FC 26: FC 26 Ultimate Team Leaks Represent Big Changes for the New Season

Early leaks for FC 26 Ultimate Team reveal some possible changes, such as the return of tournaments, the removal of FUT Champs playoffs, and new player roles. EA Sports has yet to officially confirm these details, but they come from a reliable source and offer a preview of what to expect from the game next season. And you can follow a stable platform to get first-hand news about the FC 25 or FC 26.

EA FC 26 release date confirmed

The TOTS for EA FC 25 Ultimate Team aren't over yet, but social media is already buzzing about EA FC 26. EA's football game series over the past decade has typically released in late September or early October, but players can get a taste of the simulation mode early.

EA has released its fourth quarter and full year results for fiscal year 2025, which include a "strong finish" to the year and new titles in the next quarter. EA also confirmed that EA FC 26 will be released in the second quarter of this fiscal year, meaning the game will be released between July 1, 2025 and September 30, 2025. This is related to other games such as College Football 26, Madden NFL 26, and NHL 26. Meanwhile, the latest news from well-known whistleblower @AhcanFut said that EA's "FC 26" Ultimate Edition may be released as early as August 23, 2025, which is the end of August, while the Standard Edition will be released a week later than the Ultimate Edition. This is nearly a month earlier than last year's release plan, and EA has now confirmed the release window of EA FC 26.

The failure of FC 25 prompted people to pay attention to FC 26 in advance

The reason why the leak of FC 26 has attracted widespread attention is partly due to the current game status of FC 25. With the full launch of the TOTS event, many players' lineups have become perfect, the price of top cards has dropped significantly, and they can be purchased for less than 100,000 gold coins, and most players' teams have players above level 95. In addition, the outstanding performance of some untradable players has also improved the overall combat power, and the accelerated strength curve has made many players feel exhausted, because the lineup in May is difficult to break through. The new changes to FC 26 come at an opportune time - content such as structured tournaments, an improved matchmaking system and new player roles inject balance and freshness into the new season.

Updated features and leaks on gameplay

Early leaks of FC 26 Ultimate Team include the return of tournaments, the removal of FUT Champs playoffs, and new player roles. Although EA Sports has not officially confirmed these details, they can be expected after the launch.

Live events and tournament modes

According to leaks, the core of FC 26 Ultimate Team will shift to tournaments and live events. This looks like a new mode, but it is actually an expansion of existing limited-time content, such as "Live FUT Friendly Matches". Tournaments will be more structured, with cup rewards and card objectives, and will no longer be one-off events. There will be up to two tournaments per week: competitive tournaments may be based on ranked matches, while friendly tournaments are more open and everyone can win rewards. Events will also bring special objectives and additional rewards, such as SBCs and unique cards, aiming to provide a continuous, rich weekly experience that does not rely solely on FUT Champions and Rivals.

Foot Champs Challengers replace FUT Champs Playoffs

In the leaked version of FC 26, the FUT Champions Playoffs have been cancelled, and players at Division 5 or higher will directly qualify for FUT Champions without having to go through a separate qualifying stage, significantly simplifying the competition structure. At the same time, EA has launched a new "FUT Champs Challengers" competition system for players at Division 6 and below, as an entry-level version of FUT Champs, designed for low-level players. Although this mechanism sounds promising, it has also raised concerns among some players about "smurf" abuse - someone may deliberately lower their rank to more easily match and obtain rewards. To avoid this problem, EA can avoid risks by adjusting the reward distribution, such as giving high-ranking players more attractive rewards, reducing incentives for low-ranking players, and maintaining fairness and challenge in the competition.

Division Rivals update introduces goals and rewards for different stages

In addition, FC 26's "rivals" system will be remade, and a number of adjustments have been made to the progress and reward mechanisms. One of the exciting features is the bonus for winning streaks. Winning streaks can double the Rivals Points. This new feature is designed to incentivize player persistence and encourage them to continue playing more matches.

These goals may include "score first in the next match" or "win two games in a row" to get extra rewards. While it is not yet clear how these goals will replace traditional progress markers, the concept is to make each game more meaningful. In addition, you can visit Vapex Karma's video content on YouTube to learn more about FC 26 Ultimate Team,

Early release is to be closer to the real football schedule

The August release can be better synchronized with the real football schedule, which gives EA the opportunity to launch more synchronized seasonal promotions and live matches in Ultimate Team from the beginning. The leaker (@SizePlaystation) revealed signs of EA FC 26 as early as April. This is much earlier than the July release of EA FC 24 and FIFA 23. This shows that EA may accelerate its release schedule this year.

It seems that the possibility of EA FC 26 being released in August is increasing, which could be a win-win for EA and its player base, whether it is to avoid the release of GTA 6, gain early sales advantage, or synchronize with the football season. But it should also be noted that this possibility is not 100%. Long before FIFA and EA separated, there were many rumors that FC 24 would be released a month earlier. However, according to the practice of previous years, whether it is August or September, the most important thing is whether the game can meet the needs of players.