EA FC 26 Closed Beta Basics & Tactical Gameplay: Which Formations Are Worth Trying During The Beta?

Posted: Aug 06, 2025 Views: 345

Posted: Aug 06, 2025

Source: IGGM

Fans of FC series, this year’s FUT 26 has been confirmed to launch on September 26th, which means it’s time to prepare for the traditional Closed Beta. Players will have the opportunity to experience the game early and experience some of the new gameplay changes announced this year.

Closed Beta Dates, Platforms & Modes

FC 26 Closed Beta began at 5:00 PM UTC on August 6, 2025, and will run until 5:00 PM UTC on August 26th.

Please note that if you own a Nintendo Switch 2, you will only be able to begin your Closed Beta experience on August 8, 2025.

EA FC 26 Closed Beta Basics & Tactical Gameplay: Which Formations Are Worth Trying During The Beta?

This year’s closed beta is available on PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series, PC, and Switch. However, as in previous years, FC 26 Closed Beta is by invitation only. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll receive an Early Access code from the developer for the same platform you primarily play FC 25 on.

Since the closed beta begins on Wednesday, August 6th at 5:00 PM (UTC), any selected players will receive their code before then, and after that date, you won’t be able to obtain a beta code through other means. So, you’ll probably just have to hope for luck.

However, based on recent observations from fans who received codes, the developers’ list selections may be based on how much players played the previous year’s version. So, if you’re not so lucky this year, try to increase your play frequency before the beta opens next year!

But not all modes will be available during the beta; you may only be selected to test a few. You’ll be informed of this in the email inviting you to the beta.

Note: Your progress in the beta will not carry over to the full release of the game. But don’t be discouraged; this is a great time to test your strategies and get ahead of your opponents once you start playing!

Tactics & Formations

Now that we’ve covered all the details about FIFA 26 Closed Beta, it’s time to look at your tactics during the beta!

When playing the closed beta, you should generally stick to the main formations and avoid any unique formation variations. Even formations like the 4-1-4-1 are not recommended for the closed beta, as it’s essentially a 4-3-3 variation. This strategy can lead to your lone striker being isolated, especially when attempting counterattacks, where he’s easily overwhelmed by opposing defenders.

So, which formations and tactics should you prioritize?

4-2-3-1

Thinking about the past decade of FIFA games, the 4-2-3-1 has consistently ranked among at least the top five formations. Even this year, I think it remains a very strong formation because it strikes a good balance between attack and defense.

This formation effectively controls the midfield while also providing width in attack, making it a flexible and effective formation. Two defensive midfielders provide a solid foundation for defense, while three attacking midfielders create more offensive opportunities and support the lone striker.

As a result, the 4-2-3-1 formation can often be customized with a variety of custom tactics to suit different play styles and strategies, making it ideal for beta testing and experimenting with tactics.

More importantly, when you enter Closed Beta, your EA Sports FC 26 coins are often limited, and you’ll need to make some extensive adjustments based on your existing players. A formation with both offensive and defensive capabilities like this allows you to handle most situations, making it ideal for online matches.

4-4-2

Next, I think you should use the 4-4-2 formation. It’s one of the few versatile formations I see every year, and for many professional players, it consistently ranks among their top three formations.

Furthermore, the 4-4-2 formation is best suited for starting a new match; it’s a very basic formation. Its two rows of four provide a solid defensive structure, while the two forwards provide continuous attacking space. This allows players to focus on building a strong tactical foundation without relying on more complex formations.

The 4-4-2 formation offers a solid foundation, making it relatively easy to understand and execute. Its flexible wide midfielders allow you to adapt to different playing styles, from counter-attacking to possession-based tactics, putting you in a very advantageous position throughout Closed Beta period.

4-2-1-3

Finally, based on my experience playing it, the 4-2-1-3 formation remains at the top of the heap. I’d even go so far as to say it may still be the best formation in EA Sports FC 26 when it officially releases, because of its high stability and the opportunities it provides for creative play.

The three forwards provide a powerful offensive force, especially when paired with an attacking midfielder. The two defensive midfielders and an attacking midfielder provide strong midfield support, while the back four provides defensive stability. This balance makes the formation effective against both defensive and attacking opponents.

Whether you prefer quick counterattacks or patient build-up play, this tactic will allow you to quickly adapt to different playstyles in FC 26 Closed Beta.

So, if you’ve had the opportunity to enter FIFA 26 Closed Beta, now’s the perfect time to have some fun. Don’t forget to share your thoughts; the developers will continue to adjust things based on player feedback to ensure a flawless experience after the official release. Have a great day!

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Next: EA FC 26 Career Mode Details: How To Experience It Deeply?

Previous: EA FC 26 Clubs Mode Major Changes: How Will They Upgrade Your Game Experience?

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EA FC 26 Career Mode Details: How To Experience It Deeply?
With 2025 entering its second half, EA Sports FC will release FC 26 in September through a new update cycle. The game’s key modes and gameplay will see many new additions and improvements to the underlying mechanics.

Career mode, the foundation of your team-building and development, is rich in content, and therefore, will see many updates in FIFA 26. To ensure you’re comfortable with these changes upon launch, we’ve provided an in-depth preview of Career mode.

Career Mode Overview

While your primary focus in this mode is to build a strong squad, there’s much more to this end, including:
- Getting and selling players
- Playing matches
- Participating in cup matches
- Choosing a club to join after the season ends
These elements complement each other: winning as many matches as possible will earn you enough FC 26 coins to redeem powerful new players, and performing well enough will ensure you stay at your chosen club.

Manager Live Challenges

Before you begin creating your team, your first task is to create a team manager, or the system will recommend a suitable manager based on your personal profile.

In Career mode, you can manage up to five teams simultaneously as a manager and customize your personal information and appearance. You can also view or edit the following information at any time in the manager’s hub:
- For You: Customizable personalization content.
- Continue: Moves the player to the most recent save.
- Featured: Select from highlighted scenarios.
- Social: Challenge with friends.
- Popular: The most played challenges worldwide.
- Favorites: Save up to 15 of your favorite scenarios.
- Completed: The 15 most recently completed challenges.
Challenges are essentially need you to complete specific quests that not only reward you with coins or points, but also help you gain a deeper understanding of the mode and experience unique gameplay. All challenges have the following parameters:
- Start Date
- Team Selection
- Create Your Club
- League and Country Selection
- Cup Competitions
- Feature Settings
- Parameters
- Team Management Limiters
- Transfer Limiters
- Tactical Limiters
- Job Limiters
- Objectives
- Mid-season Scenarios
- Dynamic Scenarios
When completing challenges in specific scenarios, you’ll have the opportunity to earn historical achievements, such as replicating the careers of famous players, breaking record milestones, or reliving the careers of iconic players. You can also play limited-time challenges.

Manage Icons And Heroes

Icon and hero players allow you to relive the most exciting moments in football history by adding them to your team. The more icons and heroes you add, the more diverse your lineup options become.

To further diversify your lineup, you can even combine current and past icons and heroes on the same team to experiment with different formations.

To unlock these players, you’ll need to progress further through the season pass by completing specific objectives across all game modes. New icons and hero players are added each season, but they can only be unlocked and utilized after a new career begins.

What Is Manager Market?

Think of it as a platform within Career mode where, as a manager, you can apply for other positions, be fired from your current team, or be recruited by another team. If you leave your current team, a temporary manager will fill the vacancy until a permanent manager is hired.

So, how do you assess your suitability for a particular team or position? Consider the following criteria:
- Comparison between the strength of your club and your target club
- The ability of the manager to switch between men’s and women’s football
- The manager’s current job security level
- The length of the manager’s tenure
- The manager’s nationality
- The manager’s tactical vision
Additionally, when players apply for a job with a manager, their compatibility can be used to determine whether their chances of being hired increase or decrease. Compatibility is determined by the following criteria:
- The comparison of the manager’s performance and the club’s goals
- The strength of the player’s current club and the new club
- The tactical vision between the manager and the club
Changing managers can also have varying impacts on the team’s subsequent results and player performance, that depending on your tactical vision finally.

New Deeper Simulation Feature

This feature allows you to simulate up to five additional leagues in addition to your current league, providing a more personalized and flexible experience. You can also monitor regional rivalries and emerging leagues.

This feature also allows you to view historical data, including player statistics and previous clubs, track and modify standings via the interactive standings screen, and perform the following operations:
- Select a team to view its statistics
- Switch between matches
- View the schedule for each competition
- View home and away knockout rounds
- View the complete rosters of all clubs, along with statistics for all matches
Building on Deeper Simulation feature, Career mode’s scouting capabilities have been expanded. For example, you can view player reports with complete statistics, making it easier to evaluate players and determine their value.

Additional features include:
- Global Scouting: Discover players from other leagues that would be suitable for your team.
- Dynamic Transfer Market: Makes transfers more dynamic and unpredictable, encompassing a wider range of players and leagues. Managerial Storylines: Observe the performance of other managers and the development of their players.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Use data to inform your roster construction.
More Immersive Gameplay

Compared to EA Sports FC 25, FC 26 introduces a more immersive gameplay experience, allowing you to customize match plans and player deployments even in online play, giving you a near-realistic manager experience.

These are the key changes and gameplay features of FC 26’s Career mode. If you’re looking to quickly adapt to this mode, you can practice with the gameplay already available in FC 25! Have fun!
EA FC 26 Clubs Mode Major Changes: How Will They Upgrade Your Game Experience?
A year has flown by so quickly, and one of the clearest signs of that is the upcoming release of EA Sports FC, FC 26, on September 26th. While you’re likely still engrossed in the intense matches of FC 25, it’s time to shift your focus to new games!

Typically, sports game updates don’t bring groundbreaking innovations or changes, but rather focus on improving and optimizing existing modes and gameplay. So, if you want the best virtual football experience, switching to FUT 26 is essential.

While the game and its early access release haven’t launched yet, the development team has already released a lot of new information about EA FC 26. Here, we’ll cover the major changes coming to Clubs mode.

What Is Clubs Mode?

Before understanding the changes, you should first understand how Clubs mode itself works. Also known as Clubs Deep Dive, it’s a multiplayer mode where you can create a virtual professional player and customize their appearance and playstyle.

You can then earn FC 26 coins and skill points by playing them in matches. Develop your own virtual football players by developing unique playing styles, then create your own club or have them join other clubs to compete in club leagues.

In FIFA 25, the mode has been updated with the following key features:
- Clubs Rush: Join other players in 5v5 matches.
- The Clubhouse: Social interaction and customization within your club.
- Club Facilities: Grow your club and unlock more facilities.
- League Updates: Make league play more challenging.
Clubs Mode Changes In FC 26

The main changes to the mode in EA FC 26 are the addition of Archetypes, new Live Events, and the ability to be a member of multiple clubs. We’ll explain each of these below.

What Are Archetypes?

A new and exciting feature, Archetypes allows you to unlock, develop, and progress 13 different archetypes in Clubs mode. Inspired by real-world soccer stars, these archetypes offer a wider range of player build options.

Archetypes are categorized by position: 3 for forwards, 4 for midfielders, 4 for defenders, and 2 for goalkeepers. FUT 26 gives each archetype a unique name based on the benefits it provides and the associated gameplay.

For example, as a midfielder, you can become a Maestro, unlocking defense and changing the forward’s position. Maestro’s signature playstyle is Tiki Taka Pinged Pass, focusing on consistently passing the ball as the team progresses toward the goal.

Archetype feature activates when you first enter EA FC 26 Clubs mode, allowing you to select your first archetype. The remaining 12 archetypes are unlocked through Club coins, FC points, or other consumables (which are also available as rewards).

You can then earn Archetype XP (AXP) through Clubs mode matches to upgrade your unlocked archetypes, capped at level 50. To earn more AXP, you’ll need to increase your character level and improve your gameplay.

As your archetype level increases, you can unlock more rewards in-game to help upgrade your attributes and abilities, including:
- Attribute Points (AP): Upgrade your attributes.
- Signature Playstyles Upgrades: Upgrade all of your Signature Playstyles to PlayStyle+.
- Unlock Signature Perks: Enhance your archetype.
- Customizable PlayStyles Slots: Further customize your archetype’s playstyle with additional slots.
What Are Archetype Cards?

This card represents you and your archetype through visual representations of each position in your club. As you progress, your archetype card will update to reflect your progress.

Each FIFA 26 Archetype has its own unique archetype card, which highlights player poses, backgrounds, and key attributes, making it easy to compare different archetypes.

You can also use season pass rewards, objective rewards, or Clubs Store to acquire additional backgrounds to decorate your card and showcase your virtual pro’s progress and achievements to other players.

What Live Events Are Available?

New live events in Clubs mode are Rush tournaments. You can participate in four-round single-elimination knockout tournaments. Winning increases your ranking, while losing results in one chance and a return to the first round of the tournament.

Note that these tournaments have a limited number of wins and may have entry rules based on your character level and archetype level, or even require you to utilize a specific archetype to participate.

To Be A Member Of Multiple Clubs

This feature allows you to join up to three clubs simultaneously and switch between playable clubs at any time. This mode will be more accessible by offering more options, perfect for players who enjoy switching between games on the fly.

Other Changes Worth Be Focused

The three features above represent the main changes to Clubs mode, but there are also several other notable updates, such as Be-A-Goalkeeper mode.

This mode features new user interface components and improved visuals, along with unique camera and audio processing, to enhance your FC 26 experience throughout 2025-2026.

Be-A-Goalkeeper mode will also be added in Clubs Rush events, allowing you to compete with other players to earn rewards and level up.

More detailed upgrades include:
- Improved Progression System: Allows you to level up your virtual career and progress through Clubs League.
- New Gameplay Improvements: Introducing new goalkeeper animations for more realistic and fluid player movements.
- Added Rush Stadium: A new stadium built specifically for Rush tournaments, adding a unique atmosphere.
These are the main changes that FC 26 will bring to Clubs mode. I hope this will be helpful for you when you officially start playing the game! Thank you for reading!
EA FC 26 (4 Most Anticipated Features): These Features Might Help It Stand Out From The Same Game!

Some time ago, the developers of Football Manager 25 announced that this version of the game would be cancelled, which surprised most football simulation game fans and made them look for other similar games to fill the gap.

This gave EA Sports enough room to develop FC 26, because the Manager Career mode has been greatly improved compared to the content of the previous game in the series, FC 25, and all aspects of this simulation game have been upgraded.

However, it is worth mentioning in advance that although the Manager Career mode of FUT 26 has been greatly improved, in order to truly take advantage of the vacancy left by the cancellation of FM 25, EA must understand some reasons why this series of games is popular among the public and continue to develop on this basis.

Even in the community of FC series of games, players are joking that EA releases the same games every year, with almost no changes. So, in order to help developers better meet this market gap and create a football video game that better meets the expectations of players, this guide will list some most requested features in the player community and social media.

1. Introduce Advanced Tactical Instructions

In a football game with a Manager Career mode, the most obvious way to distinguish between good coaches and bad coaches is to look at the tactical strategies they adopt: because the better coaches will not only rely on the star players in the starting lineup, but also create a dynamic and cohesive system and style to defeat any opponent.

In view of this, the tactical system introduced and used in FIFA 26 must be the best in the current game, which will allow coaches to more accurately lock in the positions of players and set the formation, pressing and defensive line accordingly.

Additionally, the ability to move freely anywhere on the pitch should also return, something that wasn’t introduced in FC 25, which means that you may need to spend more FC 26 Coins in this new game to get the running and speed stats of your starting lineup at their highest level.

2. Add Set Piece Creator

Set pieces are great scoring opportunities in both real-life matches and soccer simulations. But in FC 25, corner kicks were difficult to score from, as the only details available were vague options like who takes the ball and where certain players should be positioned.

Compared to FM 24, it gave players tactical freedom with free kicks and corner kicks, allowing you to customize them to your coaching style. So in future games, FUT 26 should make free kicks and corner kicks, which are sure-fire ways to score more detailed, so that you can freely control your team or players’ actions in these situations.

3. Emphasis On Hiring And Managing Coaching Teams

In FC 25, you could hire coaches in four departments: attack, midfield, defense, and goalkeeping, and this new version of the game is expected to be the same. While this adds a few more layers of management, it’s still a bit rudimentary compared to FM 24 it replaces.

Here, players can fully build and control a team of backstage players, including assistant managers, fitness coaches, medical staff, and youth development specialists. Therefore, expanding the coaching team that players can have in FC 26 is also a much-needed improvement feature.

With a professional team such as tactical analysts, physiotherapists and youth training coaches, you may get a more strategic and interesting game experience. In addition, the integration of coaching team statistics and reputation will make this game closer to the real-life football coaching management.

4. Innovation Youth Development

No matter what kind of football management game, witnessing local players stand out in the youth training system and finally enter the first team is one of the most exciting moments. Among them, Football Manager series of games is best at restoring the youth training system in the real field, while accurately reflecting the differences in youth training facilities of different clubs.

This makes the youth training system in each game launched by EA Sports seem very stereotyped and lacking in coherence. According to a player who plays both games at the same time, if EA wants to perform better in this aspect, it should optimize the player growth mechanism and introduce more detailed youth player reports to make it unique.

In addition, it is also a very good suggestion to introduce football players under the age of 21 into the game, which can give those talented teenagers with great potential in a stage to show themselves, and players will have more choices of players in some positions.

The above are some opinions from the current player community and social media on Career mode in FC 26, which is expected to be released on September 26, as well as some features that developers want to pay attention to. Although the cancellation of Football Manager 25 will be a pity for many football fans, you can fully expect what kind of surprises FC 26 will bring you when it is released in the second half of the year. I wish you a happy game!