness to extend their contracts. Added a new tab in the Manager Live Hub to streamline starting a new Live Start Point and Manager Live save, providing quicker access to previously earned retro kits rewards. Shortcut selections are now remembered automatically when exiting the switcher menu rather than requiring a manual selection save. Added an in-menu preview for mascots in the Create Your Club flow In Player Career, the Player Archetype preview tile now displays both current XP and XP needed to reach the next level. Added Recommended Archetypes in the Player Career creation flow instead of Attributes. Added a Mascot preview when using Create Your Club. Addressed the following issues: Addressed instances of incorrect camera angles when playing as a Goalkeeper. Addressed an issue in Manager Career Create Your Club, that prevented replacing a club other than your favourite team. Clubs Addressed the following issues: Addressed cases of short-term fatigue applying quicker than intended. Addressing this issue means that short-term fatigue in Clubs matches functions the same as other areas of the game. Adjusted Match Rating calculation logic for all CAM roles to avoid unintended rating inflation. The adjustment will go live in the near future following a Server Release. Sometimes, when editing My Pro, the randomise button callout could disappear. Improved some UI transitions. When editing My Pro, some hairstyles could be missing from the preview. After the match, on the post-match screen, the Pro displayed on the player card could be incorrect. General, Audio, and Visual Made the following changes: Added 10 Classic XI teams to Kick off. The teams will be available through a server release soon after the Holiday Update. Refreshed the main menu to match the holiday spirit. The refreshed menu will go live through a server release soon after the Holiday Update. Added 8 star heads which will soon be available following a server release. Updated some audio and commentary, placeholder images, badges, logos, hair, boots, 2d portraits, lighting, hair, tattoos, balls, kits, pitch trophies, banners, flags, scarves, and stadiums. Addressed the following issues: [PC Only] Addressed an issue where the controller was not being recognised when reconnecting during gameplay. Addressed various stability issues that could have occurred. Addressed instances of placeholder text and incorrect UI elements. Addressed instances of incorrect gameplay and cinematic camera angles and animations. Addressed instances of incorrect narrations. Want to provide us direct feedback about EA SPORTS FC 26? https://go.ea.com/fc26pfp and let us know what you think, it only takes a few minutes. Thanks to those who’ve provided and continue to provide feedback. Throughout the course of the EA SPORTS FC 26 season, we'll provide you with more information and updates if and when they become available. Be sure to follow @EASFCDIRECT on X as well as WhatsApp, and check out the EA SPORTS FC Tracker for the latest news and updates. The EA SPORTS FC TeamEA SPORTS FC™ 26 | FC 26 Holiday Update
Welcome to the Holiday Update for EA SPORTS FC™ 26, which will be released in the coming days. We’re updating goalkeepers for more authentic play based on your feedback, making improvements to Career Mode and Clubs, and bringing Classic XI Teams to Kick Off. Table Of Contents Goalkeeper Updates Career Mode Clubs Rush Rematch In Ultimate Team Classic XI in Kick Off AI Defending Status Update Visual Updates Goalkeeper Updates As mentioned in our November Feedback Update, we’ve been looking at your thoughts on Goalkeeper Movement, and the impact it has on the game. Here’s the change we’re making with the Holiday Update: – Greatly reduced movement speed and amount of ground covered when using Manual Goalkeeper Movement in open play. Goalkeeper movement is designed to give you another strategic way to defend goalscoring opportunities, so while we recognise it has felt inauthentic and we don't want players to overly rely on the mechanic, we want to allow a level of control in keeper positioning. Here’s a before and after look at the change. We’re also removing the Goalkeeper Rush To Center mechanic from open play because we’ve seen that it can be used as another method of goalkeeper movement that further reduces goalkeeper authenticity. First Time Shots We’ve heard your feedback that goalkeepers don’t always deal with first time shots as well as they should, and we’ve also seen this reflected in our internal data. In this update, we’re also addressing an issue that sometimes caused goalkeepers to react poorly to first time shots. You can check out the full Holiday Update Notes on the EASFC Tracker. Career Mode Functional and Usability Improvements We continue to expand Career Mode with new weekly Live Challenges, Live Start Points, and Snapshots. For this update we’re also making the below changes based on your feedback: Added a new field in Squad Hub indicating players' willingness to extend their contracts Added a new tab in the Manager Live Hub to streamline starting a new Live Start Point and Manager Live save, providing quicker access to previously earned retro kits rewards. Shortcut selections are now remembered automatically when exiting the switcher menu rather than requiring a manual selection save. Added an in-menu preview for mascots in the Create Your Club flow Addressed an issue in Create Your Club that prevented replacing a club other than your favourite team. In Player Career, the Player Archetype preview tile now displays both current XP and XP needed to reach the next level. Added Recommended Archetypes in the Player Career creation flow instead of Attributes. Clubs Archetype Max Level Increase In the Holiday Update, we’ll be increasing the Clubs Archetype Max Level from 60 to 75. You’ll also be able to use your AXP Instant Boost’s up to level 40, increasing from the original 25 level cap. The update also adds a new customizable PlayStyle slot and introduces a signature PlayStyle that upgrades into a PlayStyle+ once you hit level 75. Plus, you’ll now have up to 475 Attribute Points to use. CAM Match Rating Adjustment We’ve also heard your feedback surrounding CAM Match Ratings and will be updating the weights for CAM match actions, aligning CAM Match Ratings with the other positions across Clubs. The intent here is for the CAM Match Rating to more accurately reflect a CAM’s performance while reducing cases of potentially inflated ratings. Rush Rematch In Ultimate Team We’re introducing a new rematch function in Ultimate Team Rush that allows you to vote to opt in and keep playing Rush matches with your current group. Opting in will take your group forward in a new lobby together, while players who have opted out will return back to the Rush Ultimate Team Menus. If a player in a full group doesn’t choose to opt in before the timer expires, their full group will be returned back to the lobby. Rush rematches will become available soon after the Holiday Update, following a server release. Classic XI in Kick Off The Holiday Update will introduce a selection of classic teams in Kick Off and Kick Off Rush. Relive former glories with iconic European clubs, or play with an assortment of legendary figures with Classic XIs from Europe's biggest leagues. AI Defending Status Update We’ve seen your feedback around AI defending - especially some concerns that it can feel too strong in certain situations, and we’re continuing to look into it closely. Our teams are actively testing further AI defending adjustments internally. We’ll keep listening to your feedback and plan to share an update on what we find, or make a change if needed, in early January. Visual Updates New & Updated Star Heads 7 new player star heads and 1 updated manager star head are coming to EA SPORTS FC 26. You can expect to see improved likenesses of players across different leagues and clubs following a Server Release after the Holiday Update, including Premier League players Jarrod Bowen, Granit Xhaka, Jack Harrison and Rayan Aït-Nouril. Menu Refresh You can expect a festive transformation across the game's main menu following a server release, bringing the holiday spirit from the moment the game launches with falling snow and more. Thanks for checking out our Holiday Update Pitch Notes! We look forward to you experiencing all the new changes and additions coming to FC 26. – The EA SPORTS FC TeamFootball Ultimate Team™ 26 - Black Friday: Thunderstruck
BRING THE THUNDER Black Friday: Thunderstruck is back with a bang, lighting up Football Ultimate Team™ with multiple flash Live Events and dynamic Player Items that receive upgrades tied to real-world performances. Don’t miss out on the thunderous new SBCs, Objectives, and Evolutions to give your Football Ultimate Team™ a jolt this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. DYNAMIC CURRENT PLAYERS AND ICONS Shine on the pitch with new dynamic Black Friday: Thunderstruck Player Items for both current players and ICONs, with upgrades delivered alongside real-world results. Thunderstruck Items will be released in three stages, with the main team and ICONs joining Football Ultimate Team™ on Friday, 28 November and more players being released later that day and again on 30 November. Tracking from 28 November, Thunderstruck Items will upgrade based on the following domestic performances of their current or former club: Wins or draws 2 matches in the next 5 Domestic League matches (1 Base PlayStyle) Wins or draws 3 matches in the next 5 Domestic League matches (All Roles++ in all positions) Scores 10 goals in the next 5 Domestic League matches (Plus 1 PS+ (Max 1) or base PlayStyle) THUNDEROUS THROWBACKS Celebrate the season so far with Best-of Player Items. Starting from 26 November, all previously released Team of the Week Items up to TOTW 10 and rated 85 or higher will be released into Packs. Plus, from 27 November, a selection of standout Player Items from previous EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Football Ultimate Team™ campaigns will be re-released into Packs. STRIKE FAST IN FLASH EVENTS Four flash Live Events, each with unique squad requirements and game types, keep the action flowing throughout the Black Friday period. With the first kicking off on 27 November, subsequent events will become available in 48-hour intervals. Head over to Football Ultimate Team™ now to preview the squad requirements of all four events ahead of time to tailor your team for the upcoming contests. COMPLETE CHALLENGES, CLAIM REWARDS Complete the Objective groups for each flash event to unlock new Thunderstruck Cosmetics and progress through the larger Objective group to earn additional Packs, a Thunderstruck Regular Badge Cosmetic, and an untradeable Thunderstruck Special Objectives Player Item. Additionally, Thunderstruck introduces a repeatable Daily Play Objective with a Coin and SP reward, Daily Play and Daily Login Completionist rewards including Packs and ICON Loans, and a new You’ve Been Thunderstruck! Objective, rewarding the completion of challenges with Packs, an untradeable Thunderstruck Objectives Player Item, a Thunderstruck Cosmetic Item, and more. SPARKLING SQUAD BUILDING CHALLENGES Take on a storm of SBCs throughout Thunderstruck, including Flashbacks celebrating Thunderstruck Items from years gone by, 24-hour Flash SBCs featuring World Tour players, MLS-themed Showdown SBCs, Thunderstruck ICONs, and more. ELECTRIFYING EVOLUTIONS The flash theme continues with 6 new Flash Evolutions entering Football Ultimate Team™. Each Evolution runs for 4 days, targeting a specific face stat each time (PAC/PAS/SHO/DEF/DRI/PHY) and offering a +2 OVR upgrade. Also, look out for more Thunderstruck-themed Evolutions throughout the campaign, including PlayStyle+ consumables and a collection of Cosmetic Evolutions, including Lightning Green, Blue, Yellow, OG, and Purple animation effects. Similar to all other Cosmetic Evolutions, Items that receive the Thunderstruck design from Evolutions do not receive Live upgradesFootball Ultimate Team™ 26 - World Tour Season 3: Spain ‘82
THE RISE OF THE AZZURRI As Spain made their debut as tournament hosts on the biggest international stage, Season 3 celebrates Italy’s rise from drawing their opening three matches to storming on to lift the trophy for a historic third time. Honour both nations with new Live Events, Objectives, and an all-new Season Ladder and Premium Pass for Season 3. MORE SILVER SUPERSTARS World Tour Silver Superstars continues to bring the themed action, celebrating the stars of Spain ‘82 with more historic Player Item rewards for Season 3. Take your best silver Player Items on the road and compete against other silver squads. SEASON 3 EVO TOURNAMENT CUP Showcase your favourite Evolutions as the Tournament Cup continues with a twist in Season 3. Introducing squad requirements for the inclusion of Evolution Items, build a squad of evolved Player Items and compete for rewards including Evolution Consumables, Cosmetics, and Packs. NEW SEASON LADDER AND PREMIUM PASS A new Season brings fresh rewards to the Season Ladder, featuring new World Tour Player Items from both the host and winning nations, Spain and Italy, as well as other themed rewards including a campaign ICON for the very first time in EA SPORTS FC™ 26. Climbing the Standard Season Ladder will land you with a Ricardo Kaka Manager Career ICON, José Luís Gayà World Tour Player Item, World Tour Rarity Cosmetic EVO Consumable, Jockey + EVO Consumable, Nicolo Barella World Tour Player Item, and more. Get the Premium pass for 500k Coins or 1000 FC Points and progress through the Premium Ladder to unlock 2,500 SP Consumable x2, 78+ x10 (Tradeable), Amaiur Sarriegi Thunderstruck Player Item, Low Driven+ EVO Consumable, and Gianfranco Zola Winter Wildcards ICON, and more.Football Ultimate Team™ 26 - FC Pro Live
FOLLOW YOUR FC PRO OPEN FAVOURITES FC Pro Live returns, combining Football Ultimate Team™ and esports to celebrate all the action from the FC Pro Open tournament through new, dynamic Player Items linked to one of 24 qualified esports pros. FC Pro Live Player Items upgrade based on matchday results, running from November through to February. Don’t miss out on the latest FC Pro Live content in new SBCs, Objectives, Rush, and Evolutions, alongside a themed two-stage Tournament. UPGRADES REFLECT FC PRO LIVE RESULTS Pro earns 3 points in the FC Pro Open (+1 Skill Move or Weak Foot Upgrade) Pro earns 10 points in the FC Pro Open (+1 OVR Upgrade) Pro earns 16 points in the FC Pro Open (+1 OVR Upgrade) Pro qualifies for the FC Pro Open Knockout Rounds (+1 OVR Upgrade with 1 of 3 PlayStyles+ to be selected by the linked FC Pro Open player) PlayStyles+ Upgrades will be applied after the completion of all FC Pro Open Group Play Matches. Pro reaches the Top 4 in the FC Pro Open Knockout Rounds (+1 Alternate Position with a Role++) Pro wins the FC Pro Open (+1 OVR Upgrade with a +1 Skill Move or Weak Foot Upgrade) FIGHT FOR A PLACE IN THE FINAL STAGE Three Live Events will launch with FC Pro Live, starting with the first of a themed two-stage Tournament. Beat your rivals in knockout games to win the first stage and earn qualification to the finals stage to compete for more Objective rewards. FC Pro Live will also bring a themed Flash Rush event, alongside a new Gauntlet to EA SPORTS FC™ 26, featuring two distinct Objective sets that reward both participation and Tournament success. FRESH SQUAD BUILDING CHALLENGES AND EVOLUTIONS Take on a variety of new player SBCs, including End of an Era, Flashbacks, Showdowns, as well as a celebration of a historic past esports pro moment. In addition to expanding your Club through Squad Building Challenges, there will also be more ways to add to your current playing squad through five themed Evolutions. Four unlockable Evolution Consumables are also set to release during FC Pro Live that can be earned from Live Events throughout this campaign.EA SPORTS FC™ 26 | Clubs Deep Dive
Welcome to the EA SPORTS FC 26 Clubs Deep Dive Pitch Notes. From revamped player progression with Archetypes to dynamic Clubs Rush Live Events, and community-requested features like support for Multiple Clubs, we’re excited to bring significant Clubs updates to FC 26. Let’s jump into what we’re doing to make Clubs a deeper and more dynamic experience. Table of Contents Archetypes Archetype Progression How do I unlock Archetypes? How do I progress my Archetype? Leveling Up Archetypes Live Updates Archetype Card Consumables Signature PlayStyles & PlayStyles Slots Attributes Specializations Signature Perks Live Events How do I enter a Live Event Entry Requirements Multi-Stage Events Flexible Rules & House Rules Events Objectives & Rewards Revamped Clubs Lobby Role Fit and OVR Match Status Widget New Set Piece Assignments Multiple Clubs Clubs Rush & Playoff Rewards Be-A-Goalkeeper Revamp Be-A-Goalkeeper in Clubs Rush AI Facilities Gameplay Impact Other Improvements Clubs Gameplay Competitive Gameplay Fatigue Redesigned Match Rating Changes Expanded Quick Chat Options CPU AI Archetypes Archetypes deliver a new progression system to Clubs in FC 26. You’ll be able to unlock, progress, and develop 13 distinct player Archetypes, each inspired by an ICON of world football, and each built to give you options that fit your style of play. Each of the 13 Archetypes comes with its own set of unique characteristics, and the new customization experience gives you more control over how you develop your Pro. Archetype Progression How do I unlock Archetypes? When entering Clubs for the first time, you’ll select your first Archetype. The remaining 12 Archetypes can be obtained via Clubs Coins, FC Points, or Archetype Unlock consumable items that can be found as rewards. How do I progress my Archetype? Every time you play a Clubs match in EA SPORTS FC 26, you will earn Archetype XP (AXP). The more you play, the more AXP you can collect. The amount of AXP you earn will depend on: Your Role Rating - The bulk of your AXP earnings will come from your Role Rating. Obtaining a higher rating can yield better AXP rewards. Your Gameplay Actions - You will earn a small amount of AXP for every action you complete in a match. Match Type – Your AXP earned via Role Rating and Gameplay Actions will differ depending on whether you’re playing a Clubs League, Playoffs, Friendly, Drop-In, Clubs Rush, or Live Event match. You will also be able to earn AXP by playing Skill Games, though the amount that you can earn each week will be limited, just as it has been in the past. Once you’ve earned enough AXP, your Archetype will move up to the next level. It’s important to remember that each Archetype progresses separately. If you’ve unlocked multiple Archetypes, you’ll need to play matches with each one to level them up individually. Leveling Up As your progress your Archetype, you’ll receive rewards to help upgrade your attributes and abilities: Attribute Points (AP) – AP can be spent to upgrade your attributes, taking you one step closer to unlocking more PlayStyles or even a Specialization. Signature Playstyles Upgrades – Each of your Signature PlayStyles will upgrade to a PlayStyle+, maximizing your Archetype’s power on the pitch. Unlock Signature Perks – Unlock extra Signature Perks to make your Archetype stand out. Customizable PlayStyles Slots – Gain additional slots to further personalize your Archetype’s PlayStyles. Archetypes Live Updates At launch, each Archetype can be progressed from level 1 up to level 50. This will give you plenty of room to grow and develop your Archetype over time, however, the journey doesn’t end there. Throughout the season, you can expect the maximum level to increase, along with more changes and updates to Archetypes, meaning you’ll have more opportunities to further upgrade and personalize your favourite Archetypes as the season goes on. Archetype Card Your Archetype Card is the visual representation of you and your Archetype everywhere in Clubs. As you progress, your Archetype Card will update to reflect your journey from Bronze to ICON. Each Archetype has its own Archetype Card with a unique pose, background, and key attributes highlighted on the side to see how your Target measures up against someone else's. If you want to show off, you can customize your card with backgrounds earned through Season Pass rewards, objective rewards, or the Clubs Store. Your Archetype Card is not just for you, it’s how other players will see you during every big moment. You can expect to see Archetype Cards throughout the match experience, showcasing your Virtual Pro, progression, and achievements in new ways. Consumables Consumables introduce another way to impact your Archetype progression outside of playing matches or Skill Games. Our intent with consumables is to help players who join Clubs later in the lifecycle catch up and feel like they can still make an impact. There will be multiple Consumable types available in EA SPORTS FC 26, including: Archetype XP (AXP) Multipliers – Boost the AXP match rewards for a set number of matches. Direct Apply AXP – Instantly grant AXP to your active Archetype Note: To maintain balance, Direct Apply AXP Consumables can only be used on Archetypes under a predefined level, ensuring that the tool serves its purpose as a catch-up tool, rather than a shortcut to max level Archetypes. Archetype Unlocks – Allow you to obtain any locked Archetype via the Archetypes Screen. Archetype Resets – Return your spent Attribute Points to your wallet, allowing you to redistribute them as you see fit. You can unlock these Consumables through Season Pass rewards, objective rewards, or obtain them via the Clubs Store. This ensures that all players, whether they choose to purchase consumables or not, have the means to access them. Signature PlayStyles & PlayStyles Slots Signature PlayStyles Each Archetype in EA SPORTS FC 26 comes with its own set of unique Signature PlayStyles that reflect that Archetype’s style of play. These PlayStyles are automatically unlocked and equipped when you unlock your Archetype, and they’ll upgrade to PlayStyle+ as you progress with that Archetype. While Signature PlayStyles cannot be removed, you do have the option to swap them out for a different PlayStyle+ once you unlock and equip a Specialization for that Archetype, giving you some flexibility in customizing your items as you advance. Customizable PlayStyles Slots On top of your Signature PlayStyles, you’ll also have Customizable PlayStyles slots that allow you to tailor your Archetype to suit your own style. As you progress through your Archetype, the number of available Customizable PlayStyles slots increases, allowing for more flexibility in tailoring your Archetypes abilities. You can assign any PlayStyle to these slots, as long as your Archetype meets the necessary Attribute Unlock Requirements for that PlayStyle. Any PlayStyle equipped to your Customizable Slots will not upgrade to the PlayStyle+ version of that PlayStyle. Attribute Unlock Requirements Each PlayStyle has specific Attribute Unlock Requirements that must be met before it can be equipped. To unlock a PlayStyle, you need to upgrade the relevant attributes to the required value, which can be done either directly from the Edit Attributes screen or by selecting the PlayStyle directly from the Customizable PlayStyles screen (provided you have enough AP). These requirements are consistent across all Archetypes, meaning the AP cost to unlock a PlayStyle may vary depending on the starting attribute values of the chosen Archetype. For example, to unlock Dead Ball, you must first upgrade the attributes below. FK Accuracy - 75 Crossing - 80 ShotPower - 80 Attributes Min & Max Values Each Archetype has a unique set of minimum and maximum values for all attributes, as well as unique ranges for Weak Foot and Skill Moves. Upgrading Attributes With Archetypes, you’ll now be able to upgrade any attribute you want. When you level up your Archetype, you receive Attribute Points (AP) that can be used to improve any attribute directly from the Edit Attributes screen. As you increase an attribute, the AP cost for further upgrades will also rise, making higher values tougher to reach. Any upgrades you make are permanent, but if you want to reallocate your points, you can request an Archetype Reset (using Clubs Coins or a Reset Consumable), which returns all previously spent AP to your wallet. Key Attributes Each Archetype comes designated with four specific Key Attributes that complement the way your selected Archetype is built to play. These Key Attributes cost less AP to upgrade for that Archetype compared to others, making it more efficient to develop that Archetype in a way that suits its strengths. Key Attributes are highlighted by default when entering the Edit Attributes screen, making them easy to identify whenever you want to upgrade. Height & Weight To preserve gameplay balance, each Archetype comes with its own specific range for height and weight. While you can adjust your height or weight within this range to match your desired look or style of play, doing so will have a minor impact on a select few Attributes. These changes don’t alter the base attribute values of the Archetype itself. Instead, the adjustments are applied as a small increase or decrease to the relevant Attributes only when you enter a match in any Clubs mode, similar to how you experience a boost via Club Facilities. Specializations Specializations introduce three unique variants to each Archetype for you to develop toward over time, encouraging you to either break the mold or double-down on becoming the elite version of your chosen Archetype. Attribute Unlock Requirements Similarly to PlayStyles, Specializations are unlocked by upgrading certain attributes to the required value via the Edit Attributes screen. For example: Upgrading Finishing, Heading Accuracy, and Volleys past the required values will transform your playmaking Maestro Archetype into a box-crashing midfielder capable of changing the game with late runs into the box from deep. Specialization Upgrades By unlocking a Specialization, you gain an extra Signature Perk that will be assigned to your Archetype for as long as the Specialization remains equipped, and an additional Signature PlayStyle+ that can be assigned to one of your Archetype’s Signature PlayStyle slots. So transforming your Maestro into a Crasher will grant you First Touch+ to control those passes into the box, and the Box Crash Perk to help you slot it home. Only one Specialization can be equipped at a time, so if you unlock more than one, you’ll need to choose which to use in order to benefit from its rewards. Signature Perks Signature Perks are new on-pitch abilities designed to encourage you to embody your chosen Archetype or Specialization whenever you step on the pitch. Each Archetype comes with two Signature Perks that are unlocked through the course of your Archetype progression, while a third is equipped whenever you have a Specialization active. There are three types of Perks: Action-based perks activate after you perform a specific action and provide you with a temporary attribute boost. For example, the Press and Pass perk assigned to the Recycler Archetype delivers a temporary boost to Short Passing, Reactions, and Vision after regaining possession in your own half. Mechanic-based perks trigger when using a certain control or technique. A Creator Archetype, for instance, gets a boost to Curve, Short Passing, and Long Passing when making Precision Passes in the middle third via the Precise Pass perk. Team-focused perks benefit your teammates. If a Creator+ Specialization completes a through pass in the opponent's half, the receiver temporarily gains boosts in Finishing, Balance, and Ball Control via the Assistant perk. Live Events You can team up and compete in new ways with Live Events, delivering dynamic Clubs Rush tournament experiences. Each Live Event will bring new challenges with varying entry requirements, modified Rush gameplay, and alternate rules, creating fresh opportunities for you to earn rewards throughout the season. Each Live Event comes in the form of a single-elimination knockout tournament, where your skill will be tested across a max of four Rush knockout rounds. There’s also a brand new Rush Stadium, to give each tournament a more focused, intense atmosphere. Plus, you can celebrate on stage with your squad after a trophy win. Event Structure Each player starts with a limited number of attempts to win the tournament. Winning a match allows you to move on to the next round, while losing a match costs you an attempt and sends you back to the first round. Using up all your attempts will see you are eliminated from the event, though some events will reset your available attempts after a certain period, giving you another chance to participate. The tournament can only be won by claiming victory in consecutive matches across all rounds up to and including the Final. Event progress is tracked individually and not as a squad, and there is no time limit for starting your next match. So you can take your time editing your Archetype before attempting the next round with a new batch of teammates, just don’t wait too long, as each event will eventually expire. How do I enter a Live Event You’ll be able to see the full list of available and upcoming Live Events from the Live Events Tab in the Play menu. Simply select the available event you want to enter, and proceed into the lobby. From there, you can choose to invite your friends, or search for a match solo. All matchmaking will pair you with teammates and opponents at the same tournament stage, ensuring all players know exactly what is at stake. Each Live Event will always look to ensure you have a full squad of outfield players before entering a match, but in the event that a full squad can’t be found, a team of two human players minimum can proceed with AI teammates filling the open spots. In order to play with friends, you will need to all be at the same tournament round to proceed. If you happen to be in a later round than your lobbymates, then you can choose to reset your progress from inside the Live Event lobby in order to compete alongside them. Doing so will result in losing a tournament attempt. Entry Requirements Each Clubs Rush Live Event can have its own unique set of entry requirements, to increase the level of competition or introduce fun new challenges that shake up the Clubs Rush experience. Some events may require you to increase your Clubs Rush player rank, improve your selected Archetype to a predefined level, or even require you to use a specific Archetype in order to access the event. Multi-Stage Events Some events may even be linked together over multiple stages, where winning the first event will unlock a higher-tier event in the future where you’ll be playing for even bigger rewards. If you miss out on the first stage, no problem, some events will allow you to enter into a redemption stage, where you’ll get a second chance of making it to the next round. Flexible Rules & House Rules Events Whether it’s increasing the tension from the opening whistle by shortening the Match Length or staging Golden Goal matches, Clubs Rush Live Events are intended to give you a wide variety of experiences. We’ll have some exciting new Rush House Rules options exclusive to Clubs Rush Live Events including: Designated Scorer - Goals count as double when scored by your designated scorer. Stay alert, though, as the chosen player changes throughout the game. Rugby Rush - The referee’s not watching. Dominate your opponent with powerful shoulder barges that won't get penalised. Keep an eye out for these over the course of the FC 26 season. Objectives & Rewards Each Live Event will be linked to the Clubs Objectives system inside of FC Hub, providing you with more reason to put together a squad and take on the latest tournament. Rewards will vary from event to event, giving you the opportunity to earn cosmetic items for your Pro, Archetype card backgrounds, or even Consumables to help boost your Archetype’s progression. Revamped Clubs Lobby The Clubs Lobby has been redesigned for a cleaner layout and improved functionality. Role Fit and OVR You can check how well your Archetype selection fits the position & role of each vacant position in your club’s chosen tactic. Simply highlight any vacant position on the lobby pitch to observe your Role Fit. Perfect Fit - Your Archetype is a perfect match for this role and position. Good Fit - Your Archetype is a good fit for this position, but perhaps not the ideal role. Okay Fit - Your Archetype is not particularly suited to this role or position. Bad Fit - Out of Position Similarly, when navigating vacant positions on the lobby pitch, you can observe your Archetype’s OVR value for the highlighted position. Match Status Widget Receive real-time updates from in-progress matches, and monitor the status of Clubs League matchmaking or Friendly Challenge requests via the new Match Status Widget. New Set Piece Assignments A number of new Set Pieces assignments have been added to the Assignments tab, giving you more control over your routines. 2 new Attacking Corner Kick assignments Top of Box Defensive Cover 5 total (Near Post, Back Post, Target Player, Top of Box, Defensive Cover) 4 separate Defensive Corner Kick assignments Threat Marker Post Watcher Near Post Back Post Left Throw-in Taker Right Throw-in Taker Multiple Clubs You can now be a member of up to three clubs at any time, and can freely switch between them using the Switch Clubs function inside the Clubs menus. Clubs Rush & Playoff Rewards You will only be able to earn Clubs Rush & Clubs Playoffs rewards on behalf of a single favourite club that’s selectable from the Switch Clubs screen. You can switch your favourite club at any time during the season but you’ll need to make sure it’s set to the one you want before rewards are distributed at season’s end. Be-A-Goalkeeper Revamp There are a lot of updates to the Be-A-Goalkeeper (BAG) experience in FC 26, including new controls and assistance levels, PlayStyles for BAG, revamped UI components and updated presentation, featuring unique camera and audio treatments. For full details of the revamped Be-A-Goalkeeper experience, check out the Gameplay Deep Dive Pitch Notes. Be-A-Goalkeeper in Clubs Rush Be-A-Goalkeeper (BAG) players will now be able to test their ability on the Rush pitch exclusively in Clubs Rush. In support of this, the Clubs Rush matchmaking experience has undergone a few changes: The maximum lobby size has increased to 5 players (though 1 must be using a GK Archetype in order to proceed to a match). Whether your squad has a goalkeeper or not, matchmaking will attempt to find a squad similar to yours. If your group would prefer to play without a goalkeeper, you can disable the ‘Find GK’ setting inside your Clubs Rush lobby. AI Facilities Facilities are being expanded in FC 26 with the introduction of AI Facilities that boost the attributes for your AI teammates. With the Facility budget now shared between AI and Player Facility upgrades, club managers now have a lot more to think about when deciding how to best allocate their resources. Gameplay Impact AI Facilities are similar to Player Facilities, but with a few key differences: AI Facility upgrades will only come in the form of attribute increases. AI Facility upgrades are position-group specific, meaning you will have a group of Facilities dedicated to improving your Forwards, while another will be solely dedicated to training your Goalkeeper. So be sure to consider the position you and your clubmates will be taking up when allocating your budget. Other Improvements In response to community feedback, Player Facilities have also been rebalanced to provide more consistent value. Look out for more updates to Club Facilities throughout the FC 26 season. Clubs Gameplay Competitive Gameplay Competitive Gameplay is mandatory/locked in Clubs in FC 26. Our goal with Competitive Gameplay is to create a more competitive experience by reducing the impact of randomness and assistance. This is an experience tailored for players who enjoy fast-paced, responsive gameplay. The changes to Competitive Gameplay aim to deliver on the three competitive community priorities: Responsiveness, Consistency, and Control. For more details regarding Competitive Gameplay, check out our Gameplay Deep Dive Pitch Notes. Fatigue Redesigned The impact of Fatigue will be redefined on the Competitive Gameplay experience in FC 26 to support our goal of improving responsiveness across the game. When controlling your Pro: Short-term fatigue will continue to work as before. For example, when short-term stamina depletes, you will be slower when running until the fatigue bar recovers. You will no longer experience loss of Long-Term Fatigue. This applies to any time you are controlling a player, even if you are “Any” (alternating between players). For AI: AI Players have a reduction in Sprint Speed and Acceleration when fatigued (proportional to the fatigue level). Long-term and short-term fatigue are in effect. PlayStyles and Attributes Relentless and Relentless+ PlayStyles have been changed to increase how quickly your short-term fatigue recovers (more details in the PlayStyles section of the Gameplay Deep Dive). The Stamina attribute will continue to work as before, for example when determining how quickly your stamina bar depletes. Match Rating Changes Match Rating in Clubs has been redefined as Role Rating for FC 26, meaning each player’s performance will now be related to the actions that matter the most to their assigned Role (e.g. Box-to-Box, Playmaker, Inside Forward, etc). To ensure you are getting a rating that is based on the actions that matter to your role, we created several different categories: Goalkeeping, Defending, Dribbling, Shooting, Passing, and a unique group that includes stats such as Goals scored or conceded by the team, red cards, and even individual Goals or Assists. These will impact all players equally. You can find a breakdown of these ratings and how much they contribute to the total rating in the Performance screens during a match. Some similar Roles will be grouped together. For example, the rating of a CB with Defender or Stopper will be primarily based on their defensive actions, while the rating of a Ball-Playing CB will also consider the effectiveness of their passing. As an example, let's take two Central Midfielders who performed exactly the same in the same match, creating a number of key chances and providing an assist while performing identically in defense. One has been assigned the Box-to-Box role, while the other has been assigned the Playmaker role. Box-To-Box - Defensive and attacking actions are rated equally. This player may receive a Match Rating of 8.0 for their performance. Playmaker - Creative actions like through-passes, assists, and dictating the pace of play are weighted more heavily than defensive actions. This player may receive a Match Rating of 8.5 for their performance due to the increased value of chance creation when assessing this role. Expanded Quick Chat Options We have added four diverse Quick Chat categories, each featuring four messages for a deeper Social experience. After pressing a direction on the D-Pad a set of new messages will be selectable to provide further communication options to your teammates. Instructions (yellow) Keep it simple Drop back Passing game Push up Compliments (cyan) Golazo Thanks Let's go What a save Encouragement (magenta) Lock in Shake it off My bad Unlucky Celebrations (green) Cold Joga bonito GOAT GG CPU AI The Clubs CPU AI has received some improvements to the Call-for-Pass system, making the CPU more intelligent when considering pass requests and preferring better options when multiple requests come in at the same time. This improvement extends to both Clubs and Rush, ensuring the CPU Goalkeeper will choose better pass options when players spam the pass request. Thank you for taking the time to dive into the Clubs Pitch Notes. Be sure to check out the EA SPORTS FC Feedback Hub for all the ways you can share your feedback with us.EA SPORTS FC 26 Version 1.2.1 Update Notes
FC 26 v1.2.1 is dropping soon, and includes the updates below. General, Audio, and Visual Addressed the following issues: Addressed various stability issues that could have occurred. Want to provide us direct feedback about EA SPORTS FC 26? https://go.ea.com/fc26pfp and let us know what you think, it only takes a few minutes. Thank you for your continued feedback. Throughout the course of the EA SPORTS FC 26 season, we'll provide you with more information and updates if and when they become available. Be sure to follow @EASFCDIRECT on X as well as WhatsApp, and check out the EA SPORTS FC Tracker for the latest news and updates. The EA SPORTS FC Team
