FC 26 Players

The countdown to FC 26's official release has begun, and whether you're an early access owner, a New Zealand tricks user, or a casual player, you can probably already feel the growing excitement within the community!

A significant number of players have likely played FC 25 for a full year. While this gives you an advantage over new players, it can also make it easier for you to fall into the trap of playing FIFA 26, as FIFA 26 has undergone numerous changes and upgrades.

Based on this, we'll combine our current knowledge of FC 26 to highlight 12 key differences from its predecessor, helping you minimize unnecessary mistakes once you start playing.

1. Reduced Stamina Among AI Teammates

As a key element of a player's overall stats, stamina determines whether your character or player can maintain optimal performance for the majority of their time on the field.

To support this mechanic, when you play modes in FIFA that require cooperation with AI teammates, their stamina will fluctuate, and FIFA 26 has further reduced their total stamina.

To avoid unnecessary negative impacts, you must constantly monitor the status of your AI teammates in EA FC 26 and promptly substitute or move those with low stamina to easier positions.

2. New AI Positioning System

To accommodate the fluctuations in AI teammates' stamina, FIFA 26 has introduced a smarter positioning system, allowing you to adjust your players' positions in the heat of the match to avoid issues caused by stamina depletion.

This ensures a more balanced match experience and a more exciting and realistic gaming experience.

3. High-Quality Automatic AI Lineup Assignment

Combining the two aforementioned AI mechanics to enhance your AI experience, the game will automatically select high-performing players for your lineup in Career Mode, allowing you to save time and focus more on the game itself.

When automatically assigning lineups, the system will prioritize high-quality players while ensuring the final lineup can complete the match and is not affected by player stamina depletion.

4. Nerf Speed Boost And Initial Through-Ball Power

These two nerfs are based on L1 key. While you'll no longer gain the significant advantage gained by boosting speed like in FUT 25, they will help maintain a balanced gameplay experience.

These nerfs can be combined with other optimizations to improve the efficiency of FIFA 26's gameplay loop and make the experience more realistic, especially with the introduction of Competitive and Authentic modes.

5. New Free Kick Camera Angle

Since FC series isn't primarily played from a first-person perspective, a suitable third-person camera angle can help improve your win rate and enhance your gameplay experience.

To this end, FC 26 allows you to further adjust the free kick camera angle, allowing you to score more shots with a better field of view. While this is a relatively minor change, it's a valuable asset for earning more FC 26 coins by completing matches.

6. More Available Stadiums

Compared to FUT 25, 26 not only adds over 120 new stadiums, but also utilizes game capture technology to deliver even higher-quality, more realistic visuals and audio during matches.

Notably, these stadiums include not only well-known venues but also lesser-known regional venues. This enriches your stadium selection while also increasing their visibility and promoting their popularity.

7. More Pro Clubs Added To Ultimate Team

As a mode already focused on competitive play, Ultimate Team now features more pro clubs, allowing you to experience professional tournaments and a football experience even closer to real-world leagues.

More importantly, you can now play matches directly from Ultimate Team menu, providing additional convenience when performing well in Division Rivals and reflecting the improved quality of life in FIFA 26.

8. New Playstyles And Player Roles

In addition to changes to intelligent AI teammates, the players you control directly in-game have gained new features that can help improve your chances of winning matches, especially with the introduction of archetypes in FUT 26.

Each archetype in FUT 26 is inspired by football icons and represents a unique playing style. You can build upon these basic settings to shape your players and adapt them to different positions on the pitch.

Whether you want your players to be a lethal striker, an exceptional defender, or a skilled midfielder, archetypes provide ready-made plans for them throughout matches and seasons.

9. Manager Live Challenges In Career Mode

If you prefer a more measured, long-term team management experience, the addition of Manager Live Challenges in Career Mode adds a level of authenticity to your team management experience. You'll also earn unique rewards for achieving objectives.

10. Added Challengers Weekend League

In addition to Division Rivals, FC 26 adds Challengers Weekend League to Ultimate Team as a new way to earn rewards and achievements, allowing you to enjoy the competition even if you haven't reached the major championship level.

11. Upgraded Club Gameplay

Based on more detailed competitive mode presets, FC 26 now allows you to join multiple clubs and further enhance your gameplay experience through the dynamic live events and improvements to rush mode.

12. Added Live Gauntlets

Live Gauntlets is another new gameplay mode in Ultimate Team. You form a new team and compete in up to five matches. You can't be eliminated in this mode, but the more you win, the more coins and other rewards you earn.

Overall, compared to 25, EA Sports FC 26 has improved the overall game experience while enriching each mode, especially Ultimate Team, to enhance your passion and engagement. We wish you more achievements in the new season through these changes!

Football fans, EA Sports FC 26 is launching on September 26th, less than two weeks away. I'm sure you're all eager to get started!

Early Access Start Date

However, there's a group of players who won't have to wait for the 26th to get access to the game. Instead, they'll be able to start Early Access a week earlier, on September 19th!

Yes, this is a special privilege offered by EA FC 26 to players who pre-ordered Ultimate Edition. They can play the game without waiting for the official release date. If you own FC 26 Ultimate Edition and want to get a head start in Ultimate Team mode, here's some Early Access news you might want to know.

What Platforms Is Early Access Available On?

Luckily, FC 26 Early Access is available on all major platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox Series XS, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and even the latest Switch 2 and Amazon Luna. Let me emphasize again: the only requirement for early access is pre-ordering Ultimate Edition.

The only exception is that EA Play members will also benefit during this period. Even if they don't own Ultimate Edition, they'll still receive 10 hours of trial play on console starting September 19th. EA Play Pro users will also get early access to FIFA 26 on PC, the same day as Ultimate Edition owners!

What Are The Benefits Of Early Access?

The most significant benefit of Early Access is, of course, being among the first to experience all of EA FC 26's content and planning your Ultimate Team squad earlier. Don't underestimate this week; it's your chance to build a strong team, try out new tactics, invest in players through the early transfer window, and potentially earn FC 26 coins!

This period before the official release is crucial for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the curve.

Of course, early access to FIFA 26 is just one of the benefits available to players who pre-order Ultimate Edition before August 26, 2025. There are also hosts of exclusive early bird rewards waiting for you:

• Archetype Unlock Consumable x1
• Double Archetype XP Consumable x2
• Icon Players for Manager Career and Player Career x3
• 5-Star Coach for Manager Career x1
• 5-Star Youth Scout for Manager Career x1
• Exclusive Manager Live Challenges
• FC Points x6,000, distributed over two months (only 4,500 FC Points on Switch and Switch 2)
• Exclusive FUT Player Evolution Slot x2
• Season 1 Premium Pass
• Exclusive FUT Player Evolution for EA FC 25 x1
• 93+ OVR 1 of 5 Icon Player Pick Item for FUT in EA FC 25 x1
• Icon for FUT in EA FC 26 x1

All of these rewards are key to giving FUT 26 Ultimate Edition a significant early-game advantage.

What's The First Thing To Do After Starting Early Access?

We know that most players will be very excited after entering Early Access, and want to try every mode to see how it compares to the previous ones. However, planning your moves wisely will keep you ahead of your opponents throughout the week!

Participate In Early Access Daily Knockout Tournament

The first thing to do is log in and start participating in the new Daily Knockout Tournament. This is a major limited-time event during Early Access, allowing you to compete daily, win rewards, and advance to the finals on the last day of Early Access.

This high-stakes tournament format will test your gameplay and team-building skills. Players must win every match to advance to the next round; losses will result in elimination. As the match progresses, the difficulty of the opponents will increase, increasing player engagement.

Play Gauntlet

Gauntlet is a run-based game mode in EA FC 26 Ultimate Team. This new mode requires you to use a completely different lineup in each match, designed to test your team management and gameplay skills.

In this mode, each run has a fixed match cap, which changes throughout the season. After each round, you cannot use any players who participated in the current season, including substitutes.

Notably, after losing a match, you continue playing until the run cap is reached, so Gauntlet encourages players to build a diverse team. Simply put, the more wins you achieve before reaching the cap, the greater the rewards.

This mode presents a significant challenge to your squad-building skills, but it also offers a great opportunity to hone your team and earn FIFA 26 coins during Early Access.

Watch For Team Of The Week 1 And 2

Also, during Early Access, you should keep an eye out for the initial release of Team of the Week 1 and 2. Especially early in the game, TOTW lineups play a crucial role in Squad Battles, providing players with the opportunity to earn Battle Points and advance in the mode.

What's more, these Early Access TOTW 1 and 2 squads also include special player items, delivered in packs, that enhance player attributes and are crucial for building a strong ultimate team early in the game.

Explore Evolutions

Also, don't forget to check out the new Evolutions in FC 26, as they allow players to upgrade their favorite player cards through repeatable challenges, providing steady progression and customization. You can also test your squad-building skills in conjunction with the new Gauntlet mode.

Furthermore, strategically investing in player evolutions is a wise choice, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the game cycle and ensuring your favorite players remain relevant and competitive from the start of the season.

In short, while FUT 26 Early Access is only available for seven days, seize the opportunity to gain a significant advantage of this season! Get ready now!