Today, Electronic Arts showed off the latest look at gameplay for this year’s iteration of its annual soccer series, EA Sports FC 26, this time highlighting the changes coming to the fan-favorite Ultimate Team mode. There are plenty of new fixtures and features coming this year, with a lot of them revolving around the introduction of split gameplay presets, including a new Gauntlets mode, EVO updates, and a revamp to rivals and champs.
For the first time, multiplayer will feature a new gameplay format, known as Competitive, specifically tuned for added responsiveness and higher player control. Instead of slow, realistic gameplay, FUT and Clubs will use this much more arcade-style of play, which makes mechanics like Dribbling, Pace, Passing, Tackling, Shooting, Goalkeepers, and Physicality feel considerably different.
Alongside this new splitting of presets, Live Events will also provide players with a new way to compete, introducing varied match settings, entry requirements, and new formats such as Turnaments and Gauntlets. Rivals and Champs get a revamp of their own in EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Team, as direct qualifications replace playoffs while also adding in new Bounties and Limited Checkpoints.
Evolutions might be getting the biggest changes of them all in FUT, as they’re not only adding in Goalkeepers, but also Repeatable EVOs and plenty of cosmetic upgrades. Repeatable Evolutions will give you more flexibility, allowing you to apply them to multiple Player Items or use them on the same one if possible. Cosmetic changes include being able to evolve players without changing their item, stacking upgrades, and rarity carryover.
The full list of changes coming for Ultimate Team can be seen in the deep dive notes here. EA Sports FC 26 will be released on September 26, 2025, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Amazon Luna, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, and will also be available worldwide to play on with early access through the Ultimate Edition beginning September 19, 2025.
