EA SPORTS FC 26

During the EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Closed Beta, we heard your feedback across the game through the EA Closed Beta Forums, the FC 27 Closed Beta Player Feedback Portal, and Discord. We’ve been reviewing that feedback to better understand your experience and the topics that mattered most to you.

In this Pitch Notes, we’ll cover improvements driven by your feedback across areas including physical play, Team Press, Lengthy players, and more. We’ll also provide more context on some of the topics you’ve raised and share our approach to gameplay updates during the launch period.

Early Gameplay Title Update Strategy

We’ve been closely following player conversations and know there’s feedback about significant gameplay balance changes being made after launch. For EA SPORTS FC™ 27, we want to take a measured approach and do not plan on making significant gameplay balance changes in our early Title Updates.

How the game is played and understood can evolve quickly during the opening weeks as players learn new mechanics, discover different ways to play, and build squads. Because of that, we don’t want to react quickly to early trends with significant balance changes. Instead, we’ll give the gameplay experience time to settle so we can better understand how the game develops and whether adjustments are needed.

Our intention is to preserve the gameplay experience we’ve built for launch and give players time to learn and adapt to it. We’ll continue listening closely to your feedback throughout that period, which you can share through the FC Feedback Hub.

We’ll still look to address bugs, unintended behaviours, and other issues that are significantly impacting the gameplay experience. In some cases, addressing these issues may have an impact on the balance of related gameplay systems. For example, addressing an unintended Goalkeeper behaviour could affect the balance between shooting and Goalkeeping more broadly. When fixes like these are needed, we’ll aim to make them as targeted as possible to address the specific issue while limiting their impact on the wider gameplay experience.

Bruiser & Shoulder Challenge Improvements

Physical play and the Bruiser PlayStyle have been big topics coming out of the EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Closed Beta. We still want physical play to be a viable way to win the ball while defending, but we’ve made some changes to make Shoulder Challenges more consistent and address some unintended ways they could’ve been used.

Shoulder Challenges should be most effective when the defender gets side-by-side with the ball carrier rather than attempting a challenge from behind.

One behaviour we wanted to address was repeatedly pressing Shoulder Challenge while chasing an opponent until a challenge eventually triggered. Now, repeatedly pressing Shoulder Challenge in quick succession will cause the defender to stick out an arm and lose speed, making it more difficult to chase down an opponent by repeatedly using the input.

When you get into the right position and time the challenge properly, physical defending remains effective. Strength continues to play an important role, with the Bruiser PlayStyle providing an additional benefit. We’ve also slightly reduced the additional benefit provided by Bruiser+.

Team Press & Defensive Depth

Team Press is intended to be a way to apply pressure higher up the pitch, but we found it was also too effective when used close to your own goal. In those situations, AI teammates could automatically close down opponents and take too much of the defensive responsibility away from the user.

To address this, Team Press will now have no effect while the ball is in your defensive third. This directly addresses one of the most common ways Team Press could be used to automatically pressure attackers close to goal, requiring the defending player to take more responsibility for applying pressure in these situations.

When Team Press is used further up the pitch, defenders can still step towards their marked players, but will be less effective at applying pressure than midfielders and forwards. This also comes with a trade-off: as defenders move closer to their marked players, they can become more susceptible to passes played in behind the defensive line.

We also heard feedback that defensive lines could sit higher than expected, even when using a lower Defensive Depth. We’ve made adjustments so that lower depth settings are more clearly reflected in how your defensive line positions itself, with defenders retreating sooner and maintaining a more conservative position to leave less space in behind. Your defensive line will still adjust to what’s happening on the pitch, so setting a low depth doesn’t mean your defenders will stay deep in every situation.

AcceleRATE Update

Based on your feedback during the Closed Beta, we’ve looked at AcceleRATE itself as well as some of the other mechanics that were contributing to Lengthy players being particularly effective.

As previously announced in the FC 27 Gameplay Deep Dive, Triggered Runs will now have a limited distance. You’ll need to trigger another run if you want the player to continue their movement. This requires more active input when managing longer runs and also reduces some of the benefits Lengthy players could gain over extended distances.

We’ve also made a couple of other changes to further address the effectiveness of Lengthy players.

We’ve slightly reduced the impact of AcceleRATE profiles on a player’s running performance, bringing Explosive, Controlled, and Lengthy players a little closer together. This places greater emphasis on a player’s Acceleration and Sprint Speed Attributes.

We’ve also adjusted the height threshold for female players to be eligible for the Lengthy AcceleRATE profile. In FC 27, female players will need to be at least 5’8” (172 cm) to be eligible for Lengthy.

Together, we believe these changes provide a better balance between the different AcceleRATE profiles, while allowing each to remain useful depending on your players and your preferred style of play.

Player Lock Changes

We heard your feedback that Player Lock could be particularly effective with very little downside for an advanced mechanic. Based on that feedback, we’ve made some changes to introduce more of a risk-reward balance when using Player Lock.

When you Player Lock away from the ball carrier, the ball carrier will no longer automatically dribble around or avoid defenders. Instead, they’ll continue moving in the direction they were already travelling.

This gives the defending player a clearer opportunity to recognise the situation and apply pressure to the ball carrier, while requiring the attacking player to be more aware of what’s happening on the ball while controlling another player.

We’ve also slightly increased the error in passes made by the CPU-controlled ball carrier during Player Lock, further adding to the risk-reward balance of using the feature.

We want Player Lock to continue providing opportunities to create manual movement off the ball, while placing more responsibility on the player using it.

Dinked Pass Update

As previously announced in the Gameplay Deep Dive, Dinked Passes are fully manual in EA SPORTS FC™ 27.

Previously, Ground Pass and Through Pass could trigger different versions of the Dinked Pass, one toward a teammate and one into space. With Dinked Passes now being manual, where the ball goes will instead be determined by where you aim.

During the Closed Beta, we also saw that Dinked Passes could be triggered accidentally when pressing Ground Pass multiple times. To address this, Dinked Passes can no longer be performed using the Ground Pass input. Double-tapping or repeatedly pressing Ground Pass will result in a regular Ground Pass.

To perform a Dinked Pass, double tap Through Pass and manually aim where you want the ball to go.

Player Roles & Attacking Spatial Awareness

We’ve seen questions from the community about how the new Attacking Spatial Awareness system works alongside Player Roles.

Player Roles continue to determine the types of runs a player can make based on their position and Role. For example, an Inside Forward can look to make runs into the space between the centre back and fullback, while a Winger will consider runs that better reflect their wider positioning.

Role Familiarity then influences the urgency with which a player makes those available runs. Players with greater familiarity in a Role, including Role+ and Role++, will show more urgency when making those movements.

Attacking Spatial Awareness doesn’t replace Player Roles. Instead, the two systems work together to influence a player’s attacking movement.

Corner Kicks: What’s New in FC 27?

We’ve seen questions around what is actually different about Corner Kicks in FC 27 since you could already control a player in the box in FC 26.

While FC 26 gave you the ability to manually control a player in the box, the main difference with corners in FC 27 is the amount of assistance you get when manually positioning your player.

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 gives you free movement and no longer moves your player toward the expected landing position of the ball. It’s now down to you to read the trajectory, get into the right position and time the run.

The player you’re controlling matters too, as height and jumping ability can change where and when you want to attack the ball. A taller player with strong jumping, for example, may be able to meet the ball earlier in its trajectory. A player’s physical momentum also matters, so it’s not only about getting to the right spot, it’s also about how and when you arrive there.

You can also use (https://www.ea.com/en/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-27/news/pitch-notes-fc27-gameplay-deep-dive#shielding-and-avoidance) to help hold a good position once you’ve found it, or use the new (https://www.ea.com/en/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-27/news/pitch-notes-fc27-gameplay-deep-dive#shielding-and-avoidance) mechanic to slip past opponents and try to beat them to the best spot to attack the ball.

Authentic Gameplay

Based on the feedback from the FC 27 Closed Beta, we’re making several refinements to CPU AI in Authentic Gameplay. In line with our approach to early gameplay updates, these changes are focused on targeted adjustments rather than significantly changing the overall balance of the gameplay experience.

These adjustments include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Difficulty Calibration: Tuning difficulty progression to create clearer differences between Professional, World Class, and Legendary difficulties.

• Tactical Adjustments: The thresholds for certain CPU Sliders, such as Sliding Tackle Frequency, are being recalibrated for more dynamic and realistic tactical behavior.

• AI Behavior: We are implementing several changes to improve how the CPU AI builds attacks, approaches 1v1 finishing opportunities, and defends against specific offensive maneuvers such as through passes and triggered runs in certain situations.

We appreciate the detailed feedback you shared throughout the Closed Beta and will continue refining Authentic Gameplay ahead of launch.

For EA SPORTS FC™ 27, we’ve focused on specific areas of the PC experience, including reducing launch times, modernising keyboard controls, expanding graphics options, and giving you better tools to tailor performance to your hardware. These changes are designed to help you spend less time getting set up, give you more control over how you play, and make it easier to configure FC 27 for your PC.

Before we jump into the PC changes for FC 27, we want to take a moment to thank you for all the feedback you’ve shared with us throughout FC 26. Hearing about your experiences and understanding what matters most to the PC community continues to help inform changes, and we’re committed to continuing to make EA SPORTS FC™ better on PC.

Please keep sharing your feedback with us here in the Steam Community Forums and the Official EA SPORTS FC Discord.

Launch Improvements

Throughout FC 26, we saw feedback from the community regarding the time it takes from launching the game to reaching gameplay.

For EA SPORTS FC™ 27, we’ve updated the startup flow on Steam, reducing the number of windows and loading steps visibly shown during the startup process. We’ve also made changes aimed at reducing launch times, with our testing showing improvements of around 50% in some configurations (results can vary depending on your hardware setup). Together, these updates are intended to reduce the friction between launching FC 27 and getting into the game.

Graphics Presets & PC Specifications

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 expands the available graphics presets, including new Performance and Balanced graphics modes, alongside new ‘High’ and ‘Ultra’ specification presets that target at least 80fps and 120fps, respectively, on the hardware specified in the PC requirements . These additions make it easier to choose an experience that best matches your hardware and how you want to play, whether you’re looking to prioritise for performance or visual quality. Graphics settings can still be customised individually, giving you further control over your visuals.

Steam Friends

We’ve also heard your feedback regarding having two separate friends lists, both on Steam and within EA SPORTS FC™. Previously, playing with a Steam friend who wasn’t already an EA Friend could mean manually searching for their EA ID and adding them first. With FC 27, Steam Friends are available automatically through EA Connect, making it quicker and easier to find and add them as an EA Friend before jumping into matches together.

VRAM Indicator

The graphics settings menu in FC 27 now includes a new VRAM indicator. As you adjust your graphics settings, the indicator estimates the expected maximum in-game video memory usage, giving you more information when deciding which settings are appropriate for your hardware.

Updated Keyboard Controls

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 brings a significant update to keyboard controls, introducing redesigned default keyboard layouts with the aim of making common movement and gameplay actions easier to access on keyboard.

Choose between two layouts:

• WASD

• Arrow Keys

These two layouts have been designed to make movement and gameplay actions feel more natural, while additional keyboard shortcuts make tactical adjustments during matches more accessible without having to move away from your core controls.

As always, controls remain customisable, so you can tailor the experience to your preference.

Enhanced Ultra Visuals

For those playing FC 27 using high-end PC hardware, we’ve introduced Enhanced Ultra Visuals. These new graphics options push visual quality beyond the existing Ultra preset, offering additional visual enhancements for players who want to prioritise visual fidelity and have the hardware to support it.

Enhanced Ultra Visuals are disabled by default, so enabling them is an optional way to push visual quality further. Players who want to prioritise performance can simply leave these options disabled and continue using the existing graphics presets.

Responsiveness & Performance

We closely monitored feedback around responsiveness and overall PC performance throughout FC 26 and have made a number of improvements for FC 27, including work aimed at reducing situations where high CPU load can negatively impact responsiveness, alongside additional PC performance optimisations.

Performance will vary depending on your hardware and configuration, and this remains an area we’ll continue to monitor. These changes specifically target some of the performance and responsiveness scenarios we observed throughout FC 26, rather than representing a single solution for every PC configuration.

For FC 27, we’ve specified dual channel memory in the hardware requirements, as having two sticks of RAM (2x4 GB for Minimum, or 2x16 GB for Ultra) can provide better performance than an equivalent amount of memory running in single channel.

For the best experience, we highly recommend using an SSD for storage, though an HDD is still supported by the Minimum requirements.

We’ll continue to monitor community feedback after launch and make improvements where possible.

Additional Resources

We’ll continue to expand our PC support resources to help you get the best experience from your hardware.

Updated support articles will include information on graphics settings, hardware recommendations, performance troubleshooting, and other optimisation tips to help tailor FC 27 to your setup:

https://help.ea.com/en/articles/ea-sports-fc/pc-performance/

Stay tuned for more EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Pitch Notes, and join the conversation to share your feedback with us in the EA SPORTS FC™ Discord

We know players want to understand how their feedback shapes EA SPORTS FC™. Throughout FC 26, you told us what you’d like to see improved and that you wanted more transparency into how feedback is used, where it goes, and when it leads to change. As we approach the release of EA SPORTS™ FC 27, this Deep Dive explains how we approach feedback, and how your voice will help to shape the game.

After a full season of gathering your feedback through the Player Feedback Portal, (http://discord.gg/easportsfc), EA Forums, Design Council, and more, we continue to get new feedback from you and refine how we review it. For FC 27, player feedback will inform the development process earlier, more often, and across more areas of the game.

How Can I Leave Feedback?

There are several places you can share feedback with our teams, depending on the type of feedback you want to provide.

• The Player Feedback Portal is the clearest way to submit structured feedback about a specific area of the game

• FC 27’s Portal will launch alongside the game and will be available to Closed Beta participants as well

• (http://discord.gg/easportsfc) allows you to join real-time conversations and participate in polls

• EA Forums provides you a space for more detailed and ongoing discussions

• PC players can also share feedback through Steam Community

Each feedback channel helps us understand a different part of the player experience. Together, they give our teams a broader picture of how players are experiencing FC.

What Do We Do With Your Feedback?

When you share your feedback, it becomes part of a bigger picture that helps our teams understand what players are experiencing across EA SPORTS FC™.

Gathering feedback from a variety of sources helps us understand different parts of the player experience. Some give us a broad sense of how the community is feeling, some help us spot specific issues, and some help us to understand how different players experience the same feature, mode, or update.

Combining the feedback across these channels gives us a clearer picture of your current experience and allows us to:

• Understand player priorities

• Identify recurring issues and feedback trends

• Share insights with development teams

• Make changes where required

We bring this feedback together through our internal processes. Our FC 27 team meets consistently to review what players are telling us, identify the areas that require further investigation, and create action plans for how we can respond.

Those actions can take different forms, from investigating an issue more deeply or making direct changes to the game, to providing more clarity around how a feature works. The goal is to make sure feedback is shared with the right teams, considered alongside game data and development priorities, and communicated back to players as clearly as possible.

A single comment may not always lead to direct change, but when feedback trends are clear and consistent, they can help our teams better understand player priorities and determine the right next steps.

Our Approach To Feedback in FC 27

Throughout FC 26, we improved how we gathered and communicated player feedback, and for FC 27, we want to act on clear feedback trends sooner and provide greater visibility into the areas our teams are reviewing.

Throughout the season we’ll use surveys, polls, discussions, and playtests to ask players about specific features and areas of the game. This enables our teams to gather clearer feedback, better understand the reasons behind it, and compare what we hear across community discussions, gameplay data, and research.

We also want to do more to close the loop with players by communicating the feedback trends we are seeing, the areas our teams are investigating, and examples of where player input has contributed to changes.

Not every piece of feedback will lead to an adjustment, and some changes may require additional time, testing, or technical work. Our goal for FC 27 is to identify and respond to feedback trends more quickly while making it clearer how player feedback moves from the community into development.

Player Feedback Portal

The Player Feedback Portal is a survey that’s open 24/7 and lets you provide specific feedback on your chosen area of the game. The Portal continues to be the clearest and most direct way for our teams to review and track your feedback. It also helps us connect your responses with gameplay data, other community discussions, and broader social chatter.

Since the Portal’s launch last year, we’ve reviewed tens of thousands of responses covering nearly every aspect of FC 26. We’ll continue to use Portal responses closely throughout FC 27 to understand your experience, identify key feedback themes, and help inform where changes may be needed.

We’re currently getting the Portal ready for FC 27, and we’ll share the link with you as it rolls out alongside the Closed Beta and full game.

How to use the Player Feedback Portal:

• Visit the Player Feedback Portal and sign in with your EA account

• Select which part of the game you’d like to leave feedback on

• Provide your detailed feedback

• Press Submit

Our development and community teams regularly review Player Feedback Portal responses. We analyse data alongside broader community trends to validate findings and guide future updates. When additional context is needed, we may follow up through Discord or in-game communications.

Discord

Discord is key in helping us to understand community feedback in real time. The server is monitored daily by members of our team and moderators, ensuring feedback is reviewed, acknowledged, and shared with the right teams.

The best way to leave feedback on Discord is through the following channels:

• #fc-feedback threads

• #polls

Join the conversation in our official (http://discord.gg/easportsfc) and help shape the future of EA SPORTS FC™.

Steam Community

We also have a dedicated channel for PC feedback through Steam Community.

Our teams regularly monitor the Steam Community Hub to review bug reports, respond to player issues where possible, and collect PC-specific feedback to bring back to development teams.

There are two main ways to share feedback through the Steam Community. The first is by reporting issues and joining conversations in Discussions. The second is for noting any technical issues or bugs, posting detailed Bug Reports to help us investigate and identify trends affecting the community.

Stay tuned for our PC-specific Deep Dive in September, where we will discuss what’s coming to EA SPORTS FC™ 27 on PC.

EA Forums

EA Forums continue to be the main place for structured community discussion. The forums are organised by topic, allowing you to easily share detailed feedback, discuss recent updates, and engage with other members of the FC community.

Our community team and moderators review your posts to identify recurring themes and potential issues to inform in-game updates. Discussions on the EA Forums help us keep ongoing feedback topics updated, sourcing additional examples, videos, suggestions, and player discussion.

Join the conversation in EA Forums.

Design Councils

Design Councils enable us to bring global player perspectives into development. They help us hear from a variety of players with different playing styles, priorities, and experiences within the game.

For FC 27, we held the following three hands-on playtests, gathering detailed feedback from players, creators, and community voices across different areas of the game:

• Career playtest in April 2026

• The Grounds playtest in May 2026

• Gameplay fundamentals and FUT playtest in May 2026

We were able to implement key feedback from each of these playtests to be ready in time for FC 27 launch. For example, the triggered run and through pass changes in FC 27 were a direct result of the feedback we received during our Gameplay Fundamentals playtest in May.

We’re planning to continue hosting these feedback sessions throughout FC 27 to ensure we’re creating updates that align with feedback from some of our most passionate players.

Closed Beta

The Closed Beta runs from 5 August, 2026 - 25 August, 2026. The Closed Beta is an invite only work-in-progress build of EA SPORTS FC™ 27 that gives selected players an early opportunity to try parts of the game before launch. As this is a pre-release build, some features may not reflect their final launch experience.

Before 18 August, eligible players will have access to The Grounds, while access to other modes may be limited. Your invitation email will tell you which game modes you can access. Starting 18 August, all modes will be available to play. Below are the PC Requirements for FC 27. More information will be coming soon in our PC Deep Dive.

Here’s how you can get invited to the Closed Beta.

In order for a chance to be selected for the Closed Beta, you’ll need to sign up for EA Playtesting first.

To learn more about EA Playtests and Closed betas, check out EA Help.

If you’ve been invited to play, we’ll send your code to the email address linked to your EA Account.

Rules:

• You must be 18 years old or older.

• To play the Closed Beta, you’ll need an online connection and an EA Account. You’ll also need to accept the EA User Agreement, EA Privacy & Cookie Policy, and the Pre-release Feedback Agreement.

• It’s against our rules to post, stream, capture, or otherwise share content from Closed Beta gameplay and forums. If you break those rules, you’ll lose access to the Closed Beta and be placed on a no-access list for future opportunities. In addition, your posted or streamed content may be taken down, and you might get a strike on any channels that you stream the Closed Beta from.

• Our advisors can't give you a code if you don’t get one.

• Your code is just for you. It can’t be transferred to another account or shared with another player.

• The Closed Beta is only available in the US, Canada (excluding Quebec), United Kingdom, and Ireland

If you want to report a bug or give feedback, there’s a Closed Beta specific FC 27 forum you can visit. You can also expect to see the Player Feedback Portal and other surveys in-game.

You’ll have to login using your EA Account used to log in to the Closed Beta.

Please note that for the Closed Beta our advisors won’t be able to help troubleshoot anything that might happen while you’re playing.

For more information about the Closed Beta and FAQ, please visit our Help Article

Once the Closed Beta finishes we'll publish a Pitch Notes article summarising the feedback we've received from the community, the key themes that emerged, and the updates the development team is investigating. Your feedback throughout the Closed Beta will play an important role in shaping the final experience.

Help Shape EA SPORTS FC™ 27

Every one of your discussions helps us better understand how you experience the game and informs the decisions we make when building the future of EA SPORTS FC™.

Thanks again for your continued feedback. Stay tuned for more EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Deep Dives, and join the conversation to share your feedback with us on the EA SPORTS FC™ Discord

Your Club’s world just got a lot bigger. The Grounds is the most social way to play EA SPORTS FC™ 27, bringing up to 100 players together in a shared football playground, built around a central Terrace and three distinct districts inspired by football cultures around the world.

Available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch™ 2, The Grounds lets you meet up with friends, take part in Small-sided football matches and Kickabouts in the park, connect with renowned football mentors, and experience everything this football playground has to offer. With Clubs at the heart of this evolving world, you and your Clubmates have more ways to connect, compete, and progress your Club.

The World

The Grounds is built around a central Terrace that connects three distinct districts, each shaped by different football cultures. From social spaces and in-world activities to Clubs and Stadium competition, each area offers different ways to explore, play, and connect with others.

The world will continue to evolve throughout the year through new seasons, campaigns, and live updates, introducing changes to its atmosphere, activities, rewards, and ways to play.

The Terrace

This is where every session begins. The Terrace connects all three districts, enabling you to go directly to the Clubhouse Entrance for instant Clubs access, check out information kiosks to learn more about The Grounds, and browse the latest content in The Grounds Store.

The Clubhouse

This is where the Clubs experience lives in EA SPORTS FC™ 27. Now part of an evolving world, the Clubs Stadium and Clubhouse entrance will update based on your Club customisation and identity.

Montclair

Montclair captures the energy of French urban football through its cage pitches and metropolitan setting.

Zeiza

Zeiza celebrates Argentina’s Potrero spirit, a fusion of European and Latin style architecture.

Parkside

Parkside captures the working-class football heritage of the UK.

11v11 Stadium Access

Home to 11v11 Drop-in.

Rush Stadium Access

Home to drop-in Rush experiences, including Ranked Rush and Rush Tournaments.

Mentors

Mentors will guide you through everything The Grounds has to offer, with each player having their own specialist area:

• Alex Hunter - Returns from_The Journey_as your right-hand man, helping guide you through player improvement challenges inspired by his rise from prospect to champion. - Kylian Mbappe - Brings the influence of Bondy’s local pitches to football activities centred on Small-sided play, agility, and creativity. - Chloe Kelly - Draws on the culture of grassroots football in England through Kickabouts and other in-world activities built around creativity, freedom, and playing with friends. - Paulo Dybala - Draws on his move from Argentina to Europe through Clubs and Stadium events focused on teamwork, Club identity, and loyalty.

Ways to Play

Clubs Leagues and Playoffs

The Clubs experience now lives inside The Grounds, including the return of Leagues and Playoffs. Walk into your Clubhouse to jump straight into all of the ways to play in Clubs experience.

Clubs Live Tournaments

One of the biggest additions to Clubs in EA SPORTS FC™ 27 is the expansion of Live Events with Club Tournaments. These 11v11 competitions give you and your Clubmates another way to compete against other Clubs beyond Leagues and Playoffs. Tournament Events can feature different numbers of rounds, match rules, and rewards, helping keep the competition fresh throughout the year.

Club Tournaments can use House Rules to keep things fresh throughout the year:

• Mystery Ball

• King of the Hill

• No Rules

• Headers and Volleys

• Survival

• Long Range

Stadium Drop In

Stadium Drop In is a way for players to access matchmade Stadium features from the world of The Grounds including Stadium Rush, Rush Live Tournaments, and 11v11 Drop In. Accessing these modes will take you out of the world and into a classic matchmaking experience where you’ll be paired against players of a similar skill level.

Small-sided

Face off in competitive football across 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and Rush matches on a variety of pitches throughout The Grounds. Matches last three minutes, with Rush offering an in-world version of the mode played on a dirt pitch, separate from the Rush Stadium experience.

For 1v1, both teams will have one CPU goalkeeper and one outfield player, while 2v2 and 3v3 will feature smaller goals and no goalkeepers. Score more goals than the opponent by the end of the time to win.

Battle for possession when the game begins as the ball is launched from the middle of the pitch. Shooting assistance is set to Manual and Passing Assistance is set to Fully Assisted with the rest of gameplay set the same as in regular 11v11 play.

Fouls are enabled and free kicks work as follows:

• When a foul is made outside of the penalty area, the player fouled will have to shoot from the exact spot the foul was committed

• When a foul is made inside of the penalty area, the player fouled will have to shoot from the designated penalty spot

• Players will have to shoot during a Freekick, passing and dribbling is disabled

• The rest of the players, teammates, and opponents will be positioned behind the Freekick taker and won't be able to get in front of the ball for a set time

• If the foul is not taken before that time period, the Freekick taker and the rest of the players will be able to move freely again

Kickabouts

Kickabouts mix football with other sports like Dodgeball, Basketball, or Bocce Ball to introduce a variety of new ways to play both cooperatively and competitively.

Bocce Ball

Bocce Ball is a three-player free-for-all played over three one-minute rounds. Each round becomes more difficult as new obstacles are added and the route to each target becomes less direct.

The Pitch is split into two areas. Balls continuously spawn in the Player Zone, while the Gameplay Zone contains the Targets, rings, obstacles, and Dead Zones.

Score points by passing or shooting balls into Targets. After a ball lands inside a target, a timer begins. When it expires, the target splits into smaller Targets, progressing from Large to Medium and then Small.

Players earn points for each ball still inside the target when it splits. Balls in the centre earn bullseye points, while balls knocked out before the timer expires do not score.

You can also earn points by sending balls through rings, even if another ball knocks yours through. After three rounds, the player with the most points wins.

See a breakdown of the scoring system below:

• Large Target: 100 points

• Large Target Bullseye: 200 points

• Medium Target: 500 points

• Medium Target Bullseye: 750 points

• Small Target: 1,250 points

• Small Target Bullseye: 2,000 points

• Ring: 300 points

• Dead Zone: -150 points

Team Keepaway

Team Keepaway is a 3v3 game played over one three-minute round on a medium-sized pitch surrounded by walls. The goal is to keep possession for as long as possible by passing the ball between teammates.

The game begins with the ball dropping in the center of the pitch and players fighting for possession. While on the ball, you’ll be able to perform any type of pass. While defending, you will be able to perform any type of tackle to recover the ball, but take care, as fouls will still be given**.**

The team with the most points when time expires wins. A team can also win immediately by taking a 1,000-point lead.

There are multiple ways to earn points in Team Keepaway:

• If player holds the ball, 5 points will be given each second

• If a player does a regular pass, 20 points will be given.

• If a player does a first time pass, 40 points will be given.

• If a player does 5 passes in a sequence, a multiplier will be applied for the next passes.

• 5 passes = x2

• 10 passes = x3

• If a player intercepts a pass, 15 points will be given - whatever multiplier was being applied to the opponents team will be given as a bonus to the intercepting team.

• If a player does a successful slide tackle, 20 points will be given.

• If a player does a foul, 100 will be taken away as a penalty.

The Big Race

The Big Race is a four-player free-for-all set across a full-sized pitch. Play a total of three races in one track, with each track having a maximum of two minutes to be completed. The race is divided into three different obstacle variations of the same track.

Complete the full race and try to get as many points as possible in each track. The Big Race starts with all four players positioned on the start line with a ball at their feet.

Only dribbling is enabled, guiding the ball through a race track full of obstacles such as Gates to go between, Lava Floors to avoid, Moving Colliders to dodge, and Defender Zones to dribble through. Once the first player crosses the finish line in each track, the rest of the players will have 15 seconds to finish. The player with the most points at the end of the race wins.

See a breakdown of the points system below:

• 1st - 9 points

• 2nd - 6 points

• 3rd - 3 points

• 4th - 1 points

Attacking Scenarios

Attacking Scenarios is a 2v2 competitive match on a medium-sized walled pitch. Consisting of four, one-minute long rounds, each round selects a random scenario from a pool of ten.

Starting with both teams on their end of the pitch, the scenario will be shown through a banner then added to the top of the screen before the ball is launched down the centre line and play begins.

For Attacking Scenarios there’s no goalkeeper, no fouls, no offsides or other similar rules. The only requirements that matter are those required in the current scenario. If a goal is scored but doesn't meet the current scenario's requirements, a new ball is launched back in immediately to continue play.

When a round's timer hits 0:00, the ball pops, ending the round and preventing post-round goals. The next round will begin immediately, starting with a new scenario. The team at the end of round four with the most points wins. If there’s a tie after the fourth round, a final fifth round will be played for one minute, using one of the two remaining unplayed scenarios. The first to score a goal wins.

See a breakdown of the scenarios and points system below:

• Bronze

• Dribble the ball in - 1 point

• Score a first time shot - 1 point

• Break a target when scoring - 1 point

• Score off of a wall bounce - 1 point

• Silver

• Complete three passes before scoring - 2 points

• Collect three balloons before scoring - 2 points

• Score an aerial goal - 2 points

• Gold

• Score from inside a zone - 3 points

• Score through one or more gates - 1 point per gate

• Ball Hog - Hold the ball to generate points to score - up to 6 points

Bucket Ball

Bucket Ball is a team-based 2v2 game on a medium sized pitch. The game is three minutes long, with a one minute overtime period for tied games. If either team scores during overtime the game ends instantly with the scoring team as the winner, if there's still a tie at the end of overtime, the game ends in a draw.

The game begins with a ball being dropped into the middle and players positioned on either side of the pitch. Battle for possession to get the first chance to attack. Score by sending the ball through the opposition team's hoop using precision lob pass and spike.

There are 3 main types of shots:

• Precision Lob Pass (performed using lob button)

• Precision Header (performed using lob button while the ball is in the air)

• Spikes (performed using shoot button while the ball is in the air)

Strategise with your teammate to try to score by either getting close to the hoop or taking a risk and shooting farther from the hoop. Higher jumps are activated with the shoot button to make it easier to perform a spike, or to defend

Once a team scores, kickoff starts from the side of the opposition team. In the event of a foul, a “free throw” is given to the fouled team. Once a free throw is granted, the fouled player has 10 seconds to shoot with a lob pass while the rest of the players are frozen. If the player doesn't take the shot in ten seconds, the game continues as usual. At the end of three minutes, the team with the highest score wins.

See a breakdown of the scenarios and points system below:

• 2 points for scoring during a free throw or scoring from inside the 3 pointer zone

• 3 points for scoring beyond the 3 pointer zone

• 2 bonus points are given for scoring with a spike (a total of 4)

Balloon Ball

Balloon Ball is a four-player free-for-all game on a medium pitch. Divided into three rounds, each round increases in difficulty based on the density of obstacles scattered around the pitch. Each player starts every round with three balloons attached and floating above their head. The last player standing with at least one balloon remaining wins the round.

Become the last player standing by popping all the opposition balloons while protecting your own. The game starts with all four players positioned at the four quarters of the pitch. Shoot the ball to pop other players’ balloons. Each hit pops one balloon and when all three are popped, the player is eliminated and teleported to the sideline to spectate.

A ball must be recently and forcefully kicked to pop balloons. A ball that has slowed to a crawl will cool off and not register hits. If the ball goes out of play, it’s automatically thrown back in after a short delay, launched toward the centre of the pitch.

As rounds progress, obstacles are progressively removed from the pitch, increasing the risk of being hit. At the end of each round, the last player standing earns the most points. All other players earn points based on their finishing position. The player with the highest cumulative score across all rounds wins the game.

A golden balloon power-up spawns periodically at a random position throughout the game. Collect the power-up by running into it or kicking the ball at it and gain one of three randomly allocated abilities:

• Invincible

• Become temporarily immune to balloon pops for a set time

• Tyres

• Tyres are fired toward opposition players, causing them to stumble or fall

• Boomerang Ball

• After hitting an opposition p

With EA SPORTS FC™ 27, you can immortalise your dream club with the all-new FUT™ Gallery, discover unique Holographic Player Items, shape Evolutions through branching Pathways, exchange with ease through streamlined SBCs, and more.

Let’s jump into it.

FUT Gallery

In EA SPORTS FC™ 27, your Player Items will have a lasting legacy in your Club through the new FUT Gallery. You can create records of Player Items passing through your Club, whether it’s the striker who led your FUT Champions Finals run or that one winger you decided to move on from after a bad spell.

The FUT Gallery goes beyond recording memories, it also creates a path to earning rewards.

Most Player Items obtained through Packs, Transfer Market, Objectives, SBCs, and other Football Ultimate Team rewards can become part of your Gallery. Loan Items are not eligible, while Evolution Items are represented by the original base Item before it entered an Evo.

Even if an Item is no longer actively in your Club, for example, if you sold it on the Transfer Market or submitted it into an SBC, it can still contribute to Gallery Sets, helping you increase your Gallery Level and earn rewards.

Gallery Sets

The Gallery is built around Sets that focus on different themes such as Nations, Leagues, Clubs, and Campaigns.

For example, you might open a League Set and start filling it with Player Items you’ve earned throughout the season from that League. You can add Items manually to shape the Set yourself, or use an autocomplete feature to fill available slots more efficiently.

Set Grades

Completing a Gallery Set is only the beginning. Each Set you complete will receive a grade based on the Items added to it. Items have their own score value, and higher OVR or special versions of Player Items can contribute more to a Set’s overall score. Improving your Set grades will also help you earn rewards as you progress through your Gallery.

That means you can keep returning to your Sets and improving them throughout the season. You might start with regular Gold Items, then upgrade the same Set over time with Campaign Items, Heroes, ICONs, or Holographic versions.

Gallery Level

Every Set you complete and improve contributes towards your overall Gallery Level, creating another long-term progression path for your Club beyond just building your squad.

As your Gallery level increases, you will earn rewards tied to that progression.

Some Sets are focused around progression, while others are focused on showcasing Player Items that are especially meaningful to your Club. Custom Sets give you the freedom to highlight your favourite players and create displays built around themes that matter most to you.

Gallery Rewards

Rewards are earned by grading Sets and reaching Gallery milestones.

For grading Sets, you can earn cosmetics, Gallery Tokens, and other reward types, with higher Set grades unlocking additional rewards.

Gallery Tokens can be used in the Gallery Token Store, where you can choose from rewards inspired by fandom and Club identity. These can include Kits, Badges, and other rewards, alongside a brand-new class of historical Items called Hall of FUT. We’ll have more to share on Hall of FUT soon.

Gallery Level milestones can also offer larger rewards as you progress further, including opportunities to earn distinctive Holographic Items, which we will cover in more detail later in this Deep Dive.

The Gallery Token Store will evolve throughout the season, introducing new rewards and giving you more ways to decide what you want to earn next.

Tags

Looking for the highest grading isn’t just about finding higher-rated Players. Tags reward specific combinations of Player Items within a Set, giving you flexibility on how to improve your score and discover new ways to optimize your Gallery.

Tags are based on combinations of Item properties within the Set, such as including a required number of Gold Items, Campaign Items, or other specific Item types.

Gallery Hub

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 also introduces the Gallery Hub, a new environment that gives your Club a more visible presence. The Gallery Hub appears as the main Football Ultimate Team™ environment where you can see Player Items, favourite Sets, and other parts of your Club represented in the space around you (on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 only).

For example, when viewing a Club Set, Items from that Set can appear in the environment. Favourite Sets can also help personalise your space, making your Club feel more visible as it grows.

3D Items

As your Club grows throughout the season, your Gallery should feel like it’s growing too. Player Items can now appear as 3D objects inside Football Ultimate Team™, allowing your space to reflect the evolution of your Club.

This helps give your Gallery a stronger sense of place. Early in the season, your space might reflect a growing Club built from Bronze, Silver, and Gold Items. Later in the season, as you earn Campaign Items, ICONs, Heroes, Holographic Items, and other special Items, the Gallery Hub can reflect that progression visually.

Holographic Items

Holographic Items are a rarer version of special Items. When an eligible special Item is available in a pack, a Holographic version of that same Item may also be available. Holographic Items feature premium presentation details and unique visuals that make them instantly stand out from their standard counterparts.

The player and their in-match Attributes remain the same. What makes a Holographic Item special is its rarity and visual presentation, giving you a new version of your favourite players to use in your squad, display in your Gallery, or find on the Transfer Market.

There are two Holographic Item types. Regular Holographic Items feature the standard animated foil effect, while Pristine Holographic Items add an even more premium look, including the player’s name displayed in a stylized font. Each eligible Player Item will only ever have one Holographic version, Regular or Pristine.

Because Holographic Items are rarer than their standard counterparts, they contribute more to your Set’s overall score.

Item Rarity

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 updates how base Item rarity works in Football Ultimate Team™. To simplify the experience and help distinguish new Holographic Items from their base versions, Bronze, Silver, and Gold Items will no longer appear as either Common or Rare. Instead, base Items will be classified simply as Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Our intention is for the overall Pack-opening experience to remain consistent year over year.

As a result, Packs will no longer state the minimum number of Rare Items guaranteed. For Packs that previously guaranteed Rare Player Items, the likelihood of receiving a base Player Item at OVR 82 and below (a threshold below which players could previously either be designated as Common or Rare) is intended to remain consistent with EA SPORTS FC™ 26.

As with previous titles, individual Player Items within the same OVR may have different odds of being received in a Pack. These updates are intended to maintain a consistent year-over-year Pack-opening experience while supporting a simpler Item rarity structure in EA SPORTS FC™ 27. Consult the in-game Pack Probability screen for each FUT Store Pack for Pack-specific details.

SBCs

SBCs have been a core part of Football Ultimate Team™ for almost a decade. In FC 27, we’re introducing a new way to complete them and make earning rewards faster and more intuitive.

Traditional SBCs often ask players to solve multiple requirements at once, such as Chemistry, position, or ratings. That depth can be fun, but for certain SBC types, like Player and Upgrade SBCs, we know players often want a faster path to the reward. The goal is not to remove meaningful decisions, but to reduce repetitive friction around completing them.

Streamlined SBCs simplify that experience. Instead of building a full squad around Chemistry, position, or a squad overall rating requirements, you’ll see eligible Items from your Club and select which ones you want to submit.

Each Item contributes a score based on its overall rating and rarity, using the same Item scoring system as the Gallery. As you submit Items, your SBC progress increases until the target score is reached. You can also submit multiple versions of the same Item, including duplicates, towards that score.

Streamlined SBCs also support partial progress. That means you do not need to complete the full requirement in a single submission. You can submit some Items, make progress towards the target, and come back later to complete it.

We also plan to make requirements more flexible by moving away from squad overall rating requirements.

For example, a Streamlined SBC for a Player of the Month Item might only require a total score, with each submitted Item needing to be 75 rated or higher. Other Streamlined SBCs may have no minimum OVR requirement at all, only a total score requirement.

That means it would be possible to complete the SBC by submitting more lower-rated Items, fewer higher-rated Items, or a mix of both.

The combination of simplified requirements, duplicate submission, and partial submission will make club and duplicate management significantly easier.

We’re excited to introduce the new Streamlined SBC format, which we plan to use across the majority of Player and Upgrade SBCs. We will also continue to support Traditional SBCs for more puzzle-like Challenge SBCs, while adjusting how we use both formats based on your feedback throughout the year.

Evolutions

Evolutions continue in EA SPORTS FC™ 27 with new updates designed to give you more choice and better planning tools. Two of the key additions are Pathways and Evolution Chain Preview.

Pathways

Pathways give Evolutions branching upgrade choices. Instead of every Evolution following one fixed path, some Evos can offer multiple upgrade options.

For example, one option might improve dribbling and add a PlayStyle such as Technical, while another might improve defensive awareness and add a PlayStyle like Jockey.

Not every Evolution will use Pathways. Traditional linear Evos will still exist but selected Evos can offer branching choices that let you shape the Item around your squad needs or PlayStyle.

Evolution Chain Preview

Many players like to plan their Evolution routes. Evolution Chain Preview helps bring more of that planning into Football Ultimate Team™ by letting you see how one Evolution can lead into the next before you commit.

Previously, you could preview how one Evo would affect a player before committing. In EA SPORTS FC™ 27, you can also preview potential Evolution Chains.

That means you can assess a player, preview them through one Evolution, and see which additional Evolutions may become available afterwards.

We know that many of you in the FC community like to plan your Evos carefully, especially when one upgrade can lead into another. With Evolution Chain Previews, we want to bring more of that planning directly into Football Ultimate Team™, and to make decision making a bit easier.

PlayStyles Lab

Following its introduction in EA SPORTS FC™ 26, the PlayStyle Lab returns to give you the flexibility to customize the PlayStyles on eligible items.

The PlayStyle Lab will be available as a recurring program in EA SPORTS FC™ 27, kicking off in Season 1.

We are making a few key updates to how the system functions this year. Eligible Items will feature a selection of pre-applied PlayStyles, allowing you to fine-tune a portion of the Item’s PlayStyles rather than starting from scratch. Additionally, the requirements for PlayStyles will vary, with some requiring more time or effort to acquire. These adjustments are designed to better maintain the unique characteristics of each Item while encouraging greater diversity in both squad building and on-pitch playstyles.

We’ve also heard your feedback about the balance of Evolutions compared to other ways of upgrading your squad in FUT. In EA SPORTS FC™ 27, we’ll be continuing to refine the balance between Items you upgrade through Evolutions and the Items you earn through the Transfer Market, Objectives, and other rewards. We’ll share more details on our plans in this space as we get closer to launch.

Campaigns & Live Content

The Campaign Hub is a new way to see what’s happening in Football Ultimate Team™. Football Ultimate Team™ Campaigns can feature new Objectives, SBCs, Evolutions, Gallery Sets, Live Events, and more.

The new Campaign Hub brings that information together in one place so you can better understand what is live and where to go next.

From the Campaign Hub, you can see what is available in the current Campaign, discover what rewards to earn next, and navigate to relevant content more quickly.

Single Player Live Events

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 expands Live Events with new single player options, giving you more ways to take part in themed FUT content against AI opponents.

Single Player Live Events can feature custom squads, unique rules, specific squad requirements, and opponents built around the theme of the event. Rather than feeling like a standard match against the CPU, each event is designed to feel distinct, with new opponents and Objectives to work through.

Some Single Player Live Events will unfold in a series of connected challenges, with each stage introducing something new. Earlier matches may offer selectable difficulties and more accessible requirements, while later stages can increase the challenge through stronger opponents, fixed difficulty levels, and more demanding

Welcome to the EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Career Mode Deep Dive.

The Career Mode team is thrilled to share all the new features and improvements coming to FC 27. Let's dive in!

Enjoy deeper immersion and more ways to play Manager and Player Career than ever before in EA SPORTS FC™ 27. Sign your next star in Manager Career with a fully rebuilt Transfer Market that’s faster, smarter, and more dynamic than ever, build and share your own custom scenarios with Manager Live Creator Challenges, take on heated Rivalries in Player Career, and more.

Transfers

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 gives you one of the biggest Transfer Market upgrades in franchise history, with an overhaul that touches every part of the experience in Manager Career.

From smarter AI decision-making to new negotiation features, fresh cutscenes, and a more realistic transfer process, we’re making buying and selling players feel closer to real-world football.

At the heart of these changes is a new transfer system that reworks how negotiations unfold. Deals now progress through distinct stages, creating a more authentic flow while giving you greater control over every discussion. With a wider range of options and clauses available, there are more opportunities to shape negotiations in your favour, sweeten deals, and get the best possible outcome for your club.

The transfer interface has also been completely redesigned. The previous 3D negotiation scene has been replaced with an interactive 2D experience that makes it easier to navigate discussions, review details, and move deals forward efficiently. Additionally, a new player action list provides a central hub for managing your squad, tracking transfer targets, and making offers.

Enhanced by TransferRoom Values

To tie player valuations closer to real football, we've partnered with (https://www.transferroom.com/) - the leading football transfer value platform used by football clubs to sign players - to develop a new valuation model for Manager Career informed by their market-leading Expected Transfer Value (xTV) system.

Player valuations now evolve throughout your career, adapting to changes in the market over multiple seasons rather than remaining static. The xTV system works alongside the existing adjusted value model, which adds value by taking factors such as player form and the strength of their league into account.

Together, these systems help ensure transfer fees and AI negotiations feel more believable and authentic.

Transfer Stages

Rather than being resolved in a single conversation, transfers now progress over time, with the time between each stage varying depending on the negotiation. With Transfer Stages, our goal is to create opportunities for unexpected twists, including transfer battles, hijack attempts, last-minute renegotiations, and other authentic scenarios.

When pursuing a new signing, the process begins with an enquiry. Whether you're looking to buy a player, arrange a loan, approach a free agent, or target someone nearing the end of their contract, you'll first need to gauge interest from the relevant club or player. After a short wait, you'll receive a response, which could open the door to negotiations or bring your pursuit to an end.

Negotiations can only begin once permission is granted, with discussions between the buying club, selling club, and player taking place in parallel. If you'd rather focus on other areas of club management, you can also delegate responsibility over to your Director of Football and allow them to negotiate on your behalf.

A new part of this process is that transfer negotiations can evolve even after an agreement is reached. Interest from rival clubs may lead to fresh demands from either the club or the player, forcing you back to the negotiating table before a deal can be fully completed.

The same staged approach applies when selling players. Offers from other clubs arrive over time, giving you the opportunity to evaluate interest and decide how to proceed. You can accept, reject, negotiate directly, or delegate discussions to your staff in pursuit of the best possible deal.

Once an agreement has been reached between clubs, the buying club and player will begin their own negotiations. As those talks conclude, you'll have one final opportunity to revisit the deal and push for improved terms. Whether that renegotiation succeeds depends on factors such as the level of interest from other clubs, adding another layer of strategy to the selling process.

By introducing multiple stages and allowing negotiations to evolve over time, our goal is for transfers to become more fluid, unpredictable, and reflective of the real-world football market. Every deal is now a journey, and successfully navigating that journey is key to building your squad.

Transfer Hub

To support the expanded transfer experience, the Transfer Hub has been refreshed and is now split into two dedicated areas: Scouting and Transfers.

By separating player discovery from transfer business, both areas become easier to navigate while providing more space for the information and actions that matter most.

Scouting is focused on helping you identify and evaluate talent. From here, you can review scout reports, manage your scouting network, and search for players across the football world, making it the central destination for planning your next move in the market.

Transfers is where those plans are put into action. The new Active Negotiations area provides a single place to manage incoming transfers, outgoing transfers, and contract renewals.

Every deal clearly communicates its current status, making it easy to understand where negotiations stand and what action is required next. A new Interest indicator also helps you assess how willing a player is to join your club, giving you an early sense of how challenging a deal may be. As negotiations progress, activity tasks are generated to guide you through each stage and ensure important updates don’t go unnoticed.

Managing transfer-related administration is also simpler than before. A dedicated Lists section brings together your Shortlist, Transfer List, Loan List, and Blocked Offers, making it easier to organise targets, track outgoing players, and control squad movement.

The new Contracts & Clauses area gives you a complete overview of your squad's contractual situation. Whether you're monitoring expiring deals, planning renewals, or reviewing existing agreements, all of the information you need is available in one place. You can also track transfer clauses, bonuses, and installment payments, helping you stay on top of future financial commitments and potential incoming revenue.

For those who like to keep an eye on the wider football world, Transfer History provides a season-long record of transfer activity across every club. Returning throughout the season allows you to follow major moves, spot emerging trends, and see how the market is evolving around you.

By creating a clear separation between Scouting and Transfers, the new hub delivers a smoother journey from identifying a target to completing a deal.

More Options and Clauses

Negotiations will now give you a wider range of tools to shape deals and manage your finances. Whether you're buying, selling, or renewing contracts, agreements can be structured around four key areas.

Deal Timing & Player Movement

You can decide exactly when a deal will take effect, choosing between an immediate move, the next transfer window, or the beginning of the following season. This gives you more control over when players join or leave your squad.

Loan-back agreements offer additional flexibility by allowing a newly signed player to remain at their current club for a period of time. This can be useful when you want a player to continue developing before joining your squad or when you need to keep a player until the end of the season.

Player exchanges also return, allowing you to include members of your squad as part of a transfer. This can reduce the cash required to complete a deal while helping you find new opportunities for players who may no longer fit your plans.

Financial Structure

Transfer fees are no longer limited to a single upfront payment. With installments, you can spread the cost of a transfer across multiple seasons, controlling how much is deferred and how many payments are used.

This can help you stretch your immediate budget and pursue players who might otherwise be out of reach, but those future payments will still need to be accounted for as you manage your finances across multiple seasons.

Achievement-based bonuses offer another way to structure a deal. Additional payments can be tied to club achievements, individual awards, or player performance, helping clubs bridge valuation gaps without committing the full amount upfront.

Future Transfer Rights

Several clauses now allow clubs to retain an interest in a player after they have been sold.

Buyback clauses give the selling club the option to bring a player back for an agreed fee. First refusal clauses allow them to match a future offer, while sell-on clauses provide a percentage of the fee if the player moves again.

These options can help you balance immediate squad decisions with the possibility that a player’s value or importance may change over time.

Player Contracts

The same level of flexibility extends to contract negotiations. Alongside wages, contract length, sign-on fees, and agent fees, you’ll agree on the player’s role within the squad.

Squad roles shape a player’s expectations around playing time, meaning the commitments you make during negotiations can have consequences if they are not met during the season.

Performance bonuses allow you to balance guaranteed wages with additional rewards tied to appearances, goals, assists, clean sheets, or other objectives. Players will evaluate these bonuses in relation to their overall earnings, helping create a more realistic balance between guaranteed and performance-based pay.

Contracts can also include clauses that respond to your club’s results. Automatic wage increases can be triggered by achievements such as promotion or qualification for continental competition, while automatic wage reductions can help protect your finances following a setback.

Release clauses also remain available, allowing a player to leave when another club meets the agreed fee.

Negotiation Screen

Every negotiation now takes place within a new interface designed to make transfers faster, clearer, and easier to manage. The new screen puts the focus firmly on the deal itself, helping you move through discussions more efficiently while still giving you full control over every detail.

From this screen, you'll negotiate directly with managers, players, and agents as you work towards an agreement. Throughout each conversation, the tension meter will give clear feedback on how negotiations are progressing. This gives you a real-time indication of how close both sides are to reaching an agreement, as well as how close talks are to breaking down. Knowing when to push for more and when to compromise is a key part of securing the best possible outcome.

If discussions aren't progressing as planned, you're no longer locked into them. You can walk away at any point to focus on other opportunities instead of spending time on deals that are unlikely to succeed.

The financial impact of every proposal is also presented more clearly. Transfer fees, installments, bonuses, and future obligations are all displayed within the negotiation screen, making it easier to manage your budget both now and in the seasons ahead.

By bringing important details together in a single streamlined experience, our goal is to make negotiations faster to navigate, easier to understand, and more strategically rewarding.

New Reveal Showcase

Completing a transfer is now a much bigger moment thanks to a brand-new player reveal showcase that replaces the previous grading system. Rather than immediately moving on after a deal is completed, you'll now get to experience the excitement of unveiling your latest signing and seeing how the football world reacts.

Once a transfer has been finalised, a dedicated reveal screen showcases the player at their new club alongside social media reactions from fans and pundits. These reactions are intended to bring transfers to life, giving you an instant sense of how your latest piece of business has been received and whether supporters are pleased.

For incoming signings, the reveal is tailored to the player's importance at your club. Smaller signings may be welcomed with a simple contract signing and media appearance, while marquee arrivals can receive a much grander introduction. The biggest names are unveiled with a stadium presentation.

Player Actions

We’re aiming to make managing players quicker and more intuitive with the introduction of the new Player Actions list. Available from multiple areas across the updated transfer and squad management experience, this centralised menu gives you immediate access to the actions you use most often, reducing the need to jump between different screens.

When viewing players outside your club, the Player Actions list makes it easier to move from scouting to recruitment. You can add players to your shortlist, request scouting reports, or publicly declare your interest to gauge how open they may be to joining your club. When you're ready to make your move, you can also begin the transfer process directly from the player's profile by enquiring about a permanent transfer, loan move, or future signing opportunity.

For players already at your club, the same menu provides quick access to key squad management decisions. Our aim is to have all of the transfer options you need close at hand. The menu also provides shortcuts to development plans and squad management tools, helping you make decisions about a player's future without unnecessary navigation.

AI Logic

Behind the scenes, we’ve made a range of AI improvements that aim to create the most realistic transfer behaviour we’ve had in Manager Career so far. These updates influence how clubs identify targets, spend money, and build their squads over multiple seasons, helping the Transfer Market feel more dynamic and believable throughout your Career.

One of the biggest changes is how clubs approach squad building.

Rather than focusing solely on immediate first-team improvements, AI clubs now make decisions based on their long-term philosophy. Teams that place a strong emphasis on youth development will dedicate a larger share of their transfer budget to younger prospects, while others may prioritise proven players who can strengthen the first team straight away. This helps clubs develop distinct recruitment identities that remain consistent over time.

AI recruitment has also become more sophisticated through parallel shortlists. Instead of pursuing a single target at a time, clubs can now work on multiple transfer priorities simultaneously, creating a more realistic market where teams are constantly evaluating alternatives, pursuing several players at once, and adapting when deals succeed or fall through.

Performance on the pitch plays a greater role in recruitment decisions too. AI clubs now take league statistics into account when identifying targets, including goals, assists, average ratings, and clean sheets. Players producing standout performances are more likely to attract interest from clubs around the world, creating a Transfer Market that better reflects what is happening during your Career.

Financial behaviour has also been refined to ensure clubs spend in a way that aligns with their real-world stature and philosophy. Rather than automatically exhausting every available budget, clubs now consider how important financial responsibility is to their identity before deciding how aggressively to spend.

Managers themselves will now have a greater influence on recruitment strategy.

Clubs are more likely to pursue players who fit the manager's preferred style of play, helping squads evolve in ways that support the football being played on the pitch. This means the same player may be highly desirable to one club while attracting little interest from another, depending on the tactical fit.

Transfer behaviour has also been adjusted to better reflect real-world football. Players who have only recently joined a new club are now far less likely to move again immediately, reducing unrealistic transfer activity.

Finally, clubs now recruit with future growth in mind. Rather than simply replacing players with others of a similar level, AI clubs actively pursue players who can raise the overall quality of the squad. This allows ambitious clubs to improve over time, creating more natural progression and helping the football world evolve throughout a long-term Career.

AI Club Relationships

Club relationships have been reworked in FC 27 and now play a much larger role in shaping transfer activity. Rather than evaluating every transfer opportunity in isolation, AI clubs now consider their relationship with one another when deciding whether a deal is likely to happen.

Historic rivalries have the strongest impact on transfer behaviour. Clubs with long-standing rivalries are now far less willing to do business with one another, making direct transfers between fierce competitors much rarer. Local derbies are treated similarly, with neighbouring rivals showing a strong reluctance to strengthen a club they compete against so closely.

Regional rivalries also influence decision-making, reducing the likelihood of deals between clubs whose histories and fanbases are deeply intertwined. While transfers can still happen in exceptional circumstances, they are no longer as common as they were previously.

The system also recognises major competitive relationships that may not be traditional rivalries but have become significant fixtures in modern football. Clubs that regularly compete for the same honours are less l

Welcome to the EA SPORTS FC™ 27 Gameplay Deep Dive.

My name is Gilliard Lopes, Principal Gameplay Designer for EA SPORTS FC™. On behalf of our entire team, I am thrilled to share the new Gameplay features and improvements coming to FC 27. Let's dive in!

Across every game mode, greater gameplay control is at the heart of EA SPORTS FC™ 27.

Community feedback consistently highlighted a desire for less automation and greater control over key moments, so we've made a series of gameplay updates that reward player skill and decision-making on the pitch.

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 creates more opportunities for you to be the difference. That means you will be able to experience more manual defending, smarter attacking movement, and more attacking variety from corner kicks and crosses, all of which have been driven by your feedback.

Defending

**AI Defending (Auto-Tackles) **

The following changes to AI Defending only apply to Competitive gameplay. For more information about changes to Authentic Gameplay, stay tuned for our Career Mode Deep Dive coming soon.

One of the most significant gameplay shifts in FC 27 is to AI Defending. We’re reducing the influence of AI-controlled defenders, putting more power into the hands of the manual defender.

Previously, AI-controlled defenders could automatically attempt to win the ball when a dribbler came close enough to them. In FC 27, defenders will now rely more on their positioning and support the play until you take control and choose when to make a tackle.

AI-controlled defenders can still gain possession when a loose ball comes within reach or when a dribbler runs directly into them. In some cases, the trapping animation may involve the defender extending a leg, but the defender is reacting to the ball rather than initiating a tackle.

With this change, we want tackling to be an intentional player-led action, while your AI teammates will now support the play instead of winning possession outright for you.

We’ve also reduced AI defensive reach for interceptions. A manually-controlled defender will be able to reach further than an AI-controlled defender, encouraging you to switch to the player actively defending instead of relying on AI teammates to win possession.

AI defenders will now play more of a supporting role through their on-pitch positioning, giving you more opportunities to step in and defend manually.

Manual Defending Improvements

Reducing the impact of AI defending is only one part of the defensive changes coming in FC 27. Improving the effectiveness of manual defending is the other crucial piece we’re focusing on in order to create more rewarding defensive experiences.

In FC 27, manually-controlled defenders have increased jockey speed compared to FC 26, helping them keep up with quick attacking movements more effectively. Additionally, we’ve also increased the range of manually-triggered stand tackles compared to FC 26. We want to better reward you for reading the dribbler, switching to the optimal defender, and positioning yourself well so you feel more capable of winning the ball.

Our goal with this game is for players who manually switch, jockey, time tackles, and position themselves effectively to increase their chances of winning possession. These improvements put greater emphasis on manual defending and the decisions you make throughout a match – which is something we aim to preserve throughout the FC 27 life cycle.

Teammate Contain

Teammate Contain has also been adjusted to match our new approach to defending.

When performing Teammate Contain, AI teammates will mark the ball carrier from a slightly longer distance than before, requiring the user to switch to them and manually defend if they want to press the dribbler more effectively.

Corner Kicks and Crossing

**Corner Kick Improvements **

Corners in FC 27 are designed to give you more control over the moments before the ball arrives in the box. Previously, players had fewer ways to influence direct deliveries, which meant many opted to take corners short instead.

After targeting your desired area for delivery, the camera will shift towards the box, giving you a brief window to control attacking players. During this window, you can move, switch players, make runs, shield, or use a new mechanic called Avoidance (more details below) to jostle for position before the ball arrives in the box.

Note that this change does not apply to short corner kicks. After a short corner kick is taken, you will revert back to your gameplay camera of choice.

Free Movement and Positioning

In FC 27, players contesting for corner kicks in the box will no longer automatically move into the best position to connect with the ball.

It’s up to you to time the run, attack the space, and make first contact manually. Not reaching the right position could mean the ball evades everyone, but when executed well, the outcome is intended to feel more rewarding and result in more varied finishes as players try to make contact with the ball.

Shielding and Avoidance

During the window before a ball is delivered, attackers can manually trigger a new mechanic called Avoidance. This allows any attacker or defender you control to become more evasive, moving through crowded areas without getting blocked by opposing players. To trigger Avoidance during Corner Kicks

• Hold R1 || Hold RB

Pairing this with Shielding allows an attacking player to hold their position after creating space and prevent opponents from stepping in front, creating more attacking opportunities from corner kicks.

Crossing Rework

We’re also adding more crossing control in FC 27. Previously, crosses had more predictable trajectories and similar finishing animations because they were heavily assisted.

Crosses will now be delivered into space more often rather than directly onto a specific player, allowing for more attacking variety.

Your aim and power now have a much bigger impact on where your cross lands, meaning it can miss everyone if it isn’t placed with precision. When darting down the wing and identifying space, we want success to be more about your ability to aim and play the ball in front of your teammate, rather than locking onto their current position.

Finishing Variety and Headers

These updates enable more variety when heading and finishing from both corner kicks and crosses. We want the battle for ball contact to become more skill-based and lead to more authentic outcomes. We expect that attackers may need to stretch, dive, adjust their run, or attack the ball from different angles, resulting in a wider range of finishing possibilities.

In FC 27, connecting with a header from crosses and corners requires greater precision, making clean headers less frequent. The tradeoff is that when you do make clean contact, headers are more accurate than in FC 26 and feel more rewarding.

Attacking Spatial Awareness and Creative Runs

**Attacking Spatial Awareness Our updated **Attacking Spatial Awareness makes AI attackers more aware of the space around them and how they move into it. Previously, some attacking movements could feel too predictable, with players not always reacting quickly to developing attacks or moving with the right level of urgency. In certain situations, attackers would also run into crowded areas or struggle to find more effective space. In FC 27, they now make smarter, more contextual curved runs that better support each attacking move.

**Triggered Curved Runs & Pass & Follow Runs **

EA SPORTS FC™ 27 introduces new manually triggered run options designed to give you more control over off-ball movement.

While a regular triggered run sends the player forward in a direct path, the new Triggered Curved Runs allow them to curve their movement into open space, giving you a dynamic way to bend around defenders and get behind the opposition. The trade-off is that these runs may take longer to complete because of the longer and more curved path they follow. To perform Triggered Curve Runs

• Tap L1 + R1 || LB + RB

Similarly to the existing Pass & Go, new Pass & Follow Runs are made by a player who has just passed the ball to a teammate. The passer will then follow with a curved run to exploit available space, choosing to overlap or cut inside depending on the situation. Again, the trade-off is that these runs may take longer to complete due to their curved pathing. To perform Pass & Follow Runs

• L1 + R1 + X || LB + RB + A

Both new run types are influenced by available space. Rather than continuing straight up the pitch or moving into crowded areas, players will look to curve their runs toward more effective attacking positions.

Limited Distance for Manually Triggered Runs

Another important change is that manually triggered runs will no longer continue indefinitely. Previously you could trigger a run while close to a player, move the ball a long distance away, and rely on that player to continue their run indefinitely. This sometimes caused inauthentic attacking situations.

In EA SPORTS FC™ 27, manually triggered runs only continue for a limited distance, with the player then stopping and returning to occupy space or fulfill their positional responsibilities. If you want the player to continue their run, you can always trigger the command again but only if you keep playing within the range of the running player.

The goal of this change is to make attacking actions feel more intentional, reducing unrealistic situations while giving you greater control over your teammates’ movement.

Improved Creative Runs

In FC 27, we are also improving attacking runs that happen without a manual trigger, taking into account available space, defensive positioning, and the offside line.

For example, a winger may run parallel to the defensive line while waiting for a pass. Once the pass is made, they can curve forward into the box because they no longer need to avoid being offside. This helps attacking movement feel less limited to the player's role, more flexible, and more authentic .

As we mentioned previously, all of these changes are aimed at making attacking movement more intentional. You will still have powerful tools to create runs, but you will need to manage those runs more actively. If you want a run to continue, you'll need to actively trigger it again rather than relying on an unlimited triggered run.

Passing Updates

Through Passes Update

In FC 27, ground and lobbed through passes no longer heavily assist you by steering toward open lanes away from your aim. Passes now strictly follow your directional input, rewarding deliberate aim on attack and giving manual defenders a fair chance to read the play and intercept.

Dinked Passes Update

In FC 27, we have moved both ground and through Dinked Passes to a fully manual system. Success now relies heavily on your individual precision with aiming and power, raising the skill ceiling for these specific pass types. This adjustment aims to ensure that attacking creativity and defensive anticipation are more evenly matched when utilizing these refined passing mechanics.

** Off-Balance Dribbling**

In FC 27, the world’s best dribblers can now ride challenges and maintain control under pressure through off-balance dribbling. Driven by Balance, Agility and Dribbling Attributes, this allows certain players to continue dribbling even when they are knocked off balance.

When a dribbler who has the required Attributes is hit by a collision, bump, or shoulder challenge, they will enter an off-balance dribbling animation. During this animation, the player looks like they are stumbling, but you will still have control and can continue moving the player as they take a dribble touch in the chosen direction to keep possession.

Please note that this feature will only be available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch™ 2.

PlayStyles and Attributes

We heard your feedback about how certain PlayStyles could feel too impactful in certain situations. Our goal for FC 27 is to refine the balance between PlayStyles and Attributes so that both have a meaningful impact on player performance without feeling overpowered.

Here are all the PlayStyle updates coming in EA SPORTS FC™ 27:

Finesse Shot

• We’ve updated Finesse Shot to make player attributes play a bigger role in shot outcome

• Spin, animation speed and off-angle effectiveness now scale more consistently based on the player taking the shot, reducing the gap between base attributes, Finesse Shot, and Finesse Shot+.

Technical Dribbler

• Reduced the performance gap between PlayStyle and PlayStyle+

• Playstyle+ still offers smoother and more responsive dribbling, but the difference between PlayStyle+ and PlayStyle is now less pronounced to create better balance between tiers.

Intercept

• Increased reach and improved chances of retaining possession of the ball when performing an interception for Non-PlayStyle players who have a high Interceptions Attribute

• Results in the reduction in the performance gap between PlayStyles and Attributes.

Rapid

• Slightly reduced the speed boost to dribbling animations provided by the PlayStyle and PlayStyle+

• Animation speed for non-Playstyle players remains unchanged, resulting in a smaller gap in animation speed between non-PlayStyle and PlayStyle players

Quick Step

• Reduced the speed boost applied during dribbling and accelerating for PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ to create better balance between tiers

• This gives more importance to the Acceleration attribute

Pinged Pass

• Removed the effect that slightly reduced trap error on the pass receiver

• This change ensures that the PlayStyle primarily enhances pass delivery rather than providing an additional first-touch advantage to an unrelated player

Tiki Taka

• Removed the animation playback speed boost and the effect that slightly reduced trap error on the pass receiver

• This refocuses the PlayStyle on quick combination play without disproportionately improving first-touch control

Jockey

• Increased jockey sprint acceleration for non-PlayStyle players and reduced the sprint acceleration boost applied when exiting Jockey for both the PlayStyle and PlayStyle+

• Both these changes reduce the gap between PlayStyles and base attributes

Precision Header

• Reduced the gap between PlayStyle and PlayStyle+ by rebalancing the boost in accuracy granted by this PlayStyle

Low Driven

• Removed the shot speed boost previously applied to low-driven shots

• Shot velocity now scales purely based on core shooting Attributes and input power, for more consistent and attribute-driven results

• The Playstyle and PlayStyle+ still add an accuracy boost

In FC 27 we’re introducing more control and expressive gameplay, giving you greater influence over attacking and defending. Whether you're winning the ball through manual defending, opening up a back line with smarter movement, or scoring a diving header from a corner kick, we want every match to offer more variety and skill-based outcomes on the pitch.

We can’t wait to see how you master these new gameplay features when EA SPORTS FC™ 27 starts rolling out on 18 September 2026 and look forward to seeing you on the pitch.

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.6.5 is now live and includes the updates below.

Clubs

Addressed the following issue:

• Addressed instances where an error would be received when attempting to play an online match.

We’re sorry for the ongoing matchmaking issues in Clubs, we know how frustrating it’s been to try and get matches with your squads. The above changes should now address the issue.

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 or WhatsApp, check out the EA SPORTS FC Tracker, and join the EA SPORTS FC Discord for the latest news and updates.

• The EA SPORTS FC Team

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.6.4 is now live and includes the updates below.

Ultimate Team

Made the following changes:

• You will now be brought back to the New Releases screen after viewing the Store, SBC or Objectives from New Releases.

Addressed the following issues:

• Using the Swap Duplicated Items function on Stadium Items could have resulted in a disconnect from Ultimate Team.

• Some overlays were not showing Player Item images.

Career Mode

Addressed the following issues:

• National Anthems were not being played in the International Men’s Tournament.

General, Audio, and Visual

Made the following changes:

• Updated some crests, text, hair, headshots, tattoos and kits.

Addressed the following issues:

• Addressed a stability issue that could have occurred.

• Some RTX 3050 cards were loading incorrect graphics recommendations by default.

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 or (https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaypA13GehEPKXQgyM46), check out the EA SPORTS FC Tracker, and join the EA SPORTS FC Discord for the latest news and updates.

• The EA SPORTS FC Team

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.6.2 is now live and includes the updates below.

The World’s Game Made the following changes:

• Added a Tournament Tree widget to the Office Hub within the World’s Game Tournament that becomes visible once the player has entered the Knockout stages.

• Added the ability to access the FC Hub from the Tournament Hub and during an active tournament in The World’s Game mode to view active objectives and track progress.

• Added the tournament stage to the Next Fixture screen in the FC Hub.

• Updated UI elements in the See Tree Overview screen.

Addressed the following issues:

• In some instances, matches that were completed through penalties would incorrectly display the aggregate score.

• Addressed an issue in The World’s Game Tournament where the completed stage was not correctly displayed beneath the Trophy after finishing the competition.

• Addressed instances of misaligned text.

Clubs

Addressed the following issues:

• Addressed instances where creating a new Goalkeeper Clubs Pro could result in the Failed to create your Virtual Pro message appearing.

• Addressed cases of Clubs AI Facility boosts also applying to player-controlled Pros.

Career Mode

Made the following changes:

• Re-enabled National Team selection for Manager Career Live Start Points that occurred in May 2026.

Addressed the following issues:

• In some Manager Career instances, selecting View Fixture for the International Cup Tournament Final from the Calendar could incorrectly display the Third Place match and cause the Final tab to be missing from the standings.

• In Manager Career, the Department filter would incorrectly reset after modifying a Key Role filter within Scout Instructions.

• In Manager Career, certain positions would incorrectly disappear from the Attacker department list when specific Key Role filters were active.

• In Manager Career, Youth Academy scout reports could incorrectly display placeholder min-max values instead of the correct attribute ranges.

• Sometimes, in Manager Career, a social media post can incorrectly display the incorrect kit.

• The Current Team could display a placeholder image on the Player Stats screen for the Men's International Cup in Manager Career.

• The See More Stats screen could display incorrect information when viewed during the Men's International Competition in Manager Career.

General, Audio, and Visual

Made the following changes:

• Updated some kits, star heads, hair, 2D portraits, badges, stadiums, boots, commentary, crowds, TIFOs and text.

• Addressed the following issues:

• Addressed various stability issues that could have occurred.

• Addressed an issue where the Restore Default option in Display Settings did not function as intended.

• Addressed an issue where the Competitive Gameplay Type setting could be changed to Authentic during a Kick-Off match.

• Addressed instances of incorrect/placeholder text.

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 and WhatsApp, and be sure to join the EA SPORTS FC Discord Community.

• The EA SPORTS FC Team

Hey Steam Community!

We've updated match outcomes in FC 26 so that you can get a win sooner if the opponent Quits/Disconnects On A Draw during Live Events, Rivals, and Champions matches. One of these conditions must apply in order for a win to be awarded:

• ** 10 minutes (in-game time) has passed. This was previously 20 minutes.

• The quitting/disconnecting player concedes a penalty kick.

• The quitting/disconnecting player has received a red card

A player can only receive a win from this 3 times a day, with the limit resetting at 00:00 UTC daily.

Let us know in the comments your thoughts on the above changes! And be sure to join the Official EA SPORTS FC Discord for any further feedback or discussions about the game!

The EA SPORTS FC Team

The EA SPORTS FC 26 Festival of Football Season 8 is now live.

We are aware of a visual issue where Token Packs in the Token Store unintentionally display the Previewable icon. Please note that Token Packs in the Token Store are not previewable.

To see the full The World's Game notes, including information on Festival of Football content, upcoming in-game events, and new features, head over to the full Pitch Notes (https://x.ea.com/89262).

Let us know your thoughts on The World's Game Update below or head over to the official EA SPORTS FC Discord to join the discussion.

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.6.1 is now live 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? Head to the Player Feedback Portal 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 Team

We’re celebrating the summer of international football with The World’s Game Update for EA SPORTS FC™ 26, launching 28 May.

Alongside PlayStyles changes and more gameplay updates based on your feedback, you'll be able to lead your nation to glory in a new 48-team international tournament mode starting 4 June, with 53 fully licensed and playable national teams, including 41 competing over the summer.

The World’s Game Update also brings international action to Football Ultimate Team™ with a dedicated Event Hub, Festival of Football themed campaigns and more. Plus, log in and play FC 26 between 5 June and 24 July to earn a 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé and three ‘Choose Your Journey’ Evolutions.

The World’s Game

The World’s Game Update delivers a brand-new tournament mode launching 4 June, bringing the summer’s international action to EA SPORTS FC™ 26. With 53 fully licensed and playable national teams - including 41 that will be in action over the summer - you can choose from global powerhouses like Brazil, England, and France or emerging international stories like Cabo Verde, Uzbekistan, and more. Lead your nation to glory, rewrite history to create new international storylines, and experience new true-to-life stadiums including Gillette Stadium and BMO Field, alongside Central Maw - a new stadium built to capture the atmosphere of top-tier international football.

See the list of fully licensed nations below:

[table equalcells="1" colwidth=",,,,,"]

Nations

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia & Herzegovina**

Brazil

Cabo Verde

Canada

Colombia

Congo DR**

Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Ecuador

England

Finland

France

Germany

Ghana

Haiti

Holland

Hungary

Iceland

Indonesia

Italy

Ivory Coast

Korea Republic

Mexico

Morocco

New Zealand

Northern Ireland

Norway

Panama

Paraguay

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Republic of Ireland

Romania

Saudi Arabia

Scotland

Senegal

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Tunisia

Turkiye

Ukraine

United States

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Wales

**Will feature generic kits as of June 4, updated to include authentic kits in a future update.

The standalone 48-team tournament takes you through three group stage matches, with the top two teams progressing alongside the eight best third-placed teams across all groups. From there, knockout rounds begin with the round of 32 before culminating in the tournament final.

Find a breakdown of group stage advancement criteria and third-place qualifying conditions below:

Group Stage Advancement Criteria:

• Points

• Head-to-head points

• Head-to-head goal difference

• Head-to-head goals scored

• Overall goals scored

• Overall goal difference

3rd Place Qualifying Teams Conditions:

• Points

• Win = 3

• Draw = 1

• Lose = 0

• Points calculated

• Goal Difference (goals scored minus goals conceded)

• Goals Scored

• Fair Play Points

• First yellow card = -1 point

• Indirect red (second yellow) = -3 points

• Direct red = -4 points

• Yellow + Direct red = -5 points

In addition to The World’s Game international tournament mode, more National Teams will also be playable in Kick Off mode and new international tournament Objectives have been added to EA SPORTS FC™ 26.

Football Ultimate Team™

The World’s Game Update also brings international action to Football Ultimate Team™. The FUT festivities start on 4 June with Evolutions changes, new Festival of Football Tokens, a dedicated Event Hub, weekly Festival of Football themed campaigns, Player Items, and changes inspired by community feedback to give you more choice in how you build your Ultimate Team this summer. Additionally, be sure to check your Objectives tab throughout the event, as some players may find a surprise celebration tied to their nation.

Festival of Football ICON Pelé

Log in during the event to snag a 93 OVR Festival of Football ICON Pelé and three ‘Choose Your Journey’ Evolutions. Begin by choosing between ST with Low Driven+, CAM/CM with Incisive Pass+, and LW/RW with Finesse Shot+. Celebrate his international achievements in 1970 with Evolutions inspired by key matches and tournament stages.

Evo Undo, Festival of Football PlayStyles Lab & Evo Repeats

As part of a server release following the World’s Game Update on 4 June, you’ll be able to roll back and fully reset Evolutions in your Club. If you reset an originally Tradable Player, they’ll return to their Tradable status.

We want your Evo choices to be meaningful to you. Previous Evo updates reduced the pressure of selecting the right player for each Evo, and we believe the Evo Undo change reduces the need to select the right evo for each of your players.

We’ve heard your feedback that choosing your own PlayStyles matters. As we reflect on FUT™ Birthday Bakery Evolutions, this was a missing ingredient to allow you to experiment with new players and then sell them on the Transfer Market if you didn’t see them staying in your Club long term.

In Festival of Football we’re introducing a new PlayStyles Lab, allowing you to choose your preferred PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ for the following:

• Festival of Football: Star Performer

• Festival of Football: National Pride

• Festival of Football: National Pride Champions

• Glory Hunters

FUT Birthday items will also be eligible for the PlayStyles Lab, replacing the Birthday Bakery Evolutions.

In addition, we’ll be introducing a new item type - Evo Repeatables, which will allow you to earn additional Evolution entries. You’ll see these rewards in upcoming Festival of Football content.

Tokens

Tokens are a brand new reward type that have been designed to give you greater choice over how you play and what you earn in FUT. Starting on 4 June you’ll be able to earn Festival of Football tokens across a range of game modes including;

• Rivals

• Squad Battles

• Rush

• Live Events

• Select Objectives

• Select SBCs

We’re excited about the impact Tokens will have on FUT & your rewards. Starting in Festival of Football, Tokens will become the primary way to earn rewards in FUT each week.

No matter how or where you play FUT, from Season 8 onwards the aim is that you will feel better rewarded for the time you spend playing in game. By unifying mode rewards into Tokens you’ll be able to progress towards the same rewards no matter your mode, giving you greater choice in where you play.

Like you see currently in FUT, higher rank finishes will reward you with both Tokens & Additional Rewards for competing at the highest level.

As we balance FUT for the entire community, we’re introducing a cap on how many Tokens you can earn each week, placing greater emphasis on the rewards you choose to pursue.

Throughout Festival of Football, you’ll be able to earn up to 1,000 Tokens each week (5,000 Tokens in total). Tokens offer a more flexible and reliable way to earn rewards across modes.

We expect that skilled players may be able to earn 1,000 Tokens through playing Squad Battles, Rivals or Live Events and completing special Objectives and SBCs each week. We’ll review this and listen to feedback to understand if this is an area we want to make changes to in the future.

Here’s an example of Rivals & Squad Battles Tokens rewards, check in-game for a full breakdown.

[table equalcells="1" colwidth=",,"]

Rivals Rank

Base Rewards

Upgraded Rewards

Div 1

275

400

Div 5

175

400

Div 8

75

150

[table equalcells="1" colwidth=","]

Squad Battle Rank

Tokens

Elite 3

400

Gold 3

150

Festival of Football Tokens are earned only through playing FUT and will not be made available inside Store Pack offers.

Tokens will have a dedicated Store with Players, Packs, Evolutions, and Club Customisation content. To ensure that your choices are more meaningful to you, you will not be able to unlock everything in the store.

Here’s how the Store works:

• To cater for a variety of players across the Season, the Store will have a range of prices

• Rewards up to 300 tokens can be redeemed instantly or weekly

• Rewards up to 1,000 tokens will require multiple play sessions to unlock

• Rewards up to 2,500 tokens will need to be worked toward over the course of the Season

• An important call out is that the highest reward available in the store will be roughly half of the total limit

• Weekly Refreshes

• Each week we’ll swap out Weekly Refreshes for lower cost rewards to add variety and better connect to new campaigns that release each week

• Season long planning

• Bigger rewards will be persistent throughout Festival of Football to allow you to plan towards any rewards you want to earn over a longer time period

FUT Champions Tokens

In Season 8, we’ll also be introducing FUT Champions Tokens and a FUT Champions Store featuring a range of rewards, including a rotating selection of special Red FUT Champions Player Items each week. Champions Tokens give you greater choice over your Champions rewards no matter your skill level.

For those who pick up a handful of wins each weekend, you can get weekly rewards or save Tokens over multiple weekends in a Season for bigger rewards.

For those who pick up multiple wins each weekend, we think this change will give you greater choice over the rewards you get. Higher win finishes will still provide additional Coins on top of Champions Tokens, to reward you for pushing for your best finish each weekend.

We believe Tokens will give you greater control over the weekends you choose to play in.

As mentioned, this is the first time we’ll be introducing Tokens, and we’ll be taking your feedback on board. As with all of our newest features we are excited to see how this one evolves in the future.

Festival of Football: Journey of Nations

Journey of Nations introduces an Event Hub for the Festival of Football Season in Football Ultimate Team™. Each week you’ll need to assemble international themed squads, travelling across five continents and completing over 250 challenges to earn epic rewards for your Club. Each region's Objectives & rewards will be themed around iconic players, historic nations, and emerging stars.

See the Festival of Football schedule below:

• North America - Thursday, 4 June 2026

• Asia + Oceania - Friday, 12 June 2026

• Africa - Friday, 19 June 2026

• South America - Friday, 26 June 2026

• Europe - Friday, 3 July 2026

Player Additions

Throughout Festival of Football we want you to build your international Ultimate Team. To help fans across the world build their dream squad we’ll be adding over 100 new international players to the FUT pool of items this summer.

We're also excited to introduce 2 brand new ICONS; Rivellino & Mario Kempes.

They’ll debut with special Greats of the Game Versions on 19 June, before their Base versions are available in the FUT pool of items for Packs from 26 June.

Festival of Football Campaigns

The following five campaigns will also be released into the Football Ultimate Team™ pool of items between 5 June and 24 July.

Path To Glory: 5 June – 19 June

Path to Glory opens the Festival of Football celebrations, following the journey of each nation with live Player Items that upgrade alongside the international action.

Greats of the Game: 19 June – 26 June

Greats of the Game is all about the legends, introducing two new ICONS, Mario Kempes and Rivellino, to honour big name players who defined eras of The World’s Game.

Glory Hunters: 26 June – 10 July

Glory Hunters brings PlayStyle customisation to selected Player Items for more control over squad building.

Phenoms: 10 July – 17 July

Phenoms shines a light on football’s next generation. Spotlighting young players and debutants looking to stand out as the world watches on.

Summer Stars: 17 July – 24 July

The Festival of Football finale culminates in a celebration of the biggest moments and greatest performers.

We’ll also release a range of recurring Programs including Showdowns, Star Performers and National Pride.

PlayStyles

As we continue to monitor and respond to community feedback, we’re making the following PlayStyles changes to improve gameplay balance.

Bruiser

Following feedback surrounding shoulder challenge outcomes feeling too impactful, especially when using the Bruiser PlayStyle, we have updated both Bruiser and Bruiser+ to better balance between PlayStyles and Attributes.

See the changes below:

Attributes and PlayStyles Balance

• Slightly reduced the boost to shoulder challenges from Bruiser and Bruiser+

• Added a slight boost to the receiver of the shoulder challenge if they have Enforcer or Enforcer+

• This boost matches the one made to Bruiser/Bruiser+

Improved Shoulder Challenge Outcomes

• Improved shoulder challenge outcomes so stumble direction and force now better reflect the difference in Strength and PlayStyles between players.

• Note that players with a clear Strength and PlayStyle advantage while defending are able to push the dribbler off the ball like before

• If the advantage lies more with the dribbler they are not pushed away as easily and have a chance to recover the ball

• This effect scales with the difference in Strength and PS boost between the players resulting in more authentic outcomes overall

Improved Detection of Challenges from Behind

• Added logic to predict when a shoulder challenge may hit the back of the opponent, and cancel the challenge if so

Other Changes

• Addressed a visual bug where the Bruiser+ icon displays when the PlayStyle wasn’t in effect

Intercept

We’ve also made the following change to the Intercept PlayStyle to make Attributes more impactful while preserving the PlayStyle benefit:

• Added the ability for players without the Intercept PlayStyle but with a 90+ Interceptions attribute rating to have access to the same animations as those with the PlayStyle.

Team Press

We had a lot of feedback from the community regarding the Team Press tactic being overused. We’ve made the following changes to AI-controlled defenders to encourage more tactical options:

• Reduced pressure on the ball carrier when Team Press is activated in the defensive half

• If the user controls a defender in position to mark the ball carrier, AI defenders will not double up on the ball carrier

• If the user controls a defender further away from the ball defender, an AI controlled defender will try to contain the ball carrier but not aggressively pressure them

• Reduced marking tightness of all AI opponents when Team Press is activated in the defensive half

• Marking becomes looser as the opponent advances closer to goal

• When Team Press is activated in the attacking half, these changes do not apply. AI defenders will behave as before, aggressively pressuring the ball carrier and contextually doubling up

Career

The International Men’s Tournament will also be available in Career, following the same structure and rules as The World’s Game mode. Alongside this, additional national teams have been fully licensed and added, and you can add a national team to manage at the beginning of any new save.

The following new content is also coming to Career:

• Added End of Season Live Starting Points, allowing you to jump into a save just before The International Men’s Tournament begins

• Following a server release after The World’s Game Update, players will also be able to select a national team at the start of a new Live Starting Point

• Added Festival of Football themed ICONs and Heroes

• Weekly releases of Festival of Foo

EA SPORTS FC 26 v1.5.6 is now live for the PS5, PC, XBX|S and Switch 2 versions and includes the updates below.

Ultimate Team

Addressed the following issue:

• Addressed an issue where, in some instances, control of the player could be lost during a Rush match.

Clubs

Addressed the following issue:

• Addressed an issue where, in some instances, control of the avatar could be lost during a Clubs Mode match.

General, Audio, and Visual

Addressed the following issue:

• Addressed a stability issue 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.

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 Team

In our latest Feedback Update, we’re addressing the Bruiser Playstyle following ongoing community discussion.

We’ve been closely monitoring how Playstyles are performing and testing changes between attributes and Playstyles. As a result, in an upcoming update, we’ve slightly reduced the boost from Bruiser and Bruiser+ in shoulder challenge situations and added a matching boost for dribblers with Enforcer or Enforcer+, creating a more even, head-to-head interaction

We’ve also improved how players react after contact, so stronger tacklers can still knock weaker players off balance, but weaker tacklers will no longer overpower stronger dribblers in unrealistic ways. Detection of challenges from behind has been refined, with the system predicting player movement ahead and cancelling challenges that would result in back contact. Additionally, we’ve addressed cases where the Bruiser+ icon appeared when it wasn’t impacting the play.

For the full Feedback Update and detailed breakdown, Join the official EA SPORTS FC Discord where you can also submit your feedback.

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.5.4 is now live and includes the updates below.

Ultimate Team

Made the following changes:

• Improved UI selection when viewing Player Items in a New Releases tab.

• The Actions button callout was unavailable in New Releases when using the Compare Price function.

Career Mode

Addressed the following issues:

• Addressed an issue where CPU Slider settings would reset to default after relaunching the game and loading a save.

• An incorrect team would display when starting a new Manager Career with an Icon Player.

• Youth player height generation has been adjusted to ensure more realistic and balanced prospects.

Clubs

Addressed the following issues:

• The Objectives button opened the FC HUB instead of the Objectives screen.

• Addressed instances of misaligned text.

General, Audio, and Visual

Made the following changes:

• Updated some trophy images, boots, kits, ad boards, overlays, crests, logos, star heads, hair, backdrop sponsors, anthems, stadiums, hair, banners, flags and scarves

• \ Addressed some specific cases that caused game performance to drop to low frame rates after the second half.

Addressed the following issues:

• Addressed various stability issues that could have occurred.

• Addressed instances of text not appearing.

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 Team

Last month we addressed an issue that was preventing some PC players from launching FC 26, often causing stability issues. Previously impacted players should now be able to launch FC 26 without this issue

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.5.3 is dropping soon for all platforms and includes the updates below.

Gameplay

Addressed the following issues:

• Goalkeepers will now kick the ball out of play if a player excessively wastes time by passing back to them over and over again.

• This change is to address rare scenarios that are inauthentic to football and does not impact a typical back pass.

Ultimate Team

Addressed the following issues:

• Some kits and badges were not searchable in the transfer market.

• Some Player Celebration animation previews did not display when selected.

Career Mode

Made the following changes:

• Added a missing separator in European competition standings, making it easier to see which teams advance to playoffs.

• In Career Mode, when applying for a job, it now automatically adds the team to your watchlist.

• Added labels next to team crests in challenge descriptions to clearly differentiate men's and women's teams.

• Added a clearer description on the challenge completion UI to explain how saves and career progress work after completion.

• Managers with low job security at season's end are now upgraded to Okay.

Addressed the following issues:

• Sometimes, Managers were incorrectly assigned to a different team when selecting Icons & Heroes in career creation.

• In the Manager Career, ICON players could have requested low wages during contract negotiations.

• In some cases, a League-winning team was placed in the incorrect European League.

• Addressed instances of incorrect or overlapping text.

General, Audio, and Visual

Made the following changes:

• Updated some names, overlays, kits, sponsors, crests, banners, scarves, flags, logos, hair, boots, star heads, ad boards.

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.

Make sure to join the Official EA SPORTS FC Discord for the latest news and updates.

The EA SPORTS FC Team

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.5.2 is now live and includes the updates below.

Career Mode

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.

Make sure to join the Official EA SPORTS FC Discord for the latest news and updates.

• The EA SPORTS FC Team

EA SPORTS FC 26 version 1.5.1 is now live and includes the updates below.

**Ultimate Team **

Addressed the following issues:

• When adding or swapping Player Items to a Squad or SBC, the filter was using Any by default instead of selecting the position highlighted.

Career Mode

Made the following changes:

• Updated some social media posts.

• Updated the injury duration selection in the Injuries and Suspensions menu.

• Improved visibility of qualification zones in competition standings in Deeper Sim.

Addressed the following issues:

• Swapping to the Position tab while in Development Plans would cause Role Growth to disappear.

• Addressed instances of overlapping text.

• When playing matches in Manager Live, all players on the field were using the same boots.

• In certain challenges, some leagues were shown as unavailable when attempting to replace teams.

• Some players were incorrectly displayed as out of position in the match preview screen.

• Sometimes, Scout reports could provide incorrect attribute values.

Clubs

Addressed the following issue:

• Further adjusted Match Rating calculation logic for CAMs to avoid unintentionally high calculations.

General, Audio, and Visual

Made the following changes:

• Updated some crests, banners, scarves, flags, scenes, camera angles, overlays, celebrations, text, hair, ad boards and cinematics.

Addressed the following issues:

• Addressed various stability issues that could have occurred.

Want to provide us direct feedback about EA SPORTS FC 26? Head to 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.

Make sure to join the Official EA SPORTS FC Discord for the latest news and updates.

• The EA SPORTS FC Team

Title Update 1.5.0 is coming soon to EA SPORTS FC™ 26, bringing changes to gameplay and updates to multiple modes inspired by feedback from the community.

Gameplay

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been closely following conversations across Discord polls, feedback posts, and social channels.

If you would like to share your FC 26 Feedback head over to the official EA SPORTS FC Discord.

We appreciate the time and detail the community has shared around Passing and Shooting PlayStyles. As a result, this update focuses on reducing the overall impact of certain PlayStyles and shifting more influence towards players’ core attributes.

The following changes have been made that affect PlayStyles, Passing, And Shooting:

Passing

• Improved accuracy and speed of ground passing, with impact being most noticeable on players with higher passing attributes.

• Added the ability for players without the Incisive Pass PlayStyle but with high attributes in Short Pass, Long Pass, and Curve to contextually curve through balls.

• Reduced the accuracy of lofted passes.

• By lofted passes, we are referring to double tapping the ground pass or through pass button

Power Shot

• Improved the trajectory of Power Shots to increase the potential of scoring from longer ranges.

• Increased Power Shot accuracy when taken with the Power Shot PlayStyle and PlayStyle+

Chip Shot

• Tuned Chip Shots to be less likely to go wide.

• Increased accuracy of Chip Shots.

• Players with the Chip Shot PlayStyle perform Chip Shots with additional accuracy.

Tiki Taka PlayStyle

• To avoid overly accurate passing and decrease some of the gap between passing with and without PlayStyles, the accuracy of ground and first-time passes with the Tiki Taka PlayStyle has been reduced.

• Ground passes performed with Tiki Taka PlayStyle still benefit from the overall improvements in accuracy and speed listed above, ensuring the PlayStyle remains a useful attacking option.

Inventive PlayStyle

• The accuracy of lofted ground and through passes using the Inventive PlayStyle and Inventive PlayStyle+ has been slightly increased.

• This is to slightly compensate for the accuracy reduction to lofted passes mentioned in the passing section. With the PlayStyle+, lofted passes will still be slightly less accurate than before the patch

• By lofted passes, we are referring to double tapping the ground pass or through pass button

Additional Gameplay Updates

Positioning

• Addressed an issue where attacking players could remain stationary after repositioning

We’ve also made two updates to address certain areas of gameplay brought to our attention by the community.

• Increased the speed of Fake Shot, Heel Chop, and Feint and Exit by 5%

• Addressed an issue where attacking players could remain stationary after repositioning

Career

New Career content will be released over the next few weeks, including new Live Starting Points and ICONs in Player Career. Season 6 kicks off with adding Ronaldinho, Gareth Bale, Fernando Torres, and Aya Miyama to the rotation, with more ICONs to come in future weeks.

Alongside new content, we’ve also made the following changes regarding Live Starting points, Dynamic Development Plans, and player contracts:

• Introduced Dynamic Development Plans to Career to more closely reflect a player’s role

• When starting a new save, Training Plans will be automatically pre-selected based on the player’s closest available role

• For example, if a striker has a Target Forward role, that striker will be assigned to a Target Forward development plan rather than the default option

• Dynamic Development Plans will adapt to Tactic changes to further aid player development across the season and ensure that players develop in line with your vision without constant manual update

• Added a new visual Pitch Wear setting when starting a new save

• This reflects seasonal weather conditions but will be to OFF by default

• Improved player contract extension behaviour when using the Normal setting

• Players with less than a year on their contract will already be open to negotiation when you join a new club

• At the start of a new season, around 50% of players with expiring contracts will be open to negotiation

• If you start a Live Starting Point or switch to a new job mid-season, more players will be open to negotiation as you get closer to the end of the season

Clubs

The following Archetype changes have been made in Clubs, these changes will go live in a server release after Title Update 1.5.0:

• Archetype Level Cap

• Increased the cap from 80 to 90

• Archetype Max Attributes

• Increased the maximum range of Archetype-specific attributes

• Archetype Customisable PlayStyle Slots

• Increased from 7 to 8, unlocked at level 90

Thanks for checking out our latest Pitch Notes. We can’t wait for you to experience all the new changes and additions coming to EA SPORTS FC™ 26.

– The EA SPORTS FC Team

Welcome to the February Feedback Update.

Throughout February, we’ve continued tracking your feedback across all modes. Today we wanted to highlight upcoming changes to PlayStyles and address the recent fix to Finesse Shots.

Fineese Shot

We recently addressed the Finesse Shot issue. The problem was resolved by rolling back a change from Title Update 1.4.2. In those patch notes, the change was described as: "Inaccurate knuckle ball shots could have occurred more often than intended."

Following the rollback, Finesse Shots should now be performing as expected. We’ll continue monitoring feedback and gameplay data, but this fix is now live.

PlayStyles & Attributes – Upcoming Update

A major theme in your feedback has been that attributes should feel more powerful and impactful, with PlayStyles enhancing players rather than defining their entire effectiveness. In an upcoming update, we’ll be tuning attributes and several PlayStyles to better reflect that philosophy.

The following PlayStyles will be receiving changes:

Tiki Taka, Incisive Pass, Inventive Pass. We will also be bringing some overall changes to Power Shots and Chip Shots.

Our goal is to bring more weight and value back to core attributes, while ensuring PlayStyles remain meaningful differentiators at the highest levels of play. We’re looking forward to sharing the full details in the Pitch Notes coming soon.

Thank you for checking out the February Feedback Update, don’t forget to head over to the EA SPORTS FC (https://steamcommunity.com/linkfilter/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscord.com%2Finvite%2Feasportsfc), join the community and share your feedback!

• The EA SPORTS FC Team

EA SPORTS FC 26 v1.4.2 is now live for the PC/PS4/PS5/XB1 and XBX|S versions and will soon be able for the Switch / Switch 2 versions.

Gameplay

Made the following updates:

• Addressed an issue where the goalkeeper could've deflected the ball too accurately during an anticipation save.

• Inaccurate knuckle ball shots could have occurred more often than intended.

Career Mode

Made the following changes:

• Added a new Contract Extension setting under Transfer & Scouting that enables you to choose how open players might be to contract extensions.

• Updated visuals and animations for scheduling loading screen.

• Added a new Social Media panel that surfaces active Challenge Objectives during challenge scenarios.

Addressed the following issues:

• After requesting a transfer, players could not have always been offered new contacts.

• In Live Start Points, women’s teams were unintentionally present in some leagues.

Clubs

• Goalkeepers were sometimes holding the ball for longer than intended when a pass was requested.

• Once emptied, short-term stamina could have previously only been recovered if players became idle.

General, Audio, and Visual

Made the following changes:

• Updated some badges, logos, hair, boots, star heads, lighting, kits, tattoos, 2D portraits, scarves, banners, cameras, button callouts, overlays and TIFOs

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.

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 Team

Welcome to the January Feedback Update.

Today we want to hear from you on PlayStyles in our latest Discord Poll. We will also be sharing additional updates across Ultimate Team and Career Mode based on your feedback. Make sure to join the Official EA SPORTS FC Discord server over at discord.gg/easportsfc to be a part of the conversation.

Playstyles vs Attributes

We’ve seen lots of discussion recently around PlayStyles vs Attributes, so we’ve put together a poll in the Official Discord Server #polls section to gather your feedback.

To kick things off, we’d love to understand how effective you feel PlayStyles are compared to the impact of Attributes. We’ve also opened up a PlayStyles Discussion for anyone who wants to share more detailed opinions. Based on your feedback, we’ll be following up soon with a deeper dive into potential improvements and changes around this topic.

Career Mode

In an upcoming update when beginning a new Career, you will be able to choose how willing players are to negotiate as their contracts near expiration, with the new Contract Extension setting under Transfer & Scouting. Set it to Normal where factors like playing time matter, or Lenient where players are more open to signing an extension.

Ultimate Team

We're bringing more ways of training and upgrading your club into the game. Coming soon, you’ll be able to start Training Camp Evolutions directly in Ultimate Team, while they'll continue to be available through Companion App.

Thank you for checking out the January Feedback Update, don’t forget to head over to (https://discord.com/invite/easportsfc), join the community and share your feedback!

• The EA SPORTS FC Team