EA FC 26 September 12 Patch Notes Summary: Player Stat Growth Curve Slows
Posted: Sep 13, 2025 Views: 49
Hello fans, EA FC 26 has released its latest patch notes, detailing the new content coming to FC 26, including changes to modes, players, and chemistry styles.
Let's take a look at the key details and potential impacts of these patch notes.
Release Date
- Web App: Available September 17th
- Companion App: Updated September 18th
Ultimate Edition Early Access:
- Console: Available September 19th at midnight local time.
- PC: Available September 18th at 1:00 PM BST.
- EA Play members: Enjoy a 10-hour free trial, and PC EA Play Pro members get unlimited access.
New And Returning Content
Cornerstones
Cornerstones will be the first event available to early access players, focusing on players crucial to their club's success. These cards will provide permanent upgrades and a +2 Chemistry Link.
Ultimate Scream
The developer hinted in the announcement that some horror-themed events will be returning, and it's highly likely that this event will be the fan-favorite Ultimate Scream.
Ultimate Scream event was absent from EA FC 24 and 25, and players in Ultimate Scream receive boosts to two of 6 primary stats, but these boosted stats change throughout the season. The timing and frequency of these boosts are unknown, and each boost affects a different stat, creating a sense of mystery.
Ultimate Scream players are visually distinct from standard player items and receive a +1 overall rating upon release.
World Tour: Silver Superstars
World Tour: Silver Superstars is a new mode that will release Silver-tier Icons and Heroes players commemorating international football tournaments. These players can be earned through Season Objectives and special Silver-tier limited-edition matches.
FC 26 will continue to be dominated by Gold cards, so those Icons Silver cards may not see much in the teams, but they are highly collectible. Their value of FUT 26 coins shouldn't be significantly higher than regular Silver cards, as officials want them to be fun and easy to get without compromising the core Power Curve.
Live Events Changes
Tournaments return as elimination-based tournaments, and players can join in Daily Knockout Tournaments during Early Access, with the winners advancing to the finals.
Gauntlets have been updated with a new multi-roster challenge mode to test squad depth. Each round requires a different starting 11 and 7 substitutes, for 54 players, completing three rounds. Rewards are based on the number of rounds won.
Gameplay Mechanics Changes
Slower Power Curve
As you may have noticed from the recent card leaks, most of the player stats are quite conservative, and the overall rating of the starting lineup will be slightly lower than that of FC 25.
In direct response to player feedback, FUT 26 will intentionally slow down the rate at which players upgrade. Rare Gold, Icon, and Hero cards will remain competitive longer, and player cards invested in FUT 26 coins will depreciate less quickly.
Higher-level SBCs will be released gradually throughout the game cycle, with their requirements and rewards adjusting as the game progresses.
In addition, weekly event card stat increases will be more balanced, with smaller increments, focusing on different attributes. However, player boosts during Black Friday, TOTS, and TOTY will still be significant.
Thus, we can expect higher player boosts during major promotions, and more modest gains during other events.
Evolutions
- There will be a greater focus on improving low- and mid-level players rather than creating top-tier players.
- Upgrades will be smaller and more frequent, with many being reusable (with a cooldown).
- Most evolutions will no longer change player card designs, retaining their original appearance.
Chemistry Style Refresh
Chemistry Style Refresh rewards have been rebalanced, with a new 3/6/9 point upgrade system replacing the old 4/8/12 system to narrow stat gaps.
Speed-based chemistry styles have been weakened. Players now sacrifice other attributes when increasing their speed, forcing players to make trade-offs. At the same time, non-speed chemistry styles have been enhanced, placing greater emphasis on key attributes such as composure, reflexes, and stamina to encourage diverse lineup builds.
Market
New players will face graduated access, requiring them to complete basic tasks or gain full access after 24-48 hours. Veteran players with a good record in FC 24 or FC 25 can skip this step.
Match Decision
You will win when your opponent quits or disconnects during a draw, when the match lasts 45 minutes or longer, when your opponent concedes a penalty, or when your opponent receives a red card. However, you can only win five games this way per day.
FC 26 also introduces technology that reduces average input latency by approximately 12 milliseconds to improve responsiveness.
Game Mode And Reward Updates
Champions
In Champions Playoffs, players can begin earning qualification points in Division 7 and automatically qualify for Division 6 when they accumulate enough points.
Champions ranks have been expanded from 10 to 15, with rewards for every win, and new milestone rewards for 12 and 14 wins. A new mode has been introduced for players in Division 7 and below, offering additional rewards.
Rivals
Rivals have added a new Bounty system, offering a chance to earn various rewards after each match, such as Points and FIFA 26 coins. The weekly point requirement has been reduced from 35 to 30. Limited Checkpoints have been introduced, allowing players who have reached a higher level to return to their more appropriate rank.
Draft Mode
Draft mode rewards have been rebalanced to be more consistent across all tiers, and its rewards will be updated over the course of the game's lifecycle, allowing for better rewards during major promotions.
Overall, EA FC 26's core adjustments focus on slowing down the pace of the game, allowing top-tier cards to retain their value longer, and aiming to increase depth and long-term playability across all modes. If FC 26 lives up to its promise, it could be the best FC game in nearly years.
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