Today, Electronic Arts made a quick post for fans of its hit soccer simulator, EA Sports FC 26, revealing an upcoming holiday update that will be implemented soon and that is based on user feedback.
One of the most notable changes coming with the EA Sports FC 26 Holiday Update concerns Goalkeeper movement. To better reflect the net minder’s impact and speed, the developers have significantly reduced movement speed and the amount of ground covered when using Manual Goalkeeper Movement in open play.
The Goalkeeper Rush To Center mechanic is also being removed from open play to avoid spamming, and an issue where first-time shots aren’t reacted to properly will be addressed. For Career Mode, functionality and usability are being updated, which you can see listed below:
- Added a new field in Squad Hub indicating players’ willingness to extend their contracts
- Added a new tab in the Manager Live Hub to streamline starting a new Live Start Point and Manager Live save, providing quicker access to previously earned retro kits rewards.
- Shortcut selections are now remembered automatically when exiting the switcher menu rather than requiring a manual selection save.
- Added an in-menu preview for mascots in the Create Your Club flow
- Addressed an issue in Create Your Club that prevented replacing a club other than your favourite team.
- In Player Career, the Player Archetype preview tile now displays both current XP and XP needed to reach the next level.
- Added Recommended Archetypes in the Player Career creation flow instead of Attributes.
For online play, Clubs is increasing Archetype Max Level and adjusting CAM Match Ratings to give fans more out of playing in the midfield. Rush Rematch is also coming to Ultimate Team, allowing you to vote to opt in and keep playing Rush matches with your current group.
Classic XI Kick Off is another fun mechanic coming alongside the EA Sports FC 26 Holiday Update, letting you relive the former glory of iconic European clubs or play with an assortment of legendary figures with Classic XIs from Europe’s biggest leagues. From a visual standpoint, the menu has been transformed to showcase falling show, and Star Heads have been updated to reflect the likeness of a handful of new players, like Granit Xhaka.
Lastly, Electronic Arts stated that they are aware of the AI Defending issues they’ve been receiving based on feedback and will implement an update in January after they’ve gathered a bit more information on the problems.
The Holiday Update is set to land on December 2, 2025, on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. For more info on the game, including new features like Player Roles, Career Mode changes, Ultimate Team Icons, Zlatan FC, and so much more, be sure to check back to Simulation Daily for updates.
