FC 26 Online Release Date

EA's long-running football simulation series is about to continue its journey with EA Sports FC 26. The upcoming title has just been officially announced, with EA highlighting major changes to the core gameplay, along with a shiny new Icon in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In addition to the familiar tweaks, a number of new features have also been confirmed, along with the game's cover stars. If you're eager to know more about the future of the series, here's everything you need to know about EA FC 26.

 

EA FC 26 Release Date

EA FC 26 officially launches on September 26 , but as always, Ultimate Edition owners will get a week early from September 19. The two editions come with separate pre-order bonus packs – you can see the details in our in-depth guide.

EA FC 26 Price: What will the game cost?

1. EA Sports FC 26 Standard Edition : 1,299,000 VND, the same price as the previous version.
2. EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Edition : 1,799,000 VND on all platforms, except Nintendo Switch 2 (only 1,599,000 VND).

Fortunately, the series has not yet moved to the $80 - 2,110,000 VND price point as is the trend with many other AAA titles.

 

EA FC 26 Supported Platforms

FC 26 will be available on the following platforms:

Foundation	Support
PS5	Have
PS4	Have
Xbox Series X/S	Have
Xbox One	Have
Nintendo Switch & Switch 2	Have
PC	Have

EA FC continues to support older consoles to maximize sales, and this tradition will continue with the upcoming title. FC 26 marks the first time the series has appeared on the Nintendo Switch 2 – I can't wait to see how well it runs on the portable device.

FC 26 cover star

As confirmed by EA, Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala will be the cover stars for the FC 26 Standard Edition. The Ultimate Edition sees Zlatan Ibrahimovic take centre stage, with the legendary striker returning as an in-game Icon.

Icons in EA FC 26

Every new game brings fresh Icon cards, and leaks suggest FC 26 will add 12 legends to the series. The rumored list is full of names fans have been waiting for, including the superstar the community has been clamoring for. To see all the Icon leaks, head over to our in-depth guide. For now, here's the list of confirmed new Icons:

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
2. Alex Morgan (USA)
3. Ronaldo (Brazil)
4. Marcelo (Brazil)
5. Toni Kroos (Germany)

Game Modes In EA FC 26

EA FC 26 will retain all of the series' iconic game modes, along with a new competitive mode called Challengers – a tier two weekend tournament for players in lower Divisions. Here are all the game modes coming to EA FC 26:

 

Game Mode	Short Description
Kick Off	Single Quick Match
Clubs	Play with friends in the club
Career Mode	Coach/Player Career Journey
Seasons	Seasonal tournaments
Ultimate Team	Building the dream team
Rivals	Online ranked competition
Champions	Online premium tournament
Challengers	Low level tournament for newbies
UT Draft	Draft temporary lineup
Rush	Quick 5v5 match
Moments	Highlight moments
Squad Battles	Community Squad AI Combat

All new features in EA FC 26

EA is putting a big emphasis on gameplay improvements for the latest installment in the series. In fact, the announcement trailer spent a lot of time showing off gameplay changes, with the studio emphasizing listening to community feedback. Here are all the new features confirmed for FC 26:

Completely remastered gameplay

EA FC 25, especially before the game-changing winter update, was perhaps the series' lowest point in terms of core gameplay experience. During its worst period, midfield felt claustrophobic, dribbling was restricted, and uncontrolled rebounds had me screaming like a mad monkey.

Thankfully, EA has listened and addressed these issues throughout the trailer. According to them, FC 26 will feature 'more responsive dribbling, smarter AI positioning, and sharper, more explosive movement – ​​all based on community feedback.' Additionally, the game will introduce new Playstyles and Player Roles, details of which have yet to be revealed.

Preset Realistic Competitive Gameplay

EA FC has two distinct groups of players. The first likes Career Mode for its realistic soccer simulation, while the other is passionate about the fast-paced competition of Ultimate Team. To satisfy both, EA FC 26 introduces two new gameplay presets, each designed for different play styles.

1. Competitive: Optimized for head-to-head in Ultimate Team and Clubs, with faster passing, smarter goalkeeper reflexes, and more direct control.
2. Authentic: For Career Mode, with more responsible defender positions, realistic corner success rates, vibrant penalty area chaos, and more.

 

Manager Live Challenges

Manager Career gets the attention it deserves with the new Manager Live Challenges feature. According to EA, these challenges will put players through 'a variety of real-life scenarios and alternate storylines – from a few minutes of play to multiple seasons – and earn rewards like Season Points, Vanity Items, Icons and Heroes to use in modern clubs.'

Additionally, the new Manager Market feature has been added to Manager Career, which could breathe new life into the mode. We'll get into more details in our Career Mode Deep Dive, so check back for that later.

FIFA World Cup Mode (Rumor)

As you know, EA and FIFA publicly "broke up" in 2023, when EA refused to pay licensing fees to the football federation. This led to the series being renamed EA FC, while FIFA sought a new studio to license its games. Despite the disagreement, EA is rumored to be interested in buying the rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to bring back the classic World Cup mode in the upcoming game.

Of course, there's no official information yet, so take these leaks with a bit of skepticism.

And that's all we know about EA FC 26 so far. With in-depth gameplay analysis coming in the weeks ahead, we'll be updating this article with the latest information. In the meantime, check out our top 25 player stats predictions.